Attack the mack
MACKEREL are shoal fish that show in large numbers all around Britain during midsummer and feed on small baitfish.
They chase it and corner along tidal pier walls and rocky groynes, bringing them within casting range from the shore.
They’re a lively fish and great fun to catch, but if they grew anywhere near the proportions of their tuna relatives you would need some serious gear to tame them. They are a tropical species and with their amazing turn of speed can put up a scrap on light gear.
But when you get into a shoal with feathers, they are a fantastic eating or bait fish.
A cheap rod and reel combo gets you into fishing, especially from piers or rocks with deep-water access.
The step-up from your first mackerel to proper sea angling is a big one but feathering with a string of lures is a fun way to pass the time and enjoyed by thousands every summer.
With safety in numbers feeding mackerel are oblivious to danger and will chase and snap at anything that moves, including an angler’s lure. Feathering is still the most common method.
The rigs have come a long way from simple chicken feathers tied to a hook but while there are loads more options, the practice is still the same.
Clip on a string of prerigged feathers, a weight and retrieve them sink-and-draw style.
Cast the lures and allow them to sink for a few seconds then lift the rod and reel in the line as the rod is lowered. This creates a fizz into the lures with sudden movement, flash lots of bubbles and mackerel can’t resist the vibration.
No matter where you’re fishing, finding the depth of feeding fish is the key to catching. Vary the countdown before your retrieve to fish at different depths and try to remember where you were when you get a strike.
Start up in the water and if the fish aren’t showing allow the lures to reach the bottom then work back up. Vary your retrieve rate and keep plugging away until you get lucky.
Fishing is best around high tide in clear calmer water as mackerel don’t tend to like heavily coloured water and aren’t often caught in silty estuary regions.
Popular and productive spots can be crowded but once you find them there’s good sport to be had.
Remember to only keep what you’re going to eat or use for bait and avoid handling the fish if you’re going to put it back.
Once you’ve caught a few, swap over to a single lure or lighter set-up and get a bit more from this summer staple.