Fishing for Spanish Mackerel

Article by: Capt. Rick Bennett

Fishing for Spanish Mackerel. Spanish Mackerel are the staple, go to fish for many fishermen. Their season starts usually in early May and goes into October. They are easy to clean (filet) and taste good on the dinner table. While there are several ways to go about catching Spanish, the methods are generally not complicated and the tackle required not too stringent. Let’s look at some of the specifics.

Fishing for Spanish is usually done from twenty feet of water along the beach out to forty or so feet of water a couple of miles off the beach. It should be noted that at times nice sized Spanish are caught anywhere from three to five miles and even ten miles off the beach. Important to remember is where bait is present, Spanish are usually nearby. In the heat of the summer, early morning and late in the afternoon are usually best fishing times. During the middle (heat of the day) is a good time to find a cool place for the fisherman as the fish are doing the same.

Possibly one of the most popular ways to catch Spanish is trolling. There are several variations. A favorite bait is a Clarkspoon trolled behind twenty-five to thirty feet of twenty-five pound test mono leader. One end of the leader should have a double over hand loop knot and the other should have a 00 Clarkspoon tied on with a six turn cinch knot. I prefer the 00 size because in my opinion it best resembles the small shiners that Spanish like to eat. The leader is then attached to either a planer (most popular is a #1) or a trolling weight from one ounce to four ounces. If using trolling weights it is best to use ones with ball bearing swivels that help prevent line twist. Trolling speed is between five and six knots. When the fish hits it trips the planer, it surfaces, and you hand line the thirty feet of leader bringing the fish to the boat and the cooler. Planers put a good bend in rods when deployed. A soft tip rod with good backbone is desirable. Medium size spinning reels or casting reels with twenty pound line (braid or mono) is all you need.

While trolling is the tried and true method for catching Spanish, there are a few different techniques that add a bit of sport to the effort. One is to mix in with your trolling spread a light spinning outfit with a bird rig attached. A bird rig is nothing more than a five inch bird tied to the fishing line at the nose of the bird and seven feet of mono leader (twenty-five test) tied at the rear of the bird with a 00 Clarkspoon at the end. This rig flutters and splashes along the surface and begs fish to come take a look where they find the Clarkspoon thinking it is bait.

Often, you will see schools of Spanish jumping while you are trolling. It is fun to stop and, using a light spinning outfit, cast a small (1/2 ounce) jig such as a diamond jig into the school and reel fast. Light lead heads with curly tails work well too, but they only last for one strike because of the toothy Spanish.

Another popular method for light tackle enthusiasts is the use of four to five inch deep divers. These can be fished on light spinning rods with a four foot forty pound fluorocarbon leader. Trolling speed is usually no more than 3.2 knots. Faster and they will pop out of the water rather than diving down ten feet or more. Many divers come with treble hooks which I change to in line single hooks.

Good Fishing!

Capt. Rick Bennett, Ret.
www.rod-man.com
rodman@rod-man.com

Capt. Rick Bennett

A lifetime fisherman, Capt. Rick Bennett, better known as the Rod-Man,has retired from the day to day activities as a charter boat captain but does offer “ON YOUR BOAT” Guided Fishing Trips. Capt. Rick will show you the when, the where and the how. From rod and reel selection to terminal tackle to bait, Capt. Rick has the know how.