Mackerel thread 2014 - reports, queries and chat. Mod note post #318

derekohara

I know it's early but I have to emmigrate at the end of may and I'm wishfull thinking!! Any sign of Mackeral let me know,. Cheers in advance

chopper6

derekohara wrote: »

I know it's early but I have to emmigrate at the end of may and I'm wishfull thinking!! Any sign of Mackeral let me know,. Cheers in advance

Waaay too early for shore fishing anyway.

GrandSoftDay

chopper6 wrote: »

Waaay too early for shore fishing anyway.

I think there was some caught from castle point in Clare. Also seen some caught on kayaks off Cork a few weeks back.

Paddysniper

Any mackeral about yet?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Plenty from shore in clare last week.

dodderangler

Was always told mackerel this time of year aren't nearly as nice as later on in year.
Whys that?

chopper6

dodderangler wrote: »

Was always told mackerel this time of year aren't nearly as nice as later on in year.
Whys that?

Early mackerall are far smaller...in september they've been feeding and have gotten much larger and chunkier.

I love spinning for macks around the end of sept on a light rod...you dont catch many but when you do the fight is incredible.

SeaFields

Mod Recent posts split from a zombie thread and put here. We'll try and keep everything for this coming summer in here

Happy Mackerel hunting everybody

The Pontiac

Going to buy a big freezer for the new mack season! And a smoker!

Happy mackerel bashing!

pnpweirdo

Is there any been caught in Galway bay area

GrandSoftDay

pnpweirdo wrote: »

Is there any been caught in Galway bay area

There was a handful caught in Ballyreen in North Clare last week.

Zzippy

dodderangler wrote: »

Was always told mackerel this time of year aren't nearly as nice as later on in year.
Whys that?

Early in the year they don't have much oil in the flesh, by August they have been feeding hard on sprat and are plump and oily, taste fantastic then...

ddashk

had good luck two weeks ago off castle point. good size too. maybe last years. been in dublin since and trying coliemore and dalkey etc but no luck yet.

SeaFields

A friend just put a photo on facebook of a bucket of mackerel taken on this evenings tide in Kerry.

counterlock

SeaFields wrote: »

A friend just put a photo on facebook of a bucket of mackerel taken on this evenings tide in Kerry.

Do you know where that was? Not looking for anyone's spot, just the general area

SeaFields

counterlock wrote: »

Do you know where that was? Not looking for anyone's spot, just the general area

It was at a popular rock fishing spot outside cahersiveen. Wont say any more than that - dont want the whole country down there at the weekend when i hope to get out there

paulm5327

hows a going normally the end of june is when the mackerel are around ur best bet is monkstown wall at high tide and look into the water for sprat (small fish) mackerel hunt for them and look for them breaking and for the pollock i use the jelly worm with led heads very very good and only cost 25c a worm in tw murrays in town you can also fish for congor with strips of mackerel on ur feders and leave 2 sit in the water and if u catch 1 have fun getin him in its a good crack all the same enjoy

dmc17

paulm5327 wrote: »

hows a going normally the end of june is when the mackerel are around ur best bet is monkstown wall at high tide and look into the water for sprat (small fish) mackerel hunt for them and look for them breaking and for the pollock i use the jelly worm with led heads very very good and only cost 25c a worm in tw murrays in town you can also fish for congor with strips of mackerel on ur feders and leave 2 sit in the water and if u catch 1 have fun getin him in its a good crack all the same enjoy

I got a bit dizzy trying to read that!

mooseknunkle

Anyone know if there been caught around Waterford yet?

flounder

mooseknunkle wrote: »

Anyone know if there been caught around Waterford yet?

