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General => General Topwater & Jigging Discussion => Topic started by: Michael Mancini on September 07, 2011, 02:56:45 PM

Title: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Michael Mancini on September 07, 2011, 02:56:45 PM
Maybe slightly off topic, but what would you consider the best lures when casting for Spaniards.

On some not too heavy gear, they can be a lot of fun...
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Peter Morris on September 07, 2011, 03:06:22 PM
Halco max rigged with two nice Decoy Jigging sergeant singles.

Lively Lure Mack baits rigged the same......rapala x-raps rigged the same again.

All are deadly on spaniards....but are not surface lures of course.

Pete
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Dan Konig on September 07, 2011, 03:09:00 PM
For surface lures, I've had good success on the ulua stickbaits.
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Karl Nelson on September 07, 2011, 04:19:11 PM
For me it seems i only attract mackerel when i have a shell shaping or craft bait on.. ::)
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Graham Blackmore on September 07, 2011, 07:15:07 PM
Jackson pintails - big macs love them
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Christoffer Hansen on September 07, 2011, 09:39:11 PM
I've caught macks on every single gt surface lure I own. If there's a Spanish around they'll eat it. Gettin them to stay connected is a different story. Sub-surface stickbaits have had the best strike rate for me.
     Chris
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Glenn Travis on September 08, 2011, 02:30:27 AM
As Chris said, they will strike at anything when they are on the bite from a full scale long kong to a 215g nambas. the fcl labo Hj stick 90g has been a little winner with the spaniards.

Cheers
          Glenn
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Brandon Khoo on September 08, 2011, 06:07:52 AM
anything Kasey Leong uses gets snipped off!   ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Graham Scott on September 08, 2011, 09:29:23 AM
I've had success on stickbaits and long profile poppers like ebipops. Not sure if its just luck, but I back my drag off a long way once I know its a spano and not a GT and haven't lost many... a lot softer fish in general and frequently hooked outside the mouth. Less bite offs on longer lures generally
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Jay Burgess on September 08, 2011, 11:16:19 AM
As already mentioned sub surface stickbaits seem to be the most effective but you will get Spaniards on any GT popper. I remember fishing at one of our local big GT hangouts with a mate once and he had just tied on a brand new Orion Bigfoot.... just before he makes his first cast he says, "Man I'll be spewin' if I lose this to a Spaniard".. stickbait touches down, first sweep of the rod, big flash of silver, bigfoot gone. Haha, it was classic.
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Brandon Khoo on September 09, 2011, 06:41:02 AM
I'm with Karl on this - for some reason, spaniards seem to like nice lures. They are quite partial to Gammas and Sea Frogs too!  ;D


For me it seems i only attract mackerel when i have a shell shaping or craft bait on.. ::)
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Michael Gordon on September 10, 2011, 06:18:32 AM
(http://s2.postimage.org/21tm6ppr8/IMG_1266.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/21tm6ppr8/)
Sometimes its not the Spanish Mackerel doing the biteing :).
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Brandon Khoo on September 10, 2011, 07:19:41 PM
Mongrel got what he deserved!  ;D
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Kasey Leong on September 10, 2011, 09:29:51 PM
I'm with Karl on this - for some reason, spaniards seem to like nice lures. They are quite partial to Gammas and Sea Frogs too!  ;D


For me it seems i only attract mackerel when i have a shell shaping or craft bait on.. ::)

Oi!  >:(  I can't believe your gamma never got a taker given the area we were fishing  >:(

Not fair.
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Brandon Khoo on September 10, 2011, 10:53:13 PM
I am sure they were singling you out for attention!!  ;D
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Michael Mancini on September 13, 2011, 02:43:56 PM
You guys are mean ;D ;)

Thanks anyway :) :)
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Brandon Khoo on September 13, 2011, 02:55:38 PM
we're not being mean - Kasey is a magnet for these things!!   :o  ;D
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Jaime Chee on September 13, 2011, 06:12:21 PM
Caught this 28 kg mack on a 125 cubera not so long ago in PNG .


(http://s3.postimage.org/2vetksldw/DSCN0273.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2vetksldw/)
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Scott Williams on September 13, 2011, 09:18:48 PM
Are any of the cheap stickbaits (R2S / Gillies etc) an option for specifically chasing Spanish? I noticed the earlier pic of the head had a R2S attached I believe?
I would prefer to avoid using wire, and am reluctant to throw around $60 or $70 unnecessarily...

