Outdoors column: Spanish Mackerel can serve as fast food

Now is the time to go after Spanish mackerel. These speedy "go fast" fish not only fight hard, but also cook up flaky white with a unique taste.

Referred to as simply Spanish in these parts, they first show up in the spring, stay through the summer, and are usually gone with the second or third cold front of fall. They are primarily a warm water fish, preferring water from 72-80 degrees, but have been known to show up in water as cool as 68 degrees and leave in water as warm as 85 degrees. However, current water temperature in St. Marks is 89 degrees, but there's no place for them to go for cooler water. America is in the way. Tough on the fish, but great for fishermen.

Personally, I love Spanish mackerel. I love to fish for them. I love to catch them. I love to eat them. I don't love cleaning them so much.

To catch a Spanish first you must find them. They are a schooling fish, but roamers. Mackerel don't stay in one spot for long, moving around in small groups or huge schools. The latter trait is why they were almost netted to extinction in the 1990s. Fortunately more than 70% of voters elected to ban the indiscriminate killing of many pelagic species by prohibiting gill-netting in Florida. Other states have done the same and we are all reaping the rewards. Alas the handfull of coastal states that still allow it are hampering full recovery of fish like Spanish mackerel,  king mackerel and bluefish. Species that everyone can catch not only from boats, but also beaches, piers and bridges.

I'm drifting. Back to finding the fish. Use natures fishfinders, the birds. Flocks of wheeling, diving birds indicate schools of feeding fish. The birds are eating bits and pieces of baitfish floating to the surface, the remains of underwater carnage caused by mackerel. If you are in a boat SLOWLY approach the feeding fish and then skirt the school as you cast or troll. Driving into the feeding fish will chase them away and you will probably not catch anything. Beach, pier and bridge fishermen can just smile, hope the fish move in, and cast. The macks will come and go as they please.

Mackerel are best caught with lures. Successful anglers have their preferences, but they are generally spoons. One of the best is the 5/8 ounce chrome Krocodile by Luhr-Jensen. These work best when retrieved fast, very fast. When you are reeling in as fast as you can...reel faster. Spanish mackerel swim like bullets and will often ignore a slow-moving lure. Cast it from a beach, bridge or pier and let it sink almost to the bottom then crank. The spoon will eventually rise to the surface and pop out of the water. Immediately give it slack and let it sink to the bottom again. The strike should come as it sinks. Be alert.

Another effective lure is a small Clarke spoon. They are designed to be trolled. You might need a light trolling weight to keep it in the water. Drag it along pretty fast. Experiment with the speed. If you want to cast a Clarke Spoon, use a water-filled plastic bubble (a bubble rig) to provide enough weight to cast.

Two more lures that work best are Sidewinders and Gotchas. They should be cast out, allowed to sink a couple of feet, and then retrieved rapidly with a hard, jerking motion. The lure will dart side to side, a motion mackerel just can’t resist.

You must use a leader because Spanish mackerel have very sharp teeth. Fluorocarbon leaders of 30-pound-test should do the job, as will No. 2 brown tone wire, but don't use a swivel. Instead connect your line directly to the leader. Sometimes a small shimmering air bubble will form in the swivel eyes and mackerel will strike at it, causing an instant cutoff. I've had it happen dozens of times. There are various knots you can use. Pick your favorite. If your line twists because you are not using a swivel, just let the lure hang off your rod tip for a few seconds and it will unwind.

Use a reel that holds about 200 yards of 8-pound-test monofilament line. You can go heavier if you use a braided line, but the chance of a tangle increases. The line capacity is needed because sometimes Spanish mackerel exceed 10 pounds. The reel needn't be expensive. High-speed reels make it easier to catch them. Also, reels must be strong enough to handle fish that sometimes will run 30-40 yards. Generally, moderately priced reels like the Shimano Stradic, Penn Spinfisher or Tsunami Shield will do.

Rods 7 1/2-feet long or more are fine, especially if you’re going to be fishing from a pier, bridge or beach where you need to make long casts with relatively light lures. Choose a rod with a flexible tip. Heavy action stiff-tipped rods can sometimes snap light line. Graphite rods are lighter, but fiberglass rods are easier to cast and cheaper.

Mackerel have tiny scales that must be removed when cleaning. Do it when the fish is just caught and they come right off. Then rinse off the slime and fillet like any other fish. If the fish must remain whole gut it, rinse out the cavity, and put the whole fish on ice. If fact, the first thing you should do with a Spanish is put it in an ice-filled cooler. Mackerel are oily, spoil quickly and don't freeze well. Keep what you're going to eat in a few days and give away the rest. Neighbors like it when you knock on their doors with fresh, cleaned fish.

