The Easy Way To Catch Spanish Mackerel (Best Lures, Spots, & Rigging)
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Spanish Mackerel, Weekly Newsletter: 3-1-20
Want to learn how to catch Spanish mackerel without spending a ton of money on gas trolling or searching for them?
In this video, Capt. Mark “Hollywood” Johnson is going to show you how to attract hungry Spanish mackerel to the boat, even if you’re not in a great spot.
We had non-stop action and caught several other species as well, including jacks, sharks, and even a cobia.
If you want to learn the easiest way to catch Spanish mackerel, check out the video below.
How To Catch Spanish Mackerel [VIDEO]
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The easiest way to bring Spanish mackerel right to the boat is to chum.
In this video, we weren’t in any special spot, there wasn’t really any structure, and we weren’t using any expensive lures.
Here’s how we were able to catch a ton of Spanish Mackerel:
Chum Up Spanish Mackerel
Although there was no structure around, we were able to bring these macks to us by chumming.
When it comes to chumming, you first need to consider what direction the wind and tide are moving.
It’s best if they’re moving in the same direction so that you can cast downwind into the chum slick.
We deployed a tournament-style chum block over the back of the boat in an industrial bag with big holes, then we did some small laps to see if there was any structure around.
The laps helped us disperse the chum slick, as well as look for potentially unmarked structure.
After a few laps, we anchored up and let the fish come to us.
Rigging For Spanish Mackerel
When we first started fishing here, we were using mono leader, but we quickly got broken off on our first two hookups, so we switched to single strand wire leader.
To connect the wire leader to the mono leader we used an Albright special knot (which allows you to connect these two without a swivel).
To connect the wire leader to the jig head, we used a haywire twist.
Check out this post to learn how to tie these two knots and make an easy (yet effective) Spanish mackerel rig.
Catching Spanish Mackerel
Once you’re all rigged up, it’s time to start catching some Spanish mackerel!
We used shrimp and the Slam Shady to get these guys to eat and there was non-stop action.
When you’re chumming, there’s no need to cast off to the side of the boat—most fish are going to be right in the chum slick.
And when you bring them to the boat, be careful because they are very slimy and have gnarly teeth.
The best way to control them is to grab them behind the pectoral fins and put one finger in the gills if you can.
And finally, one of the most fun things about this way of fishing is that you never know what you’re going to catch.
We caught several species during this trip, including sharks, jacks, and a cobia, in addition to several Spanish mackerel.
Conclusion
Chumming for Spanish mackerel is one of the easiest ways to have a fun day full of fish-catching action.
Plus, you never know what you’re going to catch, as sharks, jacks, snapper, and cobia can show up.
Have any questions about catching Spanish mackerel this way?
Let me know in the comments below!
If you’re in the Florida Keys and you want to go fishing with Capt. Hollywood and his fleet, you can get in touch with them at FloridaKeysFunFishing.com.
And if you know someone who would love to catch more Spanish mackerel, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
great video
What oz jig were you using 3/4 or 1 oz ?
Thanks
We typified a 3/8 jighead or 3/8 pompano jog for the Spanish Mackerel here in the keys! 1/2 oz won’t hurt though!
Nice job Hollywood, and Saltstrong Boys!
I know you’re a pro at what you do, I would suggest turning the cooler around so it opens inside the boat.
Me I’m a novice in Florida, My cooler is on my swim platform. Opens closer to me. Works well for Stripers, fluke and blues if we are keeping any.
P.S. nice video.
Hey Luke, First time I’ve ever seen you so quiet but you were in your element as I would be . You earned the moment off to relax .You have the greatest support team and Capt Mark is among them .He is great sharing his knowledge with us TU . I love ❤️ mackerel, but with no boat I have to fish from the beach . This summer I would like to fish ???? the Cape Cod Canal from the fisherman’s pier Which lies parallel to the canal. The stripers chase the Mack’s in and I was wondering to cast the chum slick bag out and let it sit on the bottom and fish . Sound ok ? Do you hv a link to a chum bag and what’s the best chum to use ..Thanks again,,,,I’m winded.LOL
Thanks- we’ve trolled and casted to schools but never chummed them up. That will be fun for the kids. One culinary tip I found helpful is to slit their throat and bleed them before putting them in the cooler. That really helps with Spanish and blues. Thanks again for a great video.
Great tip!!
Thanks Hollywood! QQ: When you where doing some small laps, can you define ‘small’, also for how long 10 mins, 30 mins hours….
Just a quickie around the area.. maybe two to three minutes no more than five!
Thanks!
Smack Strong! Really helpful Joe!