Not So Hungry Mackeral

FindingNemo · Post by **FindingNemo** » July 18th, 2006, 9:04 pm

My wife and I left the Lighthouse ramp about 9:00 a.m. Sunday and found ourselves surrounded by bait all morning along with frequent visits from fairly large schools of spanish mackeral (with ladyfish as well). We caught a few but not nearly as many as you would think considering the regular acrobatics of many large spanish. We theorized that there was so much bait that they did not need our comparatively large silver spoons. Loose floating grass made really good runs with a spoon difficult at times. Growing up on the east coast we used to fish for spanish with little tiny metal jigs that simulated smaller bait. I have not seen those locally but they sure worked when I was on vacation in Maine a few years back. I think those would have helped Sunday but would like to hear everybody's views on how to catch finicky spanish gorging themselves on a never ending supply of bait. And, is anyone familiar with the small jigs I am talking about and where to get them. P.S. we did not see a seatrout all morning. Tight lines. Nemo.

leonreno · Post by **leonreno** » July 18th, 2006, 9:44 pm

You need some small clark spoons in 00 size for those spanish, they will not hit larger lures, especially when the bait they are feeding on is small.

http://www.seastriker.com/clarkspoon/cl ... ge0001.htm

http://www.seastriker.com/clarkspoon/cl ... ge0002.htm

Also small Gotcha jigs can work also:

http://www.seastriker.com/gotcha/gotcha ... ge0004.htm

Post by **birddog** » July 18th, 2006, 9:44 pm

on a few. Don't know the jigs you speak of, but I'm sure someone will.

Littoral · Post by **Littoral** » July 20th, 2006, 9:57 am

Blast Chug Bugs on the surface. They can't stand it. Last week I had a big one regurgitate a big fist sized clump of of Anchoivies. Right now they don't need to chase food but a wounded fish in the midst of the sounds of supper produced by a Chug Bug...they can't stand it.

FindingNemo · Post by **FindingNemo** » July 20th, 2006, 9:22 pm

Thanks for the tips.....wish I could find those little metal jigs.

leonreno · Post by **leonreno** » July 20th, 2006, 10:59 pm

FindingNemo wrote:Thanks for the tips.....wish I could find those little metal jigs.

Are any of these them:

http://www.woofish.com/SHADDARTS.html

http://www.biminibayoutfitters.com/tsuglassminnow.htm

What did the jigs look like, are they all metal are did they have bucktail, soft platic bodies?

Post by **Fisherman989** » July 21st, 2006, 7:25 am

I was down in the same general area you were last Friday,14July with 2 friends. It was just like you decribed with the spanish....acres of fish...tearing up the little minnows...water exploding everywhere....but not hitting the lures we were throwing. We used silver spoons...topwater baits...stick boits...jigs. Stayed in the school over an hour...all around the boat....and caught 1 that went about 3 lbs. He took a stick bait.Figgured our bait was too big. Did have one that would have gone 20 lbs hit at a topwater skitterwalk...but he missed it.

FindingNemo · Post by **FindingNemo** » July 22nd, 2006, 8:17 am

I still can't find those small jigs although I bet those shad darts would work as well as the spoons. The lures I am thinking about came 3 to a package and were short thin and kind of an elongated diamond shape. We use to use them off the piers in Daytona and when I was in Rockport Maine I used them off the mile long rock jetty. They are small but weighted and the mackeral love them....and in Maine they get caught on lobster pots very easily. If I find some I will post a picture. Has anybody ever tried flyfishing for spanish when they are in?

leonreno · Post by **leonreno** » August 13th, 2006, 12:09 pm

Maybe this it them:

Weakfish Jigs

FindingNemo · Post by **FindingNemo** » August 26th, 2006, 10:46 am

Scott at Jerry's knew what I was talking about. They are called diamond jigs. He ordered some for me. The are small, silvery and have a mackerel attracting wobble and a single hook. They do catch the spanish.

Post by RC » August 28th, 2006, 7:28 am

I have been having great luck with the mackerel. What I have been doing is sabiking up bait and slow trolling live baits around the bait schools. The other day I couldn't get any menhaden but I had some small pinfish in the live well. They nailed them.

I use a 6" piece of wire on a #4 treble hook and nose hook the bait. I put the bait out with the boat in gear just to get the bait away from the boat. put out 50' to 100' of line then let the bait swim free. Just bump the boat into gear occasionally to keep too much slack out of the line and keep the bait behind the boat. Those spanish are fun on 8# test.

There are some really big spanish out in the buoy 24 area.

If that bait is out there longer than 5 minutes somethings wrong.

Post by **RodBow** » August 29th, 2006, 6:56 am

Is this what you're talking about?

Post by **RodBow** » August 29th, 2006, 8:05 am

...on a #4 treble hook and nose hook the bait

Bait and treble hook.... is that legal???

Post by **MudDucker** » August 29th, 2006, 10:31 am

RodBow wrote:
...on a #4 treble hook and nose hook the bait
Bait and treble hook.... is that legal???

I think it is for mackeral.

Post by RC » August 29th, 2006, 2:28 pm

Yes they are legal for mackerel. Standard rig for slow trolling live bait for kingfish. I had a bunch of stinger rigs for kingfishing and started catching big spanish while trying to catch kings. I wouldn't use them on the flats because trebles are not legal for trout but they work great for the mackerel. You have to use a real light drag. The fish are often hooked outside the mouth and the small trebles will pull out easily. Great fun on light tackle.