Mega Mackerel thread 2018 - reports, queries and chat

Sam Quentin · 04-08-2018 4:44pm

BIG catches being reported at Greenore Carlingford Lough.

robinwing · 04-08-2018 7:31pm

Padgehunting wrote: »

Loads cought last night south ease coast

whereabouts exactly ? was it from shore

Blondie919 · 05-08-2018 12:09pm

There’s no mackerel on the west coast yet. I spent about 3 hours near Kinvara and caught nothing.

rubbledoubledo · 05-08-2018 5:34pm

Any thing caught in Cobh

cd07 · 05-08-2018 7:48pm

rubbledoubledo wrote:

Any thing caught in Cobh

Should be we were swamped with them on beara 2 weeks ago

Sam Quentin · 06-08-2018 11:19am

Blondie919 wrote: »

There’s no mackerel on the west coast yet. I spent about 3 hours near Kinvara and caught nothing.

I caught a bucket of them after you went home!? :P

Rows Grower · 06-08-2018 2:26pm

The wife brought home some fine mackerel last night that she got from a friend who caught them near Rosscarbery yesterday.

flended12 · 06-08-2018 9:30pm

Plenty mackerel off ballinskelligs pier and around horse island last weekend.

Williamjg · 06-08-2018 9:51pm

Sam Quentin wrote: »

I caught a bucket of them after you went home!? :P

Was playing golf yesterday at Galway bay and saw seagulls diving into the water which only happened when the sprat are there and I also saw some of those little wooden fishing boats in the bay that the farmers use for mackerel fishing Not sure if they got any but I’d say they did

I’m going to the local peir tomorrow to try my luck

What is the best time to fish for macks. I usually go 1 hour before high tide and stay for an hour after high tide is this the best plan?

Sam Quentin · 07-08-2018 2:35am

Williamjg wrote: »

Was playing golf yesterday at Galway bay and saw seagulls diving into the water which only happened when the sprat are there and I also saw some of those little wooden fishing boats in the bay that the farmers use for mackerel fishing Not sure if they got any but I’d say they did

I’m going to the local peir tomorrow to try my luck

What is the best time to fish for macks. I usually go 1 hour before high tide and stay for an hour after high tide is this the best plan?

No harm in going out 3hrs before full tide especially for Mackeral, and if your staying on a bit after tide turns and not seeing any fry or seagul action!.. then follow the tide out a bit,, Nobody could be catching anything and then 'Jimmy' starts shouting I'M IN I'M IN lol

kildare lad · 07-08-2018 7:29am

fished ballyreen and had 2 in 3 hours on thursday , fished blackhead on friday and blanked... very frustrating

Williamjg · 07-08-2018 3:25pm

Was out today saw lots of sprat but only bought sea weed

Atlas_IRL · 09-08-2018 1:06pm

Was off skerries pier last week and for about 1hr lads were catching 3-6 at a time one after the other. I had loads of bites but it was my first time fishing in about 15 years so i didnt know how to hook them properly when i felt a bite.

Ultimate Seduction · 09-08-2018 2:14pm

Atlas_IRL wrote: »

Was off skerries pier last week and for about 1hr lads were catching 3-6 at a time one after the other. I had loads of bites but it was my first time fishing in about 15 years so i didnt know how to hook them properly when i felt a bite.

You don't feel mackerel bite or have to hook them?

Rows Grower · 09-08-2018 2:17pm

Maybe the hooks being used were too big or they were blunt?

Williamjg · 10-08-2018 10:33am

Went out yesterday to a local peir in Galway about 3 people there none of us got anything

Ipso · 10-08-2018 6:24pm

You'd expect it to be in full swing at this time of the year, has people noticed mackerel being smaller over the last few years.

Rows Grower · 10-08-2018 7:15pm

Ipso wrote: »

You'd expect it to be in full swing at this time of the year, has people noticed mackerel being smaller over the last few years.

Personally I thought that mackerel were getting smaller every year for the last good few years but I've had the biggest average size this year since a long time.

Had a good few horse mackerel this year and a lot of decent sized ones.

Fishing around south Kerry mostly from the rocks or piers.