I was out in dunmore this morning. No sign of them out there anyway

robbie67

I went out on a boat from malahide yesterday not a sign of any mackerel there again there was very little caught yesterday about 4 pollock a few doggies and tiny whitening between 10 of us

Friendly_User

Nothing in Galway bay at the moment

ianoo

mooseknunkle wrote: »

Anyone know if there been caught around Waterford yet?

i was out in tramore last saturday ,the boat next to me caught 2 dozen or so just off the Guillameen ,must be in small shoals cos i caught nothing :rolleyes:

ian...

popsy09

Plenty mackerel in kinsale yesterday had 10 In about 20 mins on a spinning rod with a Toby

The man alongside me had easily 30+ When I left and didn't look to be stopping anytime soon

counterlock

Nothing in Fanore today

GrandSoftDay

counterlock wrote: »

Nothing in Fanore today

Very slack, went down this evening for 2 hours after pollock and had one follow the lure right to my feet but no take. Was out on the kayak a week ago across from the pub in Fanore and there wasn't much sign of life in the water either apart from a few small pollock I stumbled across and a pod of dolophins that frightened the sh1t out of me. No sign of sprat or sandeels in the water which is a bad sign.

counterlock

GrandSoftDay wrote: »

Very slack, went down this evening for 2 hours after pollock and had one follow the lure right to my feet but no take. Was out on the kayak a week ago across from the pub in Fanore and there wasn't much sign of life in the water either apart from a few small pollock I stumbled across and a pod of dolophins that frightened the sh1t out of me. No sign of sprat or sandeels in the water which is a bad sign.

We had some good success targeting pollock and coal fish, but nothing on the feathers or hokkai. That's my first time fishing there and it's an incredible spot.

GrandSoftDay

counterlock wrote: »

We had some good success targeting pollock and coal fish, but nothing on the feathers or hokkai. That's my first time fishing there and it's an incredible spot.

Good to here, there was mackerel about a few weeks ago but they can be sporadic enough this time of year. Seen a wrasse swimming around aswell but was after a pollock for the dinner so I didn't try for them. Was watching the pollock swimming around on the bottom from the kayak last week. Fairly cool experience watching them. Some of the best places around here have hardly ever seen a rod and line because most people just pull up at black head and Ballyreen, some serious fishing to be had if you stray off the beaten track a bit. There's one place that takes 20 minutes to walk to and close to a half an hour to walk back up that has 40ft of water at your feet sheer drop off. Best place I have ever seen for mackerel, wrasse and conger but I wouldn't like to be carrying them up out of it. Normally just catch a few for bait there and fish the bottom for a few hours. A handful of limpets would keep you busy with the wrasse while your waiting for a big fish! Have great crack fishing for macs there on a 5-20g rod aswell!

counterlock

GrandSoftDay wrote: »

Some of the best places around here have hardly ever seen a rod and line because most people just pull up at black head and Ballyreen, some serious fishing to be had if you stray off the beaten track a bit. There's one place that takes 20 minutes to walk to and close to a half an hour to walk back up that has 40ft of water at your feet sheer drop off. Best place I have ever seen for mackerel, wrasse and conger but I wouldn't like to be carrying them up out of it.

That sounds a bit like the place we were fishing. The drop net got plenty of work even for the coal fish and the small conger we pulled out. I'm looking forward to going back next week and exploring further along the coast.

mystickey

Anything around the ballycotton and cork harbour area???

The Pontiac

mystickey wrote: »

Anything around the ballycotton and cork harbour area???

Hopefully the weather improves and I'll head down to Ballycotton.

Will report back...

patdahat

anything around fenit,kerryhead or brandon?

The other fella

The Pontiac wrote: »

Hopefully the weather improves and I'll head down to Ballycotton.

Will report back...

Well,how did you get on?

The Pontiac

The other fella wrote: »

Well,how did you get on?

Will be heading this weekend. Weather for the weekend is good!

mooseknunkle

flounder wrote: »

I was out in dunmore this morning. No sign of them out there anyway

I was out in portally this afternoon and none out there either

counterlock

patdahat wrote: »

anything around fenit,kerryhead or brandon?

