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Fish guide

Spanish Mackerel

Scomberomorus maculatus.

A Spanish mackerel with yellow-gold spots on silver sides swimming over sand in the surf

Showing the fish for Southwest Florida, Naples to Charlotte Harbor.

Season in Southwest Florida

Peak months: Apr, Oct, Nov.

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Charlotte Harbor forecasts: roving schools can appear any time in January; they push along the coast in force in April; school near the Boca Grande bars in July; arrive first on the fall southward run in October, peaking in November. (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach
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Long Island
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Connecticut
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North Jersey
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South Jersey
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Delmarva
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Virginia Beach
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Outer Banks
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Southern NC
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Charleston
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Georgia
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Northeast Florida
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Space Coast
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Southeast Florida
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Florida Keys
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Southwest Florida
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Tampa Bay
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Big Bend
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Panhandle
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Alabama
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Mississippi
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Louisiana
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Upper Texas
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Middle Texas
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Lower Texas
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Where to find them

Beaches, passes, the Intracoastal and outside the Boca Grande bars wherever bait schools are working; surface-breaking fish, diving birds and circling boats show where (Visit Punta Gorda).

Often beyond the first bar; sometimes right in the trough when bait is pinned.

What to look for

Birds (terns especially) diving on small bait, bait showering, quick slashing splashes on the surface.

What to throw

Got-Cha style jig plug7/8 to 1 oz, 3 to 3.5 in. Sharp upward rod-tip jerks while reeling fast, so it darts and flashes.
Metal casting jig (diamond, Hopkins or Stingsilver style)1 to 2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Fast steady retrieve for mackerel; let it sink and rip it up for blues; jig near bottom for weakfish.
Silver casting spoon (Clarkspoon or Drone style)1/2 to 1 oz, No. 0 to 1 / 2.5 to 3.5 in. Burn it. Fast, steady, just under the surface.
Swimming minnow plug (Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow style)3/4 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in. Steady medium retrieve with occasional twitches and pauses.

Bait

Free-lined live finger mullet, Glass minnows. Free-line or light float rig with a short wire or 30 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Leader

20 to 30 lb fluorocarbon, 18 to 36 in, or a short #3 to #4 wire. Skip shiny swivels; mackerel hit them and cut you off.

Common mistakes

  • Retrieving too slowly; mackerel chase fast lures
  • Using a bright swivel that draws strikes and cut-offs
  • Casting into the middle of the school instead of past it

Landing

Swing small fish up on a wave; on a heavier fish let a wave carry it up the beach rather than dragging it through the wash.

Handling

  • Very sharp teeth

Use pliers to unhook. Keep fingers away from the mouth.

Keep or release

Good eating; high-oil flesh suits broiling (LSU). Florida rules apply.

Recipes for spanish mackerel

Typical: About 15 in, 1.5 lb. Large: Fall fish 18 to 22 in, 2.5 to 3 lb. SC record 11 lb (1983).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the FL limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before you keep a fish.

Sources

All the fish of Southwest Florida

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Spanish Mackerel: season, lures and limits | FishOS