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Mackerel fishing on the cheap

Joecole

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Mackerel lures come in all shapes sizes and colours and are usually tied with about 30lb mono and can
vary from cheap coloured feathers to more expensive plastic sparkly things and in general are designed to do one thing and that is to catch anglers.

So here is what I do, when sea fishing unless I'm deep water wrecking I never fish heavier than 16ib braid. Right take about 18 inches of the braid and tie in 4 to 6 9 to 12 inch spurs or if you like lengths of braid and tie in a clip swivel at each end and a size 2.0 hook to each spur.

But wait, you haven't bought any lures. Well you don't need to instead go to a fish stall and buy 3 small macks. Now taking your razor sharp knife take a one inch sliver from just above the tail of each fish and you now have 6 lures far more efficient than anything you can buy in a tackle shop

As you start catching macks just take those sliver off each fish and store in a container of salt and in one trip you can have enough lures to last you a season or longer. Oh I should have mentioned the reason I fish with braid is because I only need half the weight of lead to get down to the fish
 
They will strike at anything joe, great tip mate👍🏻
Yep, I've seen mack spinners made out of the little aluminium tear drops you get when you open a tin. Brings me to the next tip, rub those tear drops with a bit of rough emery then paint them any colour you like with nail varnish
 
I have had great results beach casting using silver tape "feathers" and a spinner with just a small lead bomb weight to help cast...these mimic whitebait
 
I have had great results beach casting using silver tape "feathers" and a spinner with just a small lead bomb weight to help cast...these mimic whitebait
I never said they never worked Mike I was just pointing out that there are cheaper ways to do it. I have somewhere in the region of 40 floats in my coarse tackle box but never use more than 3
 
Very true, you only need the minimum of kit to do the job and can often improvise something that will do the job. I was merely mentioning that a lures job is to mimic a natural target species and whitebait is a favourite of mackerel...like you say, it is possible to make something that achieves that very cheaply.
As for baited hooks, I tend to use that technique for bottom fishing on sandbanks or wrecks. We would Bob for mackerel to use as bait before going on to fish a wreck for conger eel or fish the sea bed for pollock and cod.
 
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Cant beat a bit of Mackerel bashing when they are about......lovely fish.

When you get the shouls showing up and down the beach you can often get a few good Bass amongst them to.......especially early mornings or dusk.

It can pay dividends to add something like a "Dexter Wedge" on the end of the rig.........instead of a lead weight.
Choose the weight of the wedge to suit the rod....line/braid that is being used.


Often use a 28gr 'Toby" as well as........they fly well from a nicely loaded reel and a reasonable spinning rod from the shore.,,,,,,10lb main line or there about.
Not looking at casting to the horizon.......they are normally close in to the shore.
Only ever use 3 snoods........with either the Dexter or the Toby on the end.


For boat fishing obviously use a heavier wedge.......if the current and tide wont allow......go back to the lead weights to get down :)


Looking forward to a few sessions while watching the sun come up.....or go down :)
 
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