Ultimate Seduction · 11-08-2018 9:10am

Thinking of going for a few mackerel with my spinning rod off youghal pier. What type of spinner should I use?

flended12 · 11-08-2018 9:14am

Ultimate Seduction wrote: »

Thinking of going for a few mackerel with my spinning rod off youghal pier. What type of spinner should I use?

Something shiny and about 2 inches long that has a decent cast. Alternatively off a pier I'd float fish a set of feathers, cast out as far as you can and slowly retrieve giving a decent yank on the rod every 20 seconds. Have at least 10 feet between bottom of float and first feather.

Loads of vids on YouTube for same.

Ultimate Seduction · 11-08-2018 9:43am

Will look that up so. I know in Youghal no casting is needed, just drop the feathers off the pier. Will let ye know how I get on anyway

Williamjg · 11-08-2018 10:59am

I have always used multicoloured feathers with a 2 or 3 oz weight. Mackerel tend to take the bait when it is sinking rather then on the retrieve so what I do I cast probably about 25 meters let it sink for a few seconds then I retrieve for about 10 meters and let them sink again and then retrieve for another 10 and sink then and so on and so forth
Now I haven’t caught any this year yet but last year this method caught me several hundred macks off the peir
But I don’t think it matters too much when you get a day where the mackerel are lineing up to get caught they just tend to bite everything they see

BionicRasher · 13-08-2018 2:53pm

Was travelling on the Cross River Ferry this morning in Cork harbour and the ramp scooped up a couple of hundred sprat when we were landing.

Mackerel wont be far behind - will have to get the rod out at the weekend and see if I can catch a few in Cobh

rubbledoubledo · 13-08-2018 3:03pm

BionicRasher wrote: »

Was travelling on the Cross River Ferry this morning in Cork harbour and the ramp scooped up a couple of hundred sprat when we were landing.

Mackerel wont be far behind - will have to get the rod out at the weekend and see if I can catch a few in Cobh

Planning to go to Cobh myself also.
I am down towards Newcastle west , so a bit of a drive for me.
I would hope to catch a few to make it worth while.
Can you keep us posted.
I know it is a hit and miss with any sort of fishing.
Thanks

BionicRasher · 13-08-2018 4:15pm

rubbledoubledo wrote: »

Planning to go to Cobh myself also.
I am down towards Newcastle west , so a bit of a drive for me.
I would hope to catch a few to make it worth while.
Can you keep us posted.
I know it is a hit and miss with any sort of fishing.
Thanks

Some dolphins in the harbour now in front of Cobh. Looks like there should be lots of mackerel around. Will post updates.

rubbledoubledo · 13-08-2018 5:06pm

BionicRasher wrote: »

Some dolphins in the harbour now in front of Cobh. Looks like there should be lots of mackerel around. Will post updates.

Great thanks

deckyv · 13-08-2018 8:50pm

We got 50 mackerel off liscannor pier on a boat yesterday evening

SM2018 · 14-08-2018 1:29pm

20 mackerel in 50 mins Sunday 06:30 morning across from aquarium in Salthill large shoals

Dgamblerbob · 15-08-2018 8:36am

SM2018 wrote: »

20 mackerel in 50 mins Sunday 06:30 morning across from aquarium in Salthill large shoals

Was it on high tide when you caught the mackerel

SM2018 · 15-08-2018 1:19pm

Dgamblerbob wrote: »

Was it on high tide when you caught the mackerel

Yes high tide, I was walking the dogs on the prom and noticed the sprat jumping, didn’t expect it, went home and got the rod. Tasty breakfast!

Richard tea · 15-08-2018 8:25pm

Kids are at me to go fishing. I have not fished in a good few years. I'm thinking of heading to greystones pier. Will I have any luck with some mackerel feathers?

Blondie919 · 15-08-2018 9:07pm

Richard tea wrote: »

Kids are at me to go fishing. I have not fished in a good few years. I'm thinking of heading to greystones pier. Will I have any luck with some mackerel feathers?

Try it and see. Nothing to lose.

Kavo59 · 16-08-2018 10:24am

is it a waste of time going for mackerel on a tide going out?

Dunnie1982 · 16-08-2018 4:53pm

Kavo59 wrote: »

is it a waste of time going for mackerel on a tide going out?

