How to catch mackerel: The best lures, feathers and baits for mackerel fishing
Mackerel are true shoal fish, so they don’t have much time to think about a potential meal, which makes them very easy to catch using relatively basic equipment. Successful mackerel fishing techniques include using a float and small strips of bait, as well as a small, shiny lure like a spoon, spinner, or baitfish imitation. But all methods are beaten by a string of feathers or a small lure.
Around six hooks make up a string of mackerel feathers, and each one is decorated to look like a small fish or other food item moving in the water. Old-fashioned larger, rainbow-colored feathers mounted on large, crude hooks are no longer as effective at luring bites as smaller, more contemporary alternatives.
The best choice for replicating the tiny sandeels that mackerel frequently eat is a hook size of between four and 1/0 with a small amount of bright or dark dressing (yellow, silver, red, black, and dark green are really effective). The modern equivalent of the mackerel feather, also referred to as a sabiki rig, is made up of several hooks that are each adorned with a tiny piece of material that mimics bait, such as a piece of fish skin or some shiny threads like tinsel. These will catch lots of mackerel.
If you’re fishing for mackerel from a pier or beach, make sure the rig is strong enough to cast the total weight of the lead or rig, keeping in mind that you need about 10 lb of breaking strain for every ounce you’re likely to cast. Therefore, a rig constructed with 20 lb line would function well with a 2 oz weight, 30 lb for a 3 oz weight, and so on.
If you want to catch mackerel, a good expert tip is to substitute a bright metal jig or baitfish-imitating lure for the standard weight at the bottom of the rig. This enhances the rig with an additional attractant and will draw mackerel in as it flutters through the water during retrieval or dropping off a boat.
Another excellent tip for fishing for mackerel is to add tiny strips of fish or squid to the sabiki or feather rigs to improve the flavor and smell of the bait in the water. On hard days, this can really make a difference. When something tastes authentic, Mackerel seem more eager to bite and hold onto it.
Mackerel Fishing Pier Access in England (Wales & Scotland below)
Central pier, South pier, North pier. Mackerel fishing access: YES (check to confirm).
Access to the Bognor Regis Pier for Mackerel Fishing: YES but check to make sure since the pier is privately owned
Boscombe or Bournemouth piers offer year-round access to mackerel fishing.
Access to the Palace Pier for Mackerel Fishing is NO LONGER ALLOWED.
No access to the Burnham-on-Sea Pier’s mackerel fishing, but you can fish from the jetty and the beach instead.
Clacton pier Mackerel fishing access: YES but you have to book here
Mackerel fishing access at Cleethorpes Pier: Unknown, but people do fish the beach
Clevedon Pier Mackerel fishing access: NO, club members only
Cromer Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
There is no pier, but the deep water is excellent for fishing mackerel. However, it appears that fish won’t start showing up in large numbers until late April or early May in 2022, which is about the same time as usual. Mackerel fishing access: YES.
Deal Pier Mackerel fishing access is available, but tickets are necessary and can be purchased on the spot.
Access to mackerel fishing from Eastbourne Pier: YES, the pier is accessible.
Prince of Wales Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Access to fishing for mackerel at Felixstowe Pier is prohibited.
Harbour Arm Mackerel fishing access: YES
Gravesend Town & Royal Terrace Mackerel fishing access: : YES
Britannia Pier, Wellington Pier Mackerel fishing access: NO
Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Hastings Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Herne Bay Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Hythe Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Mackerel fishing access at Claremont Pier and South Pier: YES but verify as privately owned
Access to the St. Annes Pier for mackerel fishing is YES (be cautious of tides).
Access to fishing for mackerel from Paignton Pier is possible, but only when casting out to sea and not inside the harbor.
Yes, with a ticket purchased on-site, you can fish for mackerel off Ryde Pier.
Saltburn Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Access to mackerel fishing off of Culver Pier: Definitely, I believe a harbor was built here specifically for fishing…
NO, fish for mackerel from the beach rather than from Skegness Pier.
Royal Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Southend Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Southport Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
South Parade Pier & Clarence Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Southwold Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES, permit required
Swanage Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Grand Pier Mackerel fishing access: NO, pier sunk
Princess Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Totland Pier Mackerel fishing access: NO.
Walton-on-the-Naze Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Grand Pier & Birnbeck Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Weymouth Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Worthing Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
Yarmouth Pier Mackerel fishing access: YES
How to Catch Mackerel From a Boat
When you catch a mackerel, you can be reasonably certain that there are tons of his friends nearby waiting to jump onto your hook.
Bass love to use them as bait, and when they attack from below the shoal, the mackerel are forced to the surface. Gannets, in particular, are quick to take advantage of this situation and reveal the location of the shoals by diving. Therefore, keep an eye out for seabird activity, and you almost certainly will join them in their feast.
The best fishing method is when you know your boat is over a shoal of mackerel.
FAQ
Where would you find a mackerel?
They primarily reside near the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment, and are found in both temperate and tropical seas. The majority of mackerel species have sharply forked tails and vertical, iridescent green-blue stripes that resemble tigers on their backs.
What is the best way to catch mackerel?
Mackerel can be caught very successfully using a beachcaster or bass rod and daylights or feathers, and if a shoal is cast into, it is possible to catch a mackerel on every lure. However, there is little sport in this method. If an angler is fishing for mackerel for sport, they typically use lighter bass or spinning rods.
Are the mackerel in yet 2022?
In the first week of January, the 2022 mackerel season began, and Denholm Seafoods is already processing fish caught by its boat partners in the North Atlantic’s sustainable waters.
What is the best time to fish for mackerel?
At high tide and at dusk or dawn, mackerel fishing is at its best. The best tides are frequently in the spring because they drive mackerel and baitfish closer to shore. Mackerel can be caught anytime, however.
