Mackerel Fishing!

[henda11]

i went mackerel fishing on sunday and came out with about 40 mackeral, i put around 30+ mackerel back and kept 10 or so for myself for frozen bait and something to eat...

 

anyway what im trying to get as what actually is the best condition to fish for mackerel?, hide tide? low tide? im just not that sure

[Fastd]

The best time to fish for mackrel...well the summer is a good bet.

 

More seriously there are threads elsewhere about the mackrel slaughter and the idiots and blackmarketeers who target them. We now have a resident chinaman at the end of the pier who will take "what you dont need". The summer brings a spate of lager louts out who catch hundreds and pile em up and leave em to die. It is a sensless slaughter that has been going on for years which with the exception of the few all year round serious anglers on our local piers who fish to meet their reqirements and then target other species, is condemmend by almost every serious seaangler I have spoken to.

 

Dawn is a good time to go for them particularly if it coincides with a high tide...same goes for late evening. personally any time before the off licenseces open and the idiots turn up in force is good for me.

 

Cheers

Dave

[glennk]

Was gonna post just that Dave. I often think time of day is a more important factor than tide state. Very early morning and and late evening are the times I would target mackerel. Mid morning high tides are not my favourite. High water tides in this area are most productive from tea time onwards (Tea time in the ne is 4 pm).

 

 

As for the idiots just ignore them - you will never alter their thinking. As mentioned by someone the other day - "there is no cure for stupid".

 

Are you aware that all mackerel will die if you touch them ?? there is an interesting thread pinned to the top of the board you may find interesting.

 

Good luck - Glenn

[Fastd]

A comment i would make as a boat angler is that although makrel are quoted as been huge shoals I think that these huge shoals are split into small groups bearing in mind that the sea is a big open space.

 

Many a time anglers on one side of a boat catch and those on the other do not. You can take 10 fiah on a slow drift and then no more. Then a few minutes later the other side of the boat is catching. I believe they are in small groups and its just a matter iof one of those groups swimming past.

 

Another point is boat anglers regularly call out the depth at which they hit mackrel so others can join in thebait catching process. They are in localised groups but overall part of a national shoal that arrives on our shores every summer.

 

So if you are fishing from the shore vary your depth...many are caught just under the boat...which for a shore angleer would equate to cast and an immediate retrieve.

 

Cheers

Dave

[henda11]

yeah i know that touching them kills then but i use latex gloves which are wet before i touch the mackerel so i try my best not to harm them