[LondonFishingEnthusiast]

Hi guys,
Does anyone here have any tips on a really good setup, rod/reel and line to distance cast for mackerel?
I think my technique is decent but my current setup is not helping.
I have a Penn Squadron 2 rod and a Penn surfblaster 3 8000 reel.
Been fishing at Chesil and I've noticed that the ones who distance cast are the ones catching most of the mackerel.
Also my setup feels really heavy and I need to use heavier leads to cast further. Any suggestions on improving my setup?

 

[Colin Chaplin]

Hi guys,
Does anyone here have any tips on a really good setup, rod/reel and line to distance cast for mackerel?
I think my technique is decent but my current setup is not helping.
I have a Penn Squadron 2 rod and a Penn surfblaster 3 8000 reel.
Been fishing at Chesil and I've noticed that the ones who distance cast are the ones catching most of the mackerel.
Also my setup feels really heavy and I need to use heavier leads to cast further. Any suggestions on improving my setup?

Are you using feathers and a lead?.

 

[LondonFishingEnthusiast]

Are you using feathers and a lead?.

Yes mate

 

[Colin Chaplin]

Yes mate

So other anglers are catching Mackerel?, are you counting down on splash down, and draw and retrieve, and let the feathers sink and repeat, sometime the shoal could be at the top, mid or bottom. Normally if you fish two hours before high and two after, are the best time morning and evening.

 

[LondonFishingEnthusiast]

So other anglers are catching Mackerel?, are you counting down on splash down, and draw and retrieve, and let the feathers sink and repeat, sometime the shoal could be at the top, mid or bottom. Normally if you fish two hours before high and two after, are the best time morning and evening.

Yes mate, doing all of that. Used different techniques to search out the fish with the retrieve, but the main issue I had is casting. Fished dusk and dawn (first light).

 

[WilliamShatner]

Are you using braid or monofilament?

Changing to braid increased my casting distance with lighter leads quite dramatically.

 

[LondonFishingEnthusiast]

Are you using braid or monofilament?

Braid

 

[Colin Chaplin]

Your gear looks good, are you casting OHT, OTG sometimes it just takes time to learn a good cast.

 

[LondonFishingEnthusiast]

Your gear looks good, are you casting OHT, OTG sometimes it just takes time to learn a good cast.

OHT mainly mate.

 

[Martin Boal]

OHT mainly mate.

Monday was the first time I tried mackerel at Chesil, I must say that it was tough even I casted around at least 80m. It was not a lot, after 4-5 hours I got just over 10 mackerel and the guys around me the same or less. I started from 4.30am until 10am,the weather was perfect and clear, I would have caught more at Dungeness or South East with that kind of weather weather and clear water. So I guess you may didn't do anything wrong, just bad luck. All I can say is there was not a lot of them when I was there, I could get none if the odd ones went to the guys around me. If I could give you an advice then I would say buy quality feathers and also don't join the crows, do a bit of walking away from the crowd and that may increase your chance. If you can cast 50m or more then I think you should be OK at Chesil.

 

[JonD]

Have a look on YouTube, plenty of people simply flicking metals with light outfits catching mackerel. I would hate using that bulky gear setup.

 

[Colin Chaplin]

I take it the reel spool drag is tight, do you know what line is on the reel, looks like braid all though, no shock leader?. What size lead are you using?. Maybe try OTG, you are not casting bait, so nothing to snag unclip. Try a quite spot, along the beach.

 

[Martin Boal]

I wasn't planning to fish mackerel at Chesil (Abbotsbury), just that I rarely got any bite the whole night and suddenly around 4.30am I saw people arriving to fish and realised they were after mackerel, that was when I joined the crowd and tried as well to kill off the time, I must say I put most of them back as I don't eat mackerel. I used Varivas Sabikis feather, this feather seemed to be very effective at Dungeness as I caught loads last year but it was tough at Chesil last Monday. In the late afternoon and early evening I moved to Ferrybridge and got mostly small bream, so I got bored and decided to try for mackerel again as I saw loads of people from distance and after an hour I got none. Last year in October I fished at Ferrybridge and used the same feather and got at least 4-5 mackerel on every single cast here, most of them returned and only kept few for bait.

 

[The0neThatG0tAway]

Probably not anything you're doing wrong, sounds like a 'you can only catch what's in front of you' situation, especially if those around you landed similar numbers of fish and weren't noticeably out-fishing you. Setup looks good for feathers, personally only use sabiki feathers a couple times a year for bait now, and majority of the time catch them on a light spinning setup, 10lbs braid can help put a super spratt a fair distance! I walked along a section of chesil during the day last week and nobody was catching them. Headed down in the last hour of light with a few other anglers there and we all found a decent number of fish, was a frenzy just before darkness but mainly scad. If you're doing it for enjoyment instead of bait/eating, then I'd highly recommend giving that light setup a go with a small metal. Hope all is well and tight lines,

 

[Gary k]

See if you can aquire a second hand 3/ 3.5 t.c carp rod- under £30 on Fb mkt place. With a reel with decent line lay and 40lb braid straight through, you should be able to put a lead + feathers out of sight and actually feel when you have a couple of fish on.

 

[LondonFishingEnthusiast]

See if you can aquire a second hand 3/ 3.5 t.c carp rod- under £30 on Fb mkt place. With a reel with decent line lay and 40lb braid straight through, you should be able to put a lead + feathers out of sight and actually feel when you have a couple of fish on.

Thanks mate. What's t.c?

 

[Colin Chaplin]

Thanks mate. What's t.c?

Test curve.

 

[LAVRAKI]

I can cast a 28grm Tsunami jig 100 yards with my old 11” Shakespeare bass rod, old Shimano 5010 bait runner and 20lb braid with a 20 foot leader of 15 or 20lb fluorocarbon. Mainly aimed at bass, but I do get lots of mackerel from the shore.
I am fishing for sport, not quantity of fish as everything caught excluding launce and BBQ sized bass go back.

 

[SiDfish]

Two things come to mind. If releasing mackerel don't touch them, they die, so shake them off. Tackle wise mine has evolved over the years to a 2-4oz bass rod (or 2.75lb TC carp rod), Penn Surfmaster 7000 with 15lb (good) braid and 50lb braid shockleader, 4 strings of home-made feathers (tied like mini mackerel flies) and a 3 or 4oz lead. If fishing above the water lengthen the shockleader to suit

 

[Mr Fish]

I’ve often found with Chesil it can be tough to get mackerel during the day in bright sun.
I usually have a rod just for feathering but try on and off while I’m bait fishing - can’t be arsed to stand there feathering manically for 2-3 hours if they’re not there.

My observation has been that the crowds also catch very little during that time.
But the last hour of light they can really switch on, with scad amongst them.

The only reason I feather down there is to get some fresh ray bait, mackerel or scad is fine, usually only take 6-12 fish.

About three years ago they were right in front of me at dusk, chasing the white bait on to the shore.
I saw it happening and unclipped the bait trace from my multi rod, put feathers on and just flicked it out about 20 feet, lol, mix of mackie and scad almost at my feet.
Got about 12 and stopped. I could see the feathering brigade who had been there all day for very little watching open mouthed as they wondered why I wasn’t carrying on 😂