Mackerel fishing

[SMOOTHOUND]

Mackerel being caught often along Hayling beaches

Edited August 1, 2011 by SMOOTHOUND

[phil dean]

There have been some flocks of gulls hitting sanderling or similar. May well be the returning thousands causing them to ball. Any other signs up the east coast?

[Trotters]

Hi All

I will always have my doubts about touch a Mackerel and it dies. I am with you all the way on only taking what you have a use for, NOT JUST MACKEREL, all other fish but unforetuately that gets spred around by someone thinking they know better than everyone else and a cap gets put on the number we should take. I have refused to go on certain charter boat trips because there is a quota put on the number of fish the anglers can take. In notable instances the remainer of the catch gets sold to restraunts, I only hope the correct license fees are paid to make it legal.

Float fishing spinning and fly fishing is the only way a true angler should fish for Mackerel they are a very sporting little fish.

 

By the way the last batch of record size Mackerel happened along because they were fished to a level where they were becoming scarce if not rare. What happened then was there was an explosion in the food species that Mackerel feed on in all their developement stages, this resulted in the Mackerel that were present had an unlimited amount of food, hence the terriffic growth rate. Many Mackerel we caught then had comparativly tiny heads and tails and really bulky bodies. I use to have some photos must have a look for them.

Regs

Trots

[Bobj]

4 nice spotty mackerel caught yesterday, all are 60-61 cm

 

[Vagabond]

4 nice spotty mackerel caught yesterday, all are 60-61 cm

 

Nice fish BobJ

 

Are they the same as Queensland School Mackerel Scomberomorus queenslandicus ( AKA Blotched Mackerel Cybium queenslandicus) ?

We had some of those up at the Top End

 

here's one - fewer spots than yours - we took for the pot

 

 

If I remember rightly, it was a bit disappointing flavour-wise

 

There is another Spotted Mackerel Sawara niphonia (AKA Japanese Spanish Mackerel) with smaller but more numerous spots - and a purple sheen, which seems to be the case with your fish. I have not caught any of them, but Grant says they are good eating, although his pic looks a bit different to your photo.

Edited September 1, 2014 by Vagabond

[barry luxton]

4 nice spotty mackerel caught yesterday, all are 60-61 cm

 

fancs for the foto, they look super.

[barry luxton]

there is no cap on the amount of mackerel to take, indeed the advice from the science this year has doubled the u k stock, so there appears to be no shortage. Spend all my life on charter boats up and down the channel and never heard of a mackerel cap, never. Saying that, I would not consider going with a skipper who ignores the regulation and imposes whatever regulation he thinks to suit his agenda. There's a lot of this at the mo, with so called angling guides who takes guys out because they haven't got the acumen to go find their own fish, in particular the bass. So the plonkers pay over inflated prices to have 'use' of these expert guides who consider they are doing right by the stock, by insisting either c&r or one fish limit.

 

Mackerel do not have a good chance of survival if handled. Indeed you can handle one, put it in a bucket of water for a short while and low and behold you will have sight of your finger prints showing on their flesh, they do not live long once handled. I do not agree with a mls for the rsa either for that very reason, so all that are handled, caught should be taken, once you have enough, stop fishing for them, is far better than thinking that they will live if sent back. Yes I know there will be some who will suggest shaking them off the hook as said, once you have enough, move on to something else or another species if you really care about the fish.

[Bobj]

Nice fish BobJ

 

Are they the same as Queensland School Mackerel Scomberomorus queenslandicus ( AKA Blotched Mackerel Cybium queenslandicus) ?

We had some of those up at the Top End

 

here's one - fewer spots than yours - we took for the pot

 

Queensland School Mackerel.jpg

 

If I remember rightly, it was a bit disappointing flavour-wise

 

There is another Spotted Mackerel Sawara niphonia (AKA Japanese Spanish Mackerel) with smaller but more numerous spots - and a purple sheen, which seems to be the case with your fish. I have not caught any of them, but Grant says they are good eating, although his pic looks a bit different to your photo.

Them's 'em...Locally known as spotties; they have to be 60 cm.

 

The Queenslandicus are referred to as doggie mackerel and only need to be 50 cm to take home.

 

Early in the season (after the wet) it is usually doggies and spanish, with a few broadbar. As the season progresses, the doggies move away and the spotties come in. The big spaniards head out to the off shore islands. Greys and broadbar have been rare this season.

 

The spotties in my pic are pre spawning, Ern Grant's pic is post spawning.

 

[Vagabond]

Thanks. BobJ, that will add a pencilled note in my copy of Grant

 

Them's 'em...Locally known as spotties; they have to be 60 cm.

 

 

The spotties in my pic are pre spawning, Ern Grant's pic is post spawning.

 

 

Thanks BobJ, that will add a pencilled note in my copy of Grant, we did also get greys, narrow-barred and broad-barred Spaniards on our visits to the Top End and also Ord river.

 

Having fished many places around the world, IMHO tropical Australia is easily the most productive - lots of fish, lots of species, and plenty of whoppers too.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Vagabond

[Bobj]

Just caught this morning, Vagabond, a 31.5" (80cm) spotty mackerel, again, prespawning. Note the good condition.