Nothing in Fenit tonight. Nothing in Foynes yesterday either

BikingIsBest

Caught 2 decent sized mackerel tonight just after high tide off the sea wall between passage west and monkstown I was there for around 2 hours

mirrors

Caught 5 mackreal today at fenit

Paddysniper

Not long home. Caught 4 in ross Co Clare this evening. Lost a few on the way up.

mirrors

Caught 5 mackreal today at fenit

smashiner

Hi lads,
Anything stirring in a Dun Laoghaire or Dalkey? I was out that direction the other day and a few lads were fishing for Mack's but I didn't see any being caught.

Paddysniper

Just curious what if any are the favourite rigs/traces used that gets the best results?

counterlock

Paddysniper wrote: »

Just curious what if any are the favourite rigs/traces used that gets the best results?

I always had more success on hokkai than on feathers

smashiner

Hi Paddysniper,
It can sometimes depend on the day with some colors working better than others for no apparant reason! I have found red and also pink feathers to be the best, sometimes pink were the only ones catching on slower days! I ran out of feathers one day due to snags and I looped 3 little silver Mepps spinners on to the line and they were the business catching a load of Mackerel and a few small Pollack too.......really sometimes depends on the day methinks :-) Bring a few different colors and change after half an hour if you feel your first choice is not working too well, anyone else got any little gems to share with us??

Paddysniper

smashiner wrote: »

Hi Paddysniper,
It can sometimes depend on the day with some colors working better than others for no apparant reason! I have found red and also pink feathers to be the best, sometimes pink were the only ones catching on slower days! I ran out of feathers one day due to snags and I looped 3 little silver Mepps spinners on to the line and they were the business catching a load of Mackerel and a few small Pollack too.......really sometimes depends on the day methinks :-) Bring a few different colors and change after half an hour if you feel your first choice is not working too well, anyone else got any little gems to share with us??

I don't get to go fishing much lately but anytime I do go it's just the handy few. I was putting it down to scarcity.

Been using mustad gear which I find is quality but maybe I need to vary a bit.

Is there glow in the dark gear for fishing before dark or would it make a difference?

smashiner

Hi,
I think that the Mackerel season is only really getting started now, so hopefully it will get a bit better in July, August and September. Not sure about the glow in the dark gear as I have never tried it as Mackerel fishing tends to be best in the late afternnon and evening, sometime silver lures / feathers can be good in twilight / moonlight but packing up in the dark can be a pain (5 or 6 sharp hooks in the the dark, bare hands etc)!!

Paddysniper

smashiner wrote: »

Hi,
I think that the Mackerel season is only really getting started now, so hopefully it will get a bit better in July, August and September. Not sure about the glow in the dark gear as I have never tried it as Mackerel fishing tends to be best in the late afternnon and evening, sometime silver lures / feathers can be good in twilight / moonlight but packing up in the dark can be a pain (5 or 6 sharp hooks in the the dark, bare hands etc)!!

It'll improve I'm sure.
Shopping trip is in order and try out a few rigs
I wouldn't be staying until it's that dark lol, I've had a hook bedded in my finger and I don't want any more!

.red.

Paddysniper wrote: »

It'll improve I'm sure.
Shopping trip is in order and try out a few rigs
I wouldn't be staying until it's that dark lol, I've had a hook bedded in my finger and I don't want any more!

Headlamps can be gotten for just a few €€ and are plenty bright enough to stay safe in the dark.
People who only fish in daylight dont know what their missing.

mullyman17

Hey guys, anyone catching off the dun laoghaire area?

Abeedo

mullyman17 wrote: »

Hey guys, anyone catching off the dun laoghaire area?

last Sunday in west pier for about one hour, 5 lads was fishing but mostly flounder, didn't see any mackerel

dodderangler

What bout bullock harbour?
Anyone headed out there yet? I may head out this weekend should the weather hold