An 8 weight fly rod is plenty, and even a 5 weight is adequate for most Gulf Coast Spanish. We want to ensure that making a return is as easy and hassle-free as possible! Spanish mackerel swim like bullets and will often ignore a slow-moving lure. July is prime Spanish time. Not very good on a plate, they are targeted for one fight. The Perfection Lures Bubble Rig is built ready to go right out of the package. They are a warm-water species that usually coincides with the arrival of spring and baitfish around the pier.
Torpedo-speed lures not too fast for Spanish mackerel. Or you can go deep, as in out towards the refuge buoy line and dredge the bottom slowly with 1/2-ounce DOA shrimp or Sureketch touts. Yet again bring the chum to get them up and use a Spanish sardine on a flat line. They are known for their aggressive nature as well as having incredibly fast runs. Getting a bite every cast is not an uncommon occurrence.
7 knots will garner attention. These fish look very much alike when they're both about 20 inches long. It's almost a sure bet that in only a little while, that rapidly-retrieved lure will be intercepted by a toothy little killer with golden spots and a pirate's flag on top. So, how to tell the difference so we can let that baby king go and keep the trophy Spanish? Bluefish feed both day and night, so time isn't as much a factor in catching them as is tide. With the rivers draining the swamps of an overabundance of rainwaters into Apalachee Bay, the dark tannin stains are stretching from Spring Creek all the way east to well beyond Rock Island. Use medium tackle and inspect any structure, permanent or floating, to see if any of these strange-looking critters are lying in ambush. Live or fake shrimp, minnows and even strips of squid will fool these hard-fighting yet tasty nomads. They look very similar to king mackerel in body shape and color except just smaller. Where to catch them. Spanish mackerel have nice light-colored meat, slightly oily, but not fishy. I rub the fillets with olive oil, dust on a little black pepper, and put them to the fire.
This area will remain open through Sept. 30 and includes all state waters from the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County through the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island in Franklin County. They are pretty to look at, loads of fun to catch, and very good on the table. Spanish have very good eyesight, and they can get very leader-shy on some days. Table Fare – Spanish Mackerel. It's an action bluefish can't resist. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The shallow spotty bottom waters over Dog Island Reef have also been holding a goodly number of trout, albeit no real big ones. No "do-overs" in that game, so boat wisely while having the PFDs handy if not wearing an auto-inflatable. When hooked on standard king mackerel gear or other heavy equipment, Spanish just can't give a good account of themselves. The Zara Spook will float and zig-zag on the surface in a "Walk-the-Dog" pattern even when filled with water. One of the best things about Spanish mackerel is where they can be found and caught. Even the thinnest wire can spook Spanish some days when the Gulf is especially clear. Spanish mackerel don't get very big. They make it as far up the Bay as the battleship in summer, also.
Spanish are very common in Grand Bay, on the western reaches of the Mobile Bay system. Whatever bait or lure is chosen, the crucial part of the rig is the leader. With cut bait, anchor a chunk of mullet, ladyfish or ballyhoo on the bottom when the top-water action slows. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Tyger Leader is a good leader for fly fishing.
Oh well, something to look forward to. To find the blues, again look for birds wheeling and diving at the surface. This is a good time to fish a spinner-bait clothes pin rig as well. As a plus, there are some dang fine tarpon roaming the shallows of the Turkey Point Spit as they track and feast on the mullet schools and LY bait pods.
Don't forget to bring the chum for the mangrove snapper. Generally, a trolling speed of 4. In the surf and from piers or bridges anchor the bait to the bottom with a pyramid or bank sinker. Small pieces of cut bait seldom work well. 2 brown tone) or 30-pound fluorocarbon. As with spinning and casting gear, fly-casters will need to have a short bite leader of wire to prevent bite-offs.