Scott.
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Marko Pekic on September 26, 2011, 12:28:53 PM
early this yr in the abrolhos i was casting out any jig and winding them in with small jigs and getting smashed and soft plastics also. was running single strand wire and wire assist for the jigs. when they hungry theyl take anything
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: John Sykes on October 28, 2011, 11:41:26 PM
 Rapala XRap Subwalk 09 in Glass Ghost on PE 1-2.  Great fun if the Trevs aren't playing the game.  I also turn some little Pencils that they love to chase down.  They're still vermin though, bloody things eat my Skip baits when I'm chasing Billies it drives me crazy. 
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Dale Ianna on November 01, 2011, 10:56:53 PM
Hi guys

Just spent a bit of time up of hinchinbrook (i'll write and photo in the next coming weeks) and encountered a few spanish mackrel that weren't very shy to our poppers, alot of which were miss hookups on the poppers as they would leap so high out of the water when they strike and you would miss your hook set.  Scott you asked about good cheap stick baits for this applications, you can't go past a River2Sea Doggies, 166mm long 122grams and the right  price, around $20 AU , cheaper if your in the know. Come Pre-rigged with about 4/0 ST66. I call them disposable lures at this price. Good hard epoxy  finish for toothy critters.
(http://s7.postimage.org/nq3tbxnkn/P1030854.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/nq3tbxnkn/)

(http://s7.postimage.org/47hlljic7/P1030846.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/47hlljic7/)

One of the mackrel, you should be able to see the lure in the gt's mouth clearly
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Jay Burgess on November 02, 2011, 12:12:03 PM
I'm with Karl on this - for some reason, spaniards seem to like nice lures. They are quite partial to Gammas and Sea Frogs too!  ;D

I second this... I lost two Gammas to Spaniards in one day  >:(
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Aaron Concord on November 03, 2011, 09:03:19 PM
Dale,

You're lucky to get away with catching the spano without wire.

If it had have been a Gamma/Sea Frog/Craftbait GT3 it would have bitten you off for sure..........Spanish love collecting BLING!!!!!!!!

Aaron.
PS.......just ask Jay!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Wan Izhan on November 12, 2011, 08:51:59 PM
 :'( loss carpenter lures to spaniard  :'(

in Pekan or Rompin, Malaysia, targeting spaniard Jackson Pintail 40g with PE2 or PE3 setup is the best. Even sailfish loves them. Another choice is Tailwalk Sinking lures. Cast far, let is sink ~ 10 seconds and reel in fast.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--RZw-Qzul5A/TpmSmR987sI/AAAAAAAABxA/Wupb6Om27js/s320/DSC08259.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7sYJWKXylWo/TpmSrfq5qTI/AAAAAAAABxg/yq8pWb84R8I/s320/DSC08267.JPG)

cheers
izhan
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Luke Anderson on November 22, 2011, 03:42:18 PM
I had a red hot session on small spannish in the 10-15kg range one morning. 15 in total 12 on cast metal spinning lures 85-125gram on light 4000 size spin outfit. Just belt out a cast let sink 3/4 bottom depth & burn it back flat out.... Certainly worked that day!
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Chris Webster on November 22, 2011, 03:59:52 PM
Mate anything cheap is my preference.
Those things have a habit of snipping off quality tackle.

You could cast all day with cheap lures and get nothing and just when you think it is safe to deploy a big nambas or gamma they bastards turn up and it ends in tears.

Regards,

Chris
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Michael Mancini on November 25, 2011, 12:29:13 PM
I had a red hot session on small spannish in the 10-15kg range one morning. 15 in total 12 on cast metal spinning lures 85-125gram on light 4000 size spin outfit. Just belt out a cast let sink 3/4 bottom depth & burn it back flat out.... Certainly worked that day!

Hi Luke,

What lure were you casting?

Thanks
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Peter Heinke on November 25, 2011, 05:35:11 PM
Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper 8)
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Mark Whitaker on November 26, 2011, 11:05:02 AM
Spanards  attach their pray differently to GT's.

A GT will come up behind and swallow the bait.

A Spanard or any other type of Mackeral comes up beside the bait and smashes sideways to catch their pray.

I have always found RMG 150 3.5M in triple stripe, Orange head, with Yellow under the head, Purple in the middle and Pink Tail to be the most effective.  I put a Good Treble on the tail, and 2 single Gamakatsu "Live Bait" 8/0 on the front hook eye and leave the middle eye with no hooks.

The singles sit proud of the body unlike trebles that only the bottom hook is proud.  Any Mackeral that swipes at the RMG gets hooked.

I have also had good luck with a Laser Pro 170mm Blue 2M with Blue and tiger stripes on the top, silver on the sides and yellow belly.

When I have both out trolling. the hookup rate is 2 to 1 RMG to Halco Laser Pro.

I had just caught a Mackeral once and the boat was stopped,  I had the RMG floating in the water beside me and I noticed a shadow underneath it.  I kept still and watched a Spanyard float up beside the RMG, swipe sideways at it and had a hook up of a 10kg fish.  It was at Lee Point in Darwin about 6 years ago.

Mark
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Luke Anderson on December 06, 2011, 01:41:32 PM
gday michael,
on cast metal spinning lures 85-125gram like the raider brand or similar

luke
Title: Re: Spanish Mackerel
Post by: Sam Walker on January 04, 2012, 11:05:49 AM
I've dropped a few Spaniards from the shore using metals, The only time I had some success was at a spot called Last Chance Reef (near Gove) using Halco Roostas in 40m of water, the 8-10kg Spaniards were many ,and hungry too ! I had many hits from them spearing up from underneath, launching straight up with the popper in their mouth. Not many hooked, but every cast had several strikes and I lost a few fish+lures to sharks. Very exciting entertaining !