Catching mackerel - again

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mireland

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OK so I am a fishing DUNCE - I freely admit it. But even in the oily waters of Milford Haven I would occasionally land a couple of Mackerel from a line dragged behind the boat. Since moving to Cardiff not a sniff. I have a hand reel thingy with little rubber clad hooks made to look like sandeels and a couple of bright shiny spinnery things but in the choco waters I wonder if the fish are blind? I do not want to compete with hardy and decent fisher folk but would love a couple of Mackerel to grill after a day's sailing. How can I catch them? Expertise however basic - actually VERY basic would be much appreciated. Previous advice received followed but still no fishiy things. Thanks in advance for your pearls of fishdom.
 
I use a paravane gadget that dives below the water. Attached to it is a trace line with a shiny "spoon" lure with a triple-barbed hook attached. This works very well.
 
Never caught a mackeral around Cardiff - plenty of mullet, plaice, dabs, whiting and even cod off Penarth Pier. Also rumours of Salmon and Trout coming back into the rivers from the sea.
I think there is probably too much silt and too ferocious a tide for free swimmers like mackerel. More a place for bottom feeding fish, but of course you have to stop the boat to fish for these.
 
Having sailed around Cardiff for a weekend I'd agree with Lizzie_B, even if the fish are there they won't be able to see your lures in the murk that is the Bristol Channel. I'd guess that you would need to go west to Swansea and beyond to catch mackeral regularly.

Couple of catching tips, and I'm a fisherman fisrt yotty second, find an area where currents meet, like off a headland ,and fish the line between the two currents and seconldy look for diving sea birds if they repeatedly dive in a close area then fish near there. The birds are probably feeding on whitebait which is also mackeral fodder.

You are getting near the end of the season for mackeral for this year but best of luck!
 
I have found them easy to catch in the Channel and off the Dutch coast but suffer a similar problem in that they will not come round North Forland in to the Thames Estuary area. I use Twiswterowner's paravane method. You have to be doing les than 4 knots so it's a source of amusement on those slