Too early for mackerel?

[julianf]

<font color='#000000'>Hi all, I know that mackerel are most abundant in the Summer months but I have a book that says they are available all year round...

I tried my luck yesterday afternoon for an hour and a half after high tide on Ness Beach, Shaldon, Devon (where I was very successful last Summer in the couple of hours before darkness) but to no avail...

Am I too early in the year for mackerel off of the beach?

regards
julianf</font>

[Manx Fisher]

<font color='#810541'>Hi Julian, and welcome aboard.

I think you should defo be in with a chance of mackerel in your area at this time of year. *I base this thought on the fact that I regularly catch mackerel here in the Isle of Man from Mid-march - so being much further south your timetable should be ahead of mine.

I have found though that the early run of mackerel are very localised to only a couple of marks (as opposed to summer when they are virtually everywhere), so you might have to hunt to track them down. *They will not be about in the numbers you would find during summer, but this should be made up by the increased size of fish that appear at this time of year (2lb plus are a realistic target in my area). You might have to change tactics as well - I find that a flyer works brilliantly at this time of year compared to the usual mackerel catching methods.


One point I must pass on whenever mackerel are mentioned : apparently, if you handle them and return them then they die within a couple of days. *So if you do not intend to keep your mackerel then handle as little as possible with a very wet cloth to give the fish the best possible chance of survival.</font>

[ekyone]

<font color='#000000'>Hi Julian
We don&#39;t get our first run of Mackeral &#39;til the end of April,but at the other end of the scale I have caught em off Chesil in December&#33;
</font>

<font color='#000080'>Hi Julianf

Mackerel are available all year round, but only if you have access to a boat. Mackerel are pelagic and so spend much of there time in the open seas away from the shore, migrating inwards as the seas get warmer which is roughly around now...

I&#39;m looking forward to seeing them again </font>

[julianf]

<font color='#000000'>Thanks for the info guys - I&#39;ll keep you all posted&#33;

regards
julianf</font>

[catcher]

hi all i took my boat out into lyme bay about 1 mile south of dawlish 2 weeks ago and caught loads of herring and mackeral.been out twice since and nothing have spoken to a few of the other lads who have been out this last few weeks and there seems to be a shortage at present ,but i will post again as soon as there back ..regards catcher

[bassbandit]

Hi M8. Mackeral Are Caught All Year Round In Deep Water Marks Such As Hopes Nose. I Even Caught One Off The Bottom In Dec Last At Dawlish. They Are Around Torbay In Good Numbers But As Yet I Have Not Caught Or Heard Of Any Being Caught Between Shaldon An Budleigh Salterton. Possible Reason You Didnot Catch At Shaldon Is All The Rain Over The Weekend Coming Down The Teign Decreases The Salinity At Or Near The River Mouth And Pushes Species Further Out To Sea. I Know They Have Stopped Netting For Sandeels Off The Bar Because Of This. Keep Trying They Will Be In Soon .

[kentangler]

Don't forget, Mackerel are not there all the time in the summer, they are mostly a shoal fish, and move around. If you don't see frantic gull activity, they are probably not around. Despite what the books say, they are mostly a 'high summer fish' inshore.