The trolling tackle you need to catch Spanish mackerel: a 0 Huntington Drone spoon tied directly to 30 feet of 15-pound mono line. The line is wrapped around a leader spool then attached to a ball bearing snap swivel. The snap swivel can be attached to either a trolling sinker or a a #1 Huntington planer.
How do you rig mackerel for trolling?
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 is the best bait for mackerel fishing?
The best bait for catching mackerel is either a sandeel or strip of mackerel, but lures are also highly effective. I recommend the spinners listed on this page alongside Japanese Sabiki feathers for more hook ups. Fishing with baited mackerel feathers allows you to catch mackerel as well as other species.
How much line should you let out when trolling for Spanish mackerel?
A typical trolling spread for Spanish mackerel is 4 or 5 lines with most below the surface and one on the surface. Some fishermen use all planers or all trolling sinkers, but I like to begin with a mixture of them.
What depth do you troll for mackerel?
Most opt to troll at around 5-6Kts and run a selection of colours to see what is hot on a particular day.
How fast 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.
Can you catch king mackerel overnight?
They can be caught with live baits anytime, but trolling artificials at night is a losing proposition. Kings generally feed near the surface at dawn, dusk and night. In bright sunlight they feed somewhat down; on rainy days or overcast days the fish will feed near the surface all day long.
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.
What size hook is best for mackerel?
What size hook for mackerel? The size of the hook Mackerel have small lips, so if you are missing a lot of bites, you should consider reducing the hook size by one or two sizes. You may use a size 4 or even a size 6 hook depending on the size of your bait.
Do I need a leader for mackerel?
Do you need a leader for mackerel? Spanish mackerel aren’t very large, but they can eat through a line in a matter of seconds. Because of their razor-sharp fangs, leaders are an absolute necessity.
What pound leader is mackerel?
Fluorocarbon leaders that range from 25 to 50 pound test line have become common for Spanish mackerel fishing. Because most Spanish mackerel will be in the 2 to 3 pound range, you will most likely only need 8 to 12 pound test line as your main line, which is why the leader is so important.
What size hooks for Spanish mackerel?
1/0-2/0 circle
1/0-2/0 circle hook to match bait size. Bobber, especially one that attracts upon intermittent retrieval.
How fast do you trawl for mackerel?
As for a trolling speed, I would recommend around 4-6 knots, however, if you are finding fish on your sounder and not getting strikes, speeding up to 8 knots can be very effective.
How far behind the boat should I troll?
20 feet to 150 feet
Bait Position and Distance Behind Boat
Proper distance for most boats will be anywhere from 20 feet to 150 feet behind your boat. Whether you have inboard diesel or outboard gas engines, your power dictates the distance you troll your baits and lures.
What month is mackerel season?
The ideal season to catch mackerel is from May to June, however they are taken in huge quantities throughout the summer and larger fish are occasionally captured in the winter.
Can you troll at 10 knots?
Ten to 12 knots is no problem for a trolling speed for wahoo. “I refer to it as ‘travel fishing’ or ‘scouting,’” says DeSilva, “when you are fishing to a known hot spot or looking for one. [Ten to 12 knots] is fast enough to get you where you’re going, but not too crazy on the fuel burn.”
How much line should you let out when trolling?
Let out 50 feet of line and clip into the release. If that’s not enough distance to prevent your lake’s wary walleyes from seeing the ball…then let out 150 feet of line! Just remember, the flat-line diving depth of your crankbait still applies behind the ball!
What do you need to troll for fish?
Other necessary equipment for trolling are as follows:
- Rod Holder. Having rod holders set up behind your boat is the best solution for keeping your rods steady throughout the expedition.
- Depth Rigs.
- Paravane.
- Planer Board.
- Sonar.
What is the best speed for trolling?
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.
Can you troll with a jig lure?
Jigs can be long-line trolled directly behind the boat, but these lures are also ideally suited to trolling in combination with in-line boards.
Do mackerel bite in the dark?
Member. The light attracts the fish to that area. A mackerel will eat if there is food. The times that they aren’t biting is simply because they are not there, or not able to locate your bait.
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