What Temperature Do Spanish Mackerel Like?

They’ll search for temperatures between 68 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit that are pleasant for them, whether they’re deep or shallow.

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.

What is the best weather to catch mackerel?

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.

What time of day do Spanish mackerel bite?

Spanish mackerel usually feed aggressively early in the morning and often again late in the afternoon. However, once the water warms into the 80’s, they sometimes get picky about their food, especially during the middle of the day.

What is the best bait to catch Spanish mackerel?

The top two live baits for Spanish mackerel fishing are live shrimp and live bait fish. The most effective live bait fish are the families of small silvery fish such as scaled sardines, Spanish sardines, and threadfin herring. Shrimp are available at local bait shops.

What tide is best for Spanish mackerel?

An early spring high tide is the greatest time to go mackerel fishing. These are the tides that occur when the difference between high and low water is at its highest, and the flow of water is at its greatest intensity. When the tides are high, bait fish are pushed closer to shore, and mackerel follow them in.

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.

What depth do you fish mackerel?

Mackerel generally remain at the same depth which is between 8ft to 20ft. They also generally stay quite close to cliffs and walls. If you’re fishing from a pier then you will probably only need to be casting out between 5 to 30 yards.

Does rain affect mackerel fishing?

While sea fish are unaffected by rain, a sudden downpour can make life a lot less comfortable for the anglers fishing for them.

Where do mackerel go in winter?

Mackerel is a migrating fish and it swims in large shoals near the surface. During the winter season, the fish live near the seabed off the southwest coast of Norway, and in this period they eat very little. This changes between April and May, when the mackerel swim to the central parts of the North Sea to spawn.

What water temperature is best for Spanish mackerel?

They’ll search for temperatures between 68 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit that are pleasant for them, whether they’re deep or shallow.

Are Spanish mackerel hard to catch?

Spanish are typically very easy to catch when they are around, they fight hard, they taste great and they are easy to clean. So, Spanish mackerel are an ideal game fish for recreational anglers.

Do you need wire for Spanish mackerel?

Because most Spanish mackerel are going to weigh just a couple of pounds, fishermen usually like to use lighter tackle when trolling for these fish. Anglers typically use medium action rods with 8 to 12 pound test line and a wire leader or heavy fluorocarbon leader (25 to 50 pound test line) to avoid bite-offs.

What time of day is best to catch mackerel?

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 do Spanish mackerel feed on?

Eating habits: Spanish mackerel feed on small fish, such as anchovies, sardines, threadfin herring and silversides, as well as shrimp and squid.

Where do you troll for Spanish mackerel?

Trolling at seven to 10 knots outside the second sand bar to about a mile offshore will likely result in numerous hook-ups. Halco and Clark spoons work well on the mackerel when deployed at different depths behind the boat. I like to have a couple of spoons near the surface and several down in the six-foot range.

Can you catch mackerel at night?

A few species do not generally feed in the dark and they include wrasse, plaice, mullet and mackerel, although there are exceptions. Calm, clear nights are generally more productive than when the sea is rough and coloured because the fish often feed much closer to shore in daylight in such conditions.

Where is the best place to catch mackerel?

Mackerel prefer to congregate near buildings because it makes it simpler for them to ambush their prey. Breakwaters, piers, and rock marks are all suitable places to look for mackerel to catch them. When the mackerel are searching near the surface of the water, they are rather easy to locate and catch.

What wind direction is best for fishing?

When the wind blows from the east and the barometric pressure drops, the decrease in air pressure can cause fish stomachs to shrink slightly. It could be enough that the fish’s will and need to hunt and feed decreases. Winds from the south and west tend to improve fishing.

Is it best to fish into the wind?

Carp love and regularly react to a wind, even if it’s a cold one. They wont necessarily move into the windward corner but they will almost always move from their current position when a new wind arrives. It’s the direction of the wind that has the biggest impact on the weather as a whole.

Is it good to fish in choppy water?

As shallow flats turn choppy, fish migrate to deeper water less affected by wind. As such, fish the nearshore depth changes first, moving incrementally deeper until you find biting fish. Throwing noisy top waters are great “search baits” for covering large expanses water.