Spanish Mackerel feed primarily on other fish so using lures that mimic their prey are the most effective. Fast moving spoons and hard baits are most commonly used when targeting Spanish from the surf.
How do you catch Spanish mackerel on the beach?
Two popular methods for catching Spanish mackerel are trolling from boats and ballooning from the shore. Trolling can be done with hard-bodied minnow lures or live bait such as slimy mackerel, mullet or garfish secured with multiple hooks.
What is the best bait for Spanish mackerel?
Bait & Lures
Spanish mackerel will eat just about anything including sardines, mullet, cut bait, squid, and shrimp. They prefer quickly moving bait, but when they’re feeding they are not particularly picky. Seasoned anglers will always keep shiny spoons and other heavy metal lures on hand.
Do Spanish mackerel come close to shore?
They live in nearshore waters, and move up and down the coasts with changing water temps. They generally winter in south Florida and the Keys, moving northward as the water warms. Spanish mackerel are schooling, open water hunters, that occasionally feed on shrimp and squid.
How do you rig a Spanish mackerel?
The idea is to thread each tag end slightly off center, then tie the ends tightly together under the fish’s mouth so that the mouth is held shut and the hook lies exactly dead center on top of the head. The hook should be close to the nose for skip baits and directly above the front of the eyes for a swimming bait.
What depth do you catch Spanish mackerel?
I find that Spanish mackerel prefer depths of around 30 metres, although I have caught them in depths as shallow as 9 metres and as deep as 60. If you can find drop offs, or structure in 20-30 metres to 30-40 metres, it will pay to target these areas if there are no bait schools around.
What is the best month to catch mackerel?
May-June is the best time to catch mackerel, although they are caught all summer in numbers and larger specimens are sometimes caught in winter.
What size hooks for Spanish mackerel?
If you are targeting the smaller mackerel species like Spanish Mackerel or Cero Mackerel, then you can use a 1/0 or 2/0 circle hook. Both of these mackerel species will readily eat live bait, dead bait and lures.
What time of year do Spanish mackerel come out?
They migrate as the seasons and water temperatures change. Along the Atlantic coast, Spanish mackerel spend the winter off Florida and move northward to North Carolina in early April and to New York in June. As waters cool later in the year, they return south to Florida waters.
What colors do Spanish mackerel like?
The best Spanish mackerel lures combine shiny metal and sparkly colors to imitate a grass minnow, silverside, or anchovy. Spanish often feed on small baitfish, so the big challenge is matching the size of the minnows. Trolling a small lure requires adding weight or planer to keep the lure under the water.
What time of day is best for mackerel fishing?
Regarding the time of day, as with many species, mackerel feed best at dawn or dusk. Their prey – small fish, sandeels, launce, shrimps, squid and so on – are also most active around these times.
Where can I find mackerel from shore?
The best places to catch mackerel are piers and rocks, both of which are already in deeper water. Mackerel don’t normally come in too close to the beach. This doesn’t mean that they don’t but as a general rule you’ll get much better results if you’re fishing away from the beach. The best baits are the shiny ones.
Are mackerel top or bottom feeders?
It might surprise you that the following fish and shellfish are classified as bottom-feeders: halibut, flounder, sole, cod, haddock, bass, carp, snapper, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, squid, octopus, catfish, shrimp, crabs, lobster, crayfish, snails and shellfish.
What size hook is best for mackerel?
Hook size. Mackerel have small mouths so if you miss a lot of bites, go down a hook size or two. Depending on the size of your bait, you can go down to a size 4 or even 6.
Do you need wire for Spanish mackerel?
Recommended Tackle
Spanish mackerel aren’t huge, but they can tear through your line in a hurry. Leaders are a must because of their super sharp teeth. Some anglers prefer using wire leaders, especially when using very fast retrieves with artificial lures.
Do you have to scale Spanish mackerel?
Mackerel have a thin skin and tiny scales, so they’re one of the few fish that don’t need their scales removed before you clean or fillet them. Cleaning a mackerel is quick and simple, even if you rarely work with whole fish. You’ll need a filleting knife or utility knife with a long, thin, sharp blade.
How much is a Spanish mackerel worth?
Fresh Whole Spanish Mackerel $17.80kg – Seafood Warehouse.
Is Spanish mackerel good eating fish?
Spanish mackerel, an especially good eating finfish, produces an attractive plate-size cutlet or an essentially boneless fillet. Mackerel can be fried, baked, poached, grilled, marinated, smoked and barbecued—it is considered by some to be the best barbecue fish in the South Pacific and Asia.
Are the mackerel in yet 2022?
The 2022 Mackerel Hook & Line fishery is to open by Fisheries Management Notice for all eligible vessels under 15 metres in length overall on 1st May 2022.
What bait does mackerel eat?
Anchovies or sardines are good mackerel bait, and we often catch them using slow trolling baits. This type of mackerel is attracted to shiny lures and topwater lures; however, small poppers may work as well.
What weight should I use for mackerel fishing?
The 10ft model with a 2-4oz casting weight is an ideal setup for a 3 mackerel feather setup and the 12ft 4-8oz set up is ideal for a 3 plus mackerel feather setup. This setup comes with a 60 size fixed spool reel that is already loaded with 20lb monofilament.