Spanish mackerel are beautifully colored fish that are sometimes caught in
Virginia waters. Their slender bodies are blue and silver, marked with
yellowish oval shaped spots. They are known for their razor sharp teeth and
keen eyesight.
Average size Spanish mackerel are around 2-3 pounds; any fish over 5 pounds
is considered large in Virginia waters. They are fast growing, and may live
to be 8 years old.
Spanish mackerel form large, fast-moving schools, typically found in water
temperatures above 68° F. Feeding fish sometimes cover acres of water.
Spanish mackerel show up
off the coast of Virginia in Summer, with their northern limit varying from
year to year. In July or August, look for
Spanish to appear outside
inlets, along tide rips and around wrecks or reefs. Anglers
may see fish jumping out of the water anywhere from the
shoreline to 15 miles out, most often during the first hour of daylight. Jumping fish
may be ready to bite or have lockjaw. Also the best fishing can be when no fish are
jumping. The only way to know is to try!
Off the coast of
Chincoteague, a good place to look for Spanish mackerel is towards buoy N2
which is about 5 miles southeast of Chincoteague Inlet. Just inshore of this
buoy is Turner's Lump where the bottom rises abruptly to 14 feet or so. This break from 14 to
30 feet is a favorite spot to look for Spanish.
Spanish mackerel are a bit
finicky in regards to the tackle and techniques used. Anglers usually troll #00, #0 or #1 clark spoons for these fish.
Light tackle is preferred, such as bay rods with #15 to #30 line. The rod
gets a small sampo ball bearing snap swivel. After the swivel, attach either a #1 drone
planer or a small inline sinker from 2 to 8 oz. Attached to the sinker or planer is a 25
to 30 foot leader of #30 line with a small ball bearing swivel at it's mid-point. The
spoon is tied on the leader with an improved clinch knot. Anglers may use a planer rig as one
flat line and a heavy sinker rig on the other flat line. The outriggers get the lighter
weight rigs. Rigger lines trail out 100 feet or more and the flat lines from 20 to 40
feet from the sinker to the stern or about 50 feet from the planer to the stern.
Now comes the critical part…the
boat speed. Spanish often prefer fast lure speeds, around 7 knots. At times 200
rpm's difference in speed (.5 knots more or less) is critical when trolling for these
fish. Fishing for Spanish mackerel is usually much more productive early in the day.
Early is defined as the soonest possible time after dawn. A crew that is willing to get an early
start can have an excellent catch in a short time and sometimes every
line will be hit as soon as it hits the water. Later in the day the fish get very shy and
hard to catch. Normally the first big Hurricane will send the fish south in a hurry.
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