Depends on the location and time of day. I've caught most of mine over 2 hours after the tide has turned this year.

It wasn't me! · 17-08-2018 11:09am

Plenty in Dun Laoghaire now.

dave1982 · 18-08-2018 3:46pm

anything in cobh lads?

rubbledoubledo · 18-08-2018 3:58pm

Want to know the same myself.

davycc · 18-08-2018 4:43pm

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Plenty in Dun Laoghaire now.

From shore or boat?

Rows Grower · 18-08-2018 5:31pm

dave1982 wrote: »

anything in cobh lads?

I heard there was Bonito Tuna spotted outside the harbour there a few days ago and plenty mackerel being caught off the boats.

Behind the train station is always a good spot with the coming tide.

dave1982 · 18-08-2018 6:08pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

I heard there was Bonito Tuna spotted outside the harbour there a few days ago and plenty mackerel being caught off the boats.

Behind the train station is always a good spot with the coming tide.

I have been down a few times during high tide but there don't seem to no one really fishing

Gizmo55 · 18-08-2018 6:14pm

davycc wrote: »

From shore or boat?

A guy in the tackle shop in Dun Laoghaire said there's plenty from the East pier.

Rows Grower · 18-08-2018 6:26pm

dave1982 wrote: »

I have been down a few times during high tide but there don't seem to no one really fishing

Not trying to be smart Dave but if there's no one fishing then there are not going to be any caught.

If you're there anyway shur you might as well have a cast for an hour or two and try.

The more often you try the better chance you have, no matter if your on your own or surrounded by other anglers.

BionicRasher · 18-08-2018 7:21pm

dave1982 wrote: »

anything in cobh lads?

Nothing much. Seems a few catching but only one or two fish caught after an evening of casting.

It wasn't me! · 19-08-2018 1:16pm

davycc wrote: »

From shore or boat?

Shore, west pier on the outside.

bazrushe · 20-08-2018 7:44pm

Hi all

Thinking of going sea fishing around the sligo area,Aughris head,Mullaghmore off the rocks.Anyone know any good spots to go to catch mackerel.Any help would be appreciated.Thanks.

Max Carroll · 20-08-2018 11:09pm

Last few day in Dunlaoighre have been terrible. Week before was ok.
Something has changed this year.

LAst few days, hardly a thing caught at the end of the west pier, on the outside, people are reeling in tiny fish, some very small mackerel.

Has anyone got the watercraft to explain? There seems to be a decent amount to be caught offshore. Wonder have their habits changed a bit and thewy are not coming close in the numbers they used to, or maybe the Spanish are getting them first? Or maybe its a weather thing?! (pressure etc.)

Anyone got any thoughts?

cd07 · 21-08-2018 3:33pm

The massive super trawlers from Scotland Spain and Lithuania are trawling them up 500 tonnes per trawl. How could there be any left.......?

Ultimate Seduction · 21-08-2018 4:02pm

cd07 wrote: »

The massive super trawlers from Scotland Spain and Lithuania are trawling them up 500 tonnes per trawl. How could there be any left.......?

Yep. If the catch 600 tones by accident they will throw 100 tonnes of dead fish back into see as they can't be over the catch limit.

Same goes for Atlantic Salmon, yet the man with a single rod and line gets all the flak.

cd07 · 21-08-2018 4:11pm

Skinhead Kane wrote:

My biggest catch so far, got it all on video! What do you guys think? Should I have kept it?

Ultimate Seduction wrote:

Yep. If the catch 600 tones by accident they will throw 100 tonnes of dead fish back into see as they can't be over the catch limit.

Yep watched a whole documentary about recently. They're trawling the mackerel in winter when they're all together in vast shoals. Its fish in the barrel kinda stuff....there won't be any mackerel in years to come and the knock on effect of that will be catastrophic

Max Carroll · 23-08-2018 10:27am

Jebus, 100 tonnes dumped. that is so wrong.

Yeah well the trend continues. Not going back to DL now while it is like this.
Dublin isn't great in general, but I feed the family with macks and pollack, so I truly hate this trend.

Mega Mackerel thread 2018 - reports, queries and chat

Comments