Mackerel fever spreads

Kate Sheldon

I may be a little biased, but the Mid North Coast would have to be one of the best stretches of coastline in NSW for catching mackerel. Mackerel fever has definitely kicked off this season, with some fantastic fish caught from Grassy Head all the way south to Camden Head.

Grassy Head north of South West Rocks is where the season begins for the Mid North Coast. It’s one of the most popular locations for catching spotted and Spanish mackerel, and live baits can be slimy mackerel, bonito and even a stinky pike.

The best part of mackerel fishing can be the by-catch; many anglers have reported catching mulloway, snapper and cobia, especially when trolling a deep bait. On my first mackerel trip this season I hooked a black marlin in 10m of water in Plomer Bay.

Unfortunately, a lot of fish this season have been taken by the ‘tax man’. Over the last few years we have seen an increase in sharks chasing down our catches.

My mackerel tackle setup is a light game overhead outfit, and I prefer braid although some anglers will use mono. I’ve found that the best bait is a live slimy mackerel or bridled bonito for slow trolling.

Mackerel have a big set of chompers, so you need to use a wire trace. I like to use a single strand 44lb wire for Spanish mackerel, but on the spotted mackerel I usually go a bit lighter – as low as 27lb, with a haywire twist knot on a 2-hook rig. I’ve found the best bite is usually those afternoon or mid-week morning fishing sessions with not attracts many local and visiting anglers. As the fish travel south the next best locations to fish for mackerel are off Lake Cathie, Bonny Hills and Crowdy Head.

Mackerel season on the Mid North Coast generally starts towards the end of summer, with the odd fish caught throughout black marlin season, and usually ends around the start of winter. Catching mackerel is popular, as they are usually caught on the inshore reefs, making them an easy target for anglers with smaller boats. I like to find water sitting around 22-24°C, but if the water does cool down it doesn’t mean you won’t catch them. The fish will be there, you may just have to change up your methods of fishing.

My go-to methods for catching mackerel are slow trolling live baits, trolling hardbody lures and ballooning from anchor. Some of the best a lot of boats around. If you want to know more about targeting Spanish or spotted mackerel head into your local fishing tackle store and chat to the knowledgeable staff.

As we head into the cooler months, we should continue to see some good catches of spotted and Spanish mackerel inshore until May. If you have no luck catching mackerel, have a try for a snapper on the same reefs using soft plastics or pilchards.

Correction

In my report in the March issue, ‘Local Ladies Leading the Way’, I stated that Cassie Herbert was ladies champion of the Port Macquarie Golden

Lure competition. This was reported incorrectly –Cassie Herbert was in fact runner-up ladies champion. Good luck to everyone heading out for a fish this month, and stay safe out on the water.

• Kate is the proud owner of Bay Explorer

Marine Services, and she specialises in making deep drop fishing rigs for blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, kingfish and bass groper. For more info look up ‘Bay Explorer Marine Services’ on Facebook and Instagram, or find her store on eBay.