When to catch Mackerel

lion_bar

Hi,

Does anyone know when the Mackerel usually arrive into Salthill?

I'm hoping to catch a few this summer.

biko

A thread from last year here.
I haven't seen any yet myself.

From Google
http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bulletin%20board/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=27903&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

skelliser

mostly at the bottom of the year, usually september, recent years its been earlier in august.

kippy

Personally, and based on my dads years of fishing the Mackeral come really close into the shore when the sprats (not sure of correct term for them) do.
This usually happens when the weather is really warm. The warmer the weather the more likely they are to be near the shore. I've seen mackeral caught close to the shore from June right through.

martyboy48

Had a couple yesterday caught from the bay.. Will be another while yet I'd say before you see big no.s by the shore... Don't worry, first sign of them caught and there'll be a thread up:)

Seaneh

They are in alright, few friends pulled in about a hundred between them about 2 weeks ago.

RDM_83 again

where's a good spot to fish for them, tried NIMMO'S PIER yesterday (few other people turned up with no joy either) then walked out the causeway but found out couldn't get out to end and the sides are those hollow concrete squares so would be awkward to stand on. from shore at that stretch seems like a lot of weed too (ps complete beginner really)

joeKel73

They're catching off the shore in Donegal anyway. Seem to be coming in very early this year.

RDM_83 again wrote: »

walked out the causeway but found out couldn't get out to end and the sides are those hollow concrete squares so would be awkward to stand on.

Do you really want to be fishing off a sewage treatment plant?

ronnie3585

RDM_83 again wrote: »

where's a good spot to fish for them

Off the rocks between Ladies's beach and Grattan is a good spot when they're in properly.

There definately in the bay, was out in a boat last week and took home a bag of them. Mmmm barbequed mackrel.

Michael Angelo.

Zero to report from the bow waves pier (opposite nimmos pier) Fished 3 hours before the full and 2 hours after.. very poor show, still early in the year yet though!!.. kinvara and black head are proving fruitful on the full at the minute.

RDM_83 again

:eek:
Thanks I was wondering what the buildings on it were, hope its not too bad since seemed like fair few kids swimming in beach 100metres on the salthill side.

stevecrow74

you'll know when they are in when the amount of tinsel tossers increases between palmers rock and across from the aquarium.

i'll be found as far away as possible fly fishing for them.. great craíc on light rod

DOTHEDOG

anyone catch any down the docks or futher out /spiddal/barna area

redsteveireland

DOTHEDOG wrote: »

anyone catch any down the docks or futher out /spiddal/barna area

Anyone been out there lately?

Thinking on heading out soon. It's a bit of a drive so need to make sure it's worth while so the kids will be happy.

Xiney

I was on the prom Monday with the doggy - there were literally hundreds of fishermen out. One guy seemed to be catching everything though :P

DOTHEDOG

update they are in ok but not in massive numbers 2 weeks ago i caught a few in spiddal at low tide,also just to note early october last year i was catching 6 at a time every cast

redsteveireland

Seems to be a bit hit and miss this year. I went as far as Spiddal and nobody catching anything, including me. None in Salthill and none around the Docks. I guess I'll have to buy some frozen ones..:(

DoneDL

been very sporadic this year on the NW coast, June and July were good as the mackerel were following shoals of jellyfish, Aug. was poor, hopefully Sept will improve

Discodog

I think that you have missed them. Some guys had big catches a week ago & the inshore rush only lasts about a week or so.

DOTHEDOG

Na i think the best has to come yet well i hope

jenny retro

i've no clue about fishing but i was down nimmos pier last night around 8.30 and there were 2 guys there with literally dozens each. I only know they were mackerel cos one guy was on the phone telling someone about them!

shadowdog

Blackhead Lighthouse rock platform is usually a productive maccy bashing site

s_carnage

Was down around the docks yesterday and there were lads pulling them out nearly every time they cast off. Where we were leaving they must have had close to 30 each. Do most fishers there just sell off the fish they get or freeze them at home??

beagle001

Was fishing by nimos pier last night and we caugt a heap of them,people had literally 2 shopping bags full and decent sizes.
Great fun when they are biting

joeKel73

Been loads around for the last few weeks. They weren't biting for me down at the docks this evening though... just swimming past the hooks, very frustrating!

RDM_83 again

Just caught 25 off nimo's pier with a spinner had to give guy beside me one too cos he was going mad not getting them with feathers

joeKel73

Interesting... wonder why they'd go off the feathers so quickly...

