How to Catch Spanish Mackerel

Spanish mackerel are fun to catch and plentiful.

Spanish Mackerel are a fairly large version of the common Mackerel found all up and down the east coast and in the Atlantic Ocean. The Spanish Mackerel have visible spots on their sides, fight hard and are also good to eat. You can catch them in the Gulf of Mexico during the Summer and Winter.

Things You'll Need

• Fishing pole
• Chunk bait or lures
• Boat

Instructions

1. Rig a 7 foot pole with a spinning reel that can handle 20 lb test fishing line. Spool it with at least 150 yards of monofilament (the thinner the better).

2. Rig your line with a Spanish Mackerel rig. You can use a simple wire leader and a circle hook, or a King Mackerel rig with two stinger treble hooks on a wire leader and a single regular hook.

3. Fish the shoreline around rocky areas and bluffs where bait fish like to hide and can be easily corralled. Spanish Mackerel will herd the bait fish before they feed so they look for areas where they can do this.

4. Also fish the inlets of bays, feeder streams and deep water areas over hard bottom. Spanish Mackerel will frequent these areas as well.

5. Chum using chunk bait and create a slick of chum. Then cast your line rigged with a live sardine or cut up dead bait and let it float into the chum slick. Then wait for a Spanish Mackerel to bite.

Resources

• Spanish Mackerel
• Identifying Spanish Mackerel