The weather is warming up… “Can I get a hallelujah, can I get an Amen!” and we don’t see any major fronts coming for the next 10 to 14 days so, dare I say that spring is here? I have mentioned quite a few times in previous articles that spring and fall fishing in Manatee County is some of the best fishing that we get. The winter fish, sheepshead, in particular are still abundant with the water temps still in the 60’s but we are hearing word that the Spanish Mackerel are starting to invade the bay. Just like the pirate ship that comes in to “invade” Tampa Bay for Gasparilla, Spanish Mackerel take their turn in Spring.
Spanish Mackerel are an extremely fun fish to catch and when they are biting, it can keep you busy all day and they are not picky when they are in a feeding frenzy. Live greenbacks, live shrimp work great for Spanish Mackerel but they will also chase lures or really anything shiny! Be careful when choosing lures because their teeth will destroy a lure in no time! When choosing a lure for Mackerel, I like to use either a Got-cha Lure or a Tsunami Zig Jig. These jigs are all chrome so they are very shiny but they are very tough and can handle strikes all day from Spanish Mackerel.
When targeting Spanish Mackerel in the bay, there are a couple things to look for. First and foremost, when you see birds diving on bait balls and you see fish breaching the surface, go and fish that spot. Chances are that is a school of Mackerel and you should have success. Another way to spot them is find some relatively shallow structure on the bottom and chum the area, mackerel will hang out near structure and attack smaller fish or bait fish in the structure and if you’re throwing chummers it will attract them to you. The third option is finding some nice thick grass flats in 4′ to 8′ of water and again throw chummers and you will have a great time catching Spanish Mackerel and probably sea trout as well. I like to have some longer shank hooks (Eagle Claw 2x long 1/0) ready when fishing for Spanish Macks and that will help to stop a lot of break offs due to their razor-sharp teeth.
Spanish Mackerel do make a great meal on the day that you catch them. Once you freeze them, their meat tends to get a little mushy but still works great on the smoker to make an excellent smoked fish dip. When we fish for Spanish Mackerel, we like to keep 2 or 3 per person, just enough for dinner that evening because they really cook up nicely the day of the catch. I like to pan cook them with some “real” butter, topped with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning. Add some steamed fresh veggies and you have a healthy and delicious meal that was really fun to catch!
Stop by Palmetto Bait and Tackle and we will get you set up and ready to have success catching Spanish Mackerel this spring! We look forward to seeing you soon!!