DOTHEDOG

get silver feathers

Discodog

foto joe wrote: »

Interesting... wonder why they'd go off the feathers so quickly...

It is getting darker, we have had rough weather so the visibility must be lower. Maybe they just spot a spinner more easily in cloudy water.

Kazooie

Any sign of the macks yet around Galway bay?

Acidflash

Being caught from the north Clare coast.

samuelj

anything happening around galway?

Discodog

Only if you have a boat !

Amik

Was out along the rocks in Salthill yesterday. I didn't catch anything but a gentleman near me caught two nice Mackerel at around 17:00 when the tide was coming in.

Mrs OBumble

Mr justMary was out in a friends boat last week, caught a whole bunch of 'em somewhere in the bay. (I didn't ask exactly where ... not overly thrilled with the thought of him out in that particular boat.)

lenny curtin

JohnCleary wrote: »

Yeah but why catch fish in crap infested water? Just go out to Salthill, at least the water is cleaner out there

where in salthill should i fish around

biko

Snipped from a 2007 thread.

lenny curtin

Amik wrote: »

Was out along the rocks in Salthill yesterday. I didn't catch anything but a gentleman near me caught two nice Mackerel at around 17:00 when the tide was coming in.

where in salthill

ronnie3585

The rocks.

Amik

Was out at Nimmo's Pier for several hours as the tide was coming in today. The Mackerel are definitely in town (they were quite visible, loads of them) but were just not biting today. Didn't see anyone catch one.

Fey!

Just back from Nimmos Pier, and the mackeral were most certainly in. Had a great catch, and mostly good sized fish.

Great atmosphere down there tonight, too.

Hyperbullet

There was a lot of people catching them in Salthill yesterday, seems to be a good few around. However having watched people catching them for about an hour I got seriously annoyed. The fish being caught were still on the small side, yet people were sticking them in buckets/bags and heading off with them.

I don't see the logic in catching small fish and not letting them go, let them grow a bit more.

joeKel73

Another annoyance is the amount of people that seem to catch them and keep throwing them into a bag without killing them, just letting them flap around for a while then slowly die. Only takes a second.

inisboffin

A couple of reasons for people catching and keeping small ones might be:

Bait - Mackerel are used as bait fish, for themselves and other species

Handling - isn't there something about the oil on the body of the fish - once it is handled and returned, it is likely to die from infection due to removal of the oil by being handled?
There seems to be argument about this online, but whether actually true or not, may be a reason why some people keep all catch.

joeKel73

I fished beside a fella before that actually threw back the large ones... said the smaller ones were much tastier.

Hyperbullet

foto joe wrote: »

I fished beside a fella before that actually threw back the large ones... said the smaller ones were much tastier.

Weird one. I grew up learning the opposite.

I have no idea about the oil removal killing the fish, I'll have to look it up. Just seemed unfair to me to be hauling out loads of juvenile fish just for the sake of it. I'm looking forward to when the good size shoals come in. Can anyone recommend a good tackle shop in Galway? Need to throw out a lot of the old traces I have.

Fey!

I use Duffys on Mainguard Street. www.shoot.ie They tend to give good advice in there, too.

There is also Freeneys on High Street.

For tide times there's an android app called tide7. Costs about €1.38, but very good.

Amik

Fantastic evening tonight at the pier in the Claddagh (took a chance and went though the weather forecast called for heavy rain). Small, talkative group, everyone seemed to catch a fair share. Record was 30+; I reeled in 10 decent ones, including one monster!

I buy all my tackle at Corrib: http://www.corribtackle.com/

Pop into the Polish store next door for some Polish sweets to snack on while you fish!

Savin

Fey! wrote: »

For tide times there's an android app called tide7. Costs about €1.38, but very good.

Free:
http://www.sailing.ie/Racing/Tides/TidesGalway.aspx

and

http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EASYTIDE/EasyTide/SelectPrediction.aspx?PortID=0709 (add the hour for summer)

Fey!

Savin; thanks for the tide time links. The app I mentioned was for mobiles; I couldn't find a decent free one!

I'm still wondering if the corpo will ever put a bin at the end of Nimmos pier; the amount of rubbish thrown around there ( a lot of which eventually ends up in the water) is disgusting.

joeKel73

I'd recommend bookmarking the Easy Tide printer-friendly page on your mobile. Simpler version which will download quick and saves the +1hr for summertime.

http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EASYTIDE/EasyTide/ShowPrediction.aspx?PortID=0709&PredictionLength=7&DaylightSavingOffset=60&PrinterFriendly=True&HeightUnits=0&GraphSize=7