Mackerel Fishing

The Spanish Mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus. Dark above with silvery sides. Many spots, which are both yellow and brown. The body is proportionately deeper than with juvenile King Mackerel, and the yellow spots appear rounder and brighter, but if in doubt, the only true identifier is the lateral line, which tapers rather gently from front to back with no severe dip.

Spinning is often best for Mackerel fishing because the faster retrieve of a spinning reel is sometimes needed to move a lure at a pace that will interest the Mackerel. Best lures are small white nylon jigs and silver spoons, but many oth- ers work, including topwater at times. Flies should be small with lots of flash. Best baits are small silvery baitfish, live shrimp and drifted strips.

We hope you choose us to make your Spanish Mackerel Fishing trip a trip of a lifetime.

We see a good concentration of resident Spanish mackerel inshore in Sarasota. They come in to feed on the glass minnow schools and you can see them busting on the surface with the bluefish and jacks.

About Mackerel

The Atlantic Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus, is a migratory species of mackerel that swims to the Northern Gulf of Mexico in spring, returns to south Florida in the Eastern Gulf, and to Mexico in the Western Gulf in the fall.

The fish exhibits a green back; its sides are silvery marked with about three rows of round to elliptical yellow spots. Lateral line gradually curving down from the upper end of the gill cover toward caudal peduncle. The first (spiny) dorsal fin is black at the front. Posterior membranes are white with a black edge. Its single row of cutting edged teeth in each jaw (around sixty-four teeth in all) are large, uniform, closely spaced and flattened from side to side. As with the King mackerel and the Cero mackerel, these teeth look very similar to those of the Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix.

Spanish mackerel are prevalent throughout Florida waters: inshore, offshore and nearshore. They are frequently found over grass beds and reefs. These mackerel are absent from north Florida waters in winter.

Spanish mackerel are a schooling fish that migrates northward in spring, returning to southerly waters when water temperature drops below 70 degrees F. They spawns offshore from spring through summer and feeds on small fish and squid.

As a Spanish Mackerel Sarasota fishing guide, Rob understands that a day on the water means stalking the trophy fish of your dreams. Rob will work hard to make sure you have a fun filled day on the water and your time is not wasted.