No Mans Land Fort and Horse Sand Fort stand either side of the main channel into the Eastern Solent. Both can be excellent mackerel and bass marks, if you drift with care around the forts.
Where is the best place to catch mackerel?
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 all the mackerel?
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 fish can I catch in the Solent?
Fish Species
- Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)
- Black Bream (Spondyliosoma cantharus)
- Brill (Scophthalmus rhombus)
- Cod (Gadus morhua)
- Herring (Clupea harengus)
- Mackerel (Scomber scomburus)
- Sole (Solea solea)
- Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)
What’s the best month to catch mackerel?
May-June
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 is the best bait for mackerel?
Another good tip for mackerel fishing is to bait the sabiki or feather rigs with tiny strips of fish or squid – just enough to enhance the taste and smell of the bait in the water. On hard days, this can really make a difference. Mackerel seem more eager to bite and hang on to something that tastes real.
Are there mackerel in the Solent?
No Mans Land Fort and Horse Sand Fort stand either side of the main channel into the Eastern Solent. Both can be excellent mackerel and bass marks, if you drift with care around the forts.
How many mackerel can you keep UK?
1. Catch limits August 2022
| Stock (species and area) | Period | Catch limit (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| Ling – Western | Monthly | 3 |
| Mackerel – North Sea | Monthly | 6 |
| Mackerel – Western | Monthly | 10 |
| Mackerel – Area VIId Handline | Monthly | 2 |
Can you catch mackerel in March 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.
Are there sharks in the Solent?
“There are some very large sharks living in the area, such as porbeagle sharks and thresher sharks.” Thresher sharks can grow up to 20ft and are strong swimmers who can completely vault out of water.
Where can I find mackerel in the Isle of Wight?
Yarmouth pier is far smaller but can be fished at night unlike Sandown. Flounder and mullet and school bass can be fished in the harbour and bass, smooth hound, rays, mackerel and bream from pier in summer. This is a notable cod venue in late autumn/winter.
Where can I fish in Southampton?
Where can I fish?
- Cromarty Pond. Lordshill (nearby postcode – SO16 8BU) North of the Lordshill Sainsbury’s roundabout.
- Mansbridge Reservoir. (nearby post code SO18 2NH).
- Millers Pond.
- Ornamental Lake on Southampton Common.
- River Itchen.
- Shirley (Icehouse) Pond.
- Fishing in tidal waters.
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.
Can I fish for 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.
What size hooks for mackerel?
I tend to choose rigs with hook sizes ranging from size 4 up to a size 2/0. The rigs tend to be pre-tied with four or five hooks, sometimes more. I like to cut the rigs down to have three hooks. This causes less problems on the kayak when it comes to unhooking the fish.
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.
How do you catch a big mackerel?
With the boat drifting and the motor turned off (it might spook the mackerel otherwise), use a string of Sabiki Bait Lures together with a pear-shaped lead weight attached at the lower end of the string. Lower this slowly, jigging it up and down as you do so, until you feel a fish strike.
What is the best tide to catch mackerel?
Catching mackerel at dark or morning, as well as at high tide, is the most effective method. Early spring high tides are frequently the most productive because they bring bait fish closer to shore, where they are followed by mackerel. Mackerel, on the other hand, can be caught at any time.
Where are the mackerel UK?
In the UK we have two distinct large mackerel shoals, a northern shoal and a western shoal. The northern shoal overwinters in the area mostly to the north and east of Shetland and moves south during the summer months. It is predominately caught by anglers in the north east.
What fish can you catch in Portsmouth?
During the summer there’s mackerel, garfish, pollack, bass, mullet, bream, smoothhounds, scad and flatties and in the winter, codling, whiting and flounders. All fishing works well off the pier, hence its popularity but the best fishing is during late evening / night at high tide.
What month do mackerel come to the UK?
In the south of England, mackerel season begins late spring. In the north of England, the season starts later, around mid Summer. However, the best time to catch mackerel is from May to June.
Justin Shelton is a professional cook. He’s been in the industry for over 10 years, and he loves nothing more than creating delicious dishes for others to enjoy. Justin has worked in some of the best kitchens in the country, and he’s always looking for new challenges and ways to improve his craft. When he’s not cooking, Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and son. He loves exploring new restaurants and trying out different cuisines.