How Do You Catch A Mackerel Troll?

What depth do you troll for 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 speed should you troll for mackerel?

The secret to more effective Mackerel trolling is speed. If you want to catch more Mackerel on lures, troll faster. While 6 knots is okay, 7, 8, 9 or 10 knots is even better. The faster you can troll, the more likely you are to get connected.

What is the best lure for mackerel?

Small soft plastic lures also work well. Mackerel will nail these in the top 20 ft or so of water. Effective lures include the Fiiish Black Minnow 70, Savage Gear Sandeels in the mini 10 cm or small 12.5 cm sizes and many others that imitate small baitfish such as sandeels and sprats.

What is the leader of mackerel?

He typically uses 30-40 lb fluorocarbon leader for Spanish mackerel, although he will go with something heavier if there are kings around. If he’s targeting kings, he normally uses #3 wire leader.

What is the best time to fish for mackerel?

The best time to catch mackerel is dusk or dawn and at high tide. Spring high tides are often the best as they push bait fish closer into shore and the mackerel follow them in. Mackerel can be caught anytime, however.

Where is the best place to catch king mackerel?

When looking for king mackerel, good structure is the place to begin. Wrecks, reefs, channel edges, and tidelines all attract bait and bait attracts kings. My favorite king mackerel setup is a 3-1/2 Drone spoon behind a three-ounce trolling or torpedo sinker.

How do you slow troll for king mackerel?

Try slow trolling around the bait for 15 or 20 minutes. If this doesn’t work, go to the next plan. The Canaveral buoy line provides structure for both baitfish and predators. Slow trolling up one side and down the other of this line, or try zig-zagging across it (stay out of the way of large vessels).

Does Tide matter for mackerel fishing?

Shoal fish, such as mackerel, may come within range of anglers fishing from pier and rock marks when the weather is calm and the tide is weak, but stay further out at sea during strong spring tides, especially when they are combined with bad weather.

What color lures do mackerel like?

Most tend to carry treble hooks that result in an effective hook-up rate when trolled on a sturdy strike drag setting. Lures in the 20 cm range are popular with the red/white Qantas colour scheme and blues and greens being present in most avid mackerel angler’s tackle boxes.

How do you target mackerel?

How to Target Spanish Mackerel

1. Try using a small gold spoon.
2. Watch for those gray-hounding fish.
3. Use as fast a retrieve as you can, and if you’re trolling, bump the speed up to eight or even nine knots.
4. Use weight or a planer to get a lure down beneath the surface.
5. Watch for birds.

How do you catch mackerel from a pier?

The main mackerel fishing technique used from a pier or jetty is to cast (usually not overhead if others are nearby) and retrieve with a consistent up and down motion on the rod so your sabiki rig looks like a small shoal of bait fish moving.

Can you catch mackerel from the beach?

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.

Where are mackerel found?

Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment.

What is the best speed for trolling?

So, what is the best trolling speed? The best trolling speed depends on several factors including the type of fish, water conditions and lure choice. In general, trolling speeds between 1.5 and 2.5 mph, as measured by GPS, are a good starting place for most species like walleye, trout and salmon.

What is a trolling lure?

Trolling lures are designed to imitate real-live bait fish that appear to be injured or just moving quickly. You’ll find a variety of surface lures, plugs, soft baits, spoon lures and spinnerbait to attract almost any type of pelagic fish.

Can you catch mackerel in April?

This changes between April and May, when the mackerel swim to the central parts of the North Sea to spawn. In the summer months, we’ll also spot spawning mackerel in our fjords. At this time of year, you’re likely to see anglers on the piers (young and old), trying to catch the delicious fish for their supper.

What do I need to catch mackerel?

A small shiny lure such as a spoon, spinner or baitfish imitation, and float fishing with small strips of bait, are successful mackerel tactics. But a string of feathers or small lures beats all methods.

When can you catch mackerel UK?

Mackerel is a very important fish to anglers as both a sport fish and as a bait. Mackerel are migratory and come to the UK in spring and early summer, when they will feed actively and then migrate to warmer seas in the autumn months to spawn, during which time they will feed little.