Fish tales bait and tackle full#

What I can say from personal experience is that the afternoon is my favourite time of day to fish because most of my multiple big fish sessions have occurred then. The low tide change has always been best to me and I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that a low tide early or late in the afternoon would be worth fishing.

Fish tales bait and tackle full#

For me, the week leading up to the full moon is best, but what do I really know, my records are fairly deficient! I reckon that tide is more important than moon phase, with the fish biting during tide changes in periods of the largest tidal fluctuations i.e. Many mackerel fishers believe that moon phase has a direct impact on their mackerel fishing, however, they disagree on which phase is best. That said, this year’s current maritime heatwave may well bring mackerel much further south than is normal … fingers crossed for Sydney anglers! Local wind conditions also impact sea surface temperature (SST), through the Coriolis Effect, namely, southerly winds increase SST, whilst northerly winds lower SST. Geographically, the southern limit of the warmest waters carried south on the East Coast Current (and hence prolific schools of mackerel), is the NSW Mid-North coast region. Mackerel are a warm-water species, with a temperature of at least 23-24˚C being the optimal threshold required, and on the NSW East Coast, that usually means late summer and autumn. Consistent catches will only come when an angler recognises and responds to changing conditions as opposed to information gleaned from yesterday’s/last weekend’s angling grapevine. Mackerel are true speedsters they are extremely mobile and very responsive to environmental change. However, that type of situation is not always the norm. Sure, mackerel can stay in the one area for days at a time, presumedly because water currents, wind and bait schools have remained set and stationary. There are times when finding mackerel is not a problem. As long as mackerel around, there’s a chance of catching one, but at times they can be as frustrating as whiting on the shallows. The use of live bait is firmly entrenched where and when it is available, be it suspended below a float from a drifting boat or slow-trolled behind a moving boat. Mackerel readily take lures, with larger lures such as trolling skirts, shallow-diving minnows and swimbaits being popular when targeting Spanish mackerel whilst spotted mackerel take shorter versions of the above. Whilst not essential, most (but not all), anglers deal with the teeth by fishing with a wire trace, even though it’s obvious that mackerel are sensitive to wire. Tailor, large mullet and pike, and small tuna, are the perfect baits for the big fish, either alive or rigged as a dead bait. That said, if the big boys are your thing, and you are willing to put in the time, the use of XXXL baits will select out the spotted mackerel in favour of Spanish. In NSW, when we chase mackerel, we are expecting to catch spotted mackerel, which are smaller and more numerous than Spaniards, whilst hoping for a Spanish mackerel. The teeth are so sharp that even the lightest sustained contact is likely to require medical attention of some kind. They possess an array of razor-sharp teeth that slice both lines and flesh with ease.

Spotted and Spanish mackerel, are members of a group of pelagic species commonly referred to as the “Razor Gang”. My hope is that you’ll pickup at least one new point from what follows. So, whilst reams have already been shared about, what has become known as “The Razor Gang”, like most species, there is always more to learn. Mackerel fever is back!Īt first glance, fishing for mackerel can appear to be super simple, and whilst at times it is, far more often, it’s not.

Boat ramps fill up overnight and tackle store shelves instantly become devoid of the typical mackerel tackle, such as trolling lures, mono wire and bait jigs. Here on the North Coast of NSW, the arrival of mackerel is much anticipated and nothing seems to bring seasonal anglers out of hibernation more than tales of mackerel being landed. sector each season, with boats, fuel, accommodation and tackle, etc. Not only do their savage strikes and blistering runs make for exciting fishing, these bulky fish taste great as well and it only takes a couple to fill the freezer! If I was to hazard a guess, I’d think that mackerel contribute several million dollars to state economies from the rec. Recreational anglers travel long distances and plan holidays in order to tangle with these fish. These tropical speedsters inhabit the warmer waters of Australia, ranging north ward of Cape Leeuwin in WA, across the tropics and down along the NSW coast as warm tropical currents flow south. MACKEREL are a key recreational target species for angler’s lucky enough to target them, with the vast majority of fish being landed by angler’s fishing inshore coastal waters from boats.