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 is the best trolling speed for Spanish mackerel?
between five and seven knots
Trolling speed for Spanish mackerel is between five and seven knots. At this speed the 15-pound leader is going to twist no matter how many ball bearing swivels you use. Having one in the mix will slow down the inevitable, but it won’t stop the twisting.
What pound line should I use for mackerel?
Use 15 lb monofilament line or better still 15 lb braid. Then it is a case of tying on your rig or lure. Heavier gear can be used but you will not feel so much of the fight. Mackerel are fairly ferocious predators, especially when in a school.
How long should a Spanish mackerel leader be?
If the teeth of a Spanish mackerel fish come into contact with 12-pound monofilament line, the line will tear in two parts very fast. The lure or bait is connected to the angler’s line by a small, light metal leader that is eight inches long and made of light metal.
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.
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 size lures for Spanish mackerel?
1/0 is a good all-around size. Artificial lures can certainly be used when drifting the grass flats as well. Spoons, plugs, and jigs all work well when fan cast out in front of a drifting boat. Spanish mackerel are attracted to fast-moving flashy lures.
What line is best for Spanish mackerel?
Spanish mackerel have keen eyesight, so a fluorocarbon leader is an essential part of the tackle. I use 3 to 4 feet of 15-pound test connected to the main line with a uni-to-uni knot. The long leader comes in handy when fishing around jetties.
Do you need wire leader for Spanish mackerel?
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.
What type of rod do I need for mackerel fishing?
We recommend using a 10-12ft rod with a fairly heavy casting weight to deal with the rigours of feather fishing. Reel wise, we need a 60 sized saltwater fixed spool reel. This provides the cranking power required to deal with the multiple catches that you will inevitably encounter.
What is the best time to catch Spanish mackerel?
February is a prime time for catching Spanish mackerel since a ban on gill netting in 1995.
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 is the best time to catch 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.
How deep do Spanish mackerel go?
10 to 40 feet
Spanish mackerel occur seasonally from the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They are a shallow water species, preferring sand bottom in depths of 10 to 40 feet (3 to 12 m), occasionally found as deep as 80 feet (24 m).
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.
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 fast should u go when 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.
How much line should I let out for a troll?
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!
How long should a trolling line be?
spread all your lines throughout the water column, c) set the bulk of your lines to run at 20 feet, know for a fact that’s where they’ll actually be, and make sure a few lines are running shallower and deeper than that depth to cover all the bases until you get a bite or three and can adjust accordingly.
How do you know how much fishing line is out?
Count the Number of Pulls
A tried and true method for identifying how much line you have out in the water is to pull line out from the reel instead of casting or dropping your line. For this method, you’ll need first to measure the distance between the fishing reel and the first guide on the rod.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.