Spanish mackerel taste great when filleted and broiled skin side down. Season as you would any slightly strong fish. I like to coat the meat with honey mustard and sprinkle with crumbled crunchy corn flakes. Deep fried, they should be skinned and boned first. Baked don't know about. Never tried it. Also, sometimes Mom-and-Pop seafood restaurants will cook your catch for you. This is popular with visiting anglers, plus you get all the fixin's without the mess.

The limit in Florida is very generous. You may keep 15 per day, but they must be at least 12-inches long to the fork of the tail.  

Fishing Report

Saltwater

St. George Island

Captain Randy Peart in Tallahassee (850 421-8049 captpeart@yahoo.com) said: "Fishing starting to pick up at St George. Nice trout on the flats on a 3-inch Gulp! shrimp  fished under a popping cork. Or use a 52 series MirrOlure along the drop-off. Red/white or other bright colors working well. Some nice reds around the cut (Bob Sykes) being caught on shrimp fished on the bottom, or try fishing around the bridge for reds, black drum and sheepshead with fresh shrimp. Still some nice tarpon along the beach, try trolling a live mullet around the pogy (menhaden) schools on a 7/0 circle hook.

Apalachee Bay

Otto Hough at Myhometownfishing.com     (otto@myhometownfishing.com) said: "Fortunately for Apalachee Bay and the Big Bend the Dorian bullet was dodged, though the winds and seas weren't overly friendly to anglers the further from the hill one ventured. Good news is that Dorian is out of the Florida weather picture, with some degree of normalcy returning to the seas with lighter winds inside the high pressure system that has settled in over the Big Bend. Bad news is it's going to be hotter than blue blazes over the weekend, with lighter winds serving to exacerbate the heat index factor over the waters. Hydration will be key to having an enjoyable fishing and/or boating experience on the Big Pond over this three day stretch.

"It's a period of between the moons fishing, but the northwest/north breeze that's predicted will serve to suck down the falling tides throughout the morning hours the next couple of days. That predicted 0.2 feet midday low will be significantly lower. Lots of skinny water will become really skinny midday Friday and Saturday with the northwest and northerly winds before a swing around from the southwest during the morning hours Sunday, into Monday will alter the tidal flow a tad. Waters around the mouth of all the rivers and creeks remain dark tea stained with little to no clarity, though floating grasses should be pushed out with the falling morning tide lessening the aggravations when topwater plugging. Even in dark water, those good vibrations emanating from 'walking the dog' will elicit many an explosive strike from the reds and trout.

"Over the past week, with winds coming off the hill most of the fishing has been confined to truly skinny waters or within range of the hill. Those anglers working in close from Mashes Sand all the way around eastward to Long Point east of the Aucilla have been finding the reds prowling and dining. Topwater plugging with the One Knockers, Super Spooks, Skitterwalks and the legendary Top Dogs have been the go-to lures for many a successful angler this past week, with the same likely holding true from now through the end of fall fishing. Stickbaits like the Redfin and Bomber Long A have been snookering a goodly number of reds and trout. For the reds, anglers tossing the gold spoons have been finding success around the oyster bars and rock piles prevalent to the east of Stony Bayou as well as up the east side at the mouth of the St. Marks. Dickerson Bay oyster bars are being frequented by some good size slot reds. Folly bar on into the East River bars have all been holding a bunch of slot reds.

"The trout are still hanging in the clearer waters from 4 to 8 feet, albeit the visibility isn't anything that causes waves of excitement. Working down in the water column with 1/4 ounce jigs rigged with Gulp! or Z-Man shrimp or the weighted D.O.A. shrimp have produced well in the deeper waters. With each passing day without any significant rains over the river drainage basins, some degree of normalcy is slowly returning to the waters of Apalachee Bay. By the time the next full moon rolls around, there ought to be some noticeable improvement with lessened dark water flows coming out of the rivers. For now, it is what it is with fishing being between the moons over the weekend in stained waters for the most part.

"Finally, after a wasted Opening Day this past Sunday, seas will be conducive to chasing the gags in State waters for the next few days or so into the middle of next week. With the heat, the bigger ones have not gravitated into truly shallow waters around the rock piles quite yet, with water temps still sitting in the mid 80s. A goodly number of shorts have arrived around the shallow water rock piles, which is an encouraging sign given poor salinity levels. However, for now most of the legal 24-inch and above gags are still hanging in the 30-to-40 depths over live bottom as well as the artificial reefs. Bathtub warm waters have the baitfish pods prolific over Ochlocknee Shoals. Kings and Spanish mackerel have been pounding on the pods. Shiny lures will draw the attention of more that a few. Fun fights are for the taking. Wherever the boat may go, have the PFDs handy. Better yet, don an auto-inflatable for an added layer of safety on the water. Boat safely. Just FISH!

Steinhatchee

Chaeli Norwood at Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee (352-498-3008) sent photos of redfish, redfish, redfish and trout, trout, trout. And a Spanish mackerel. She said the redfish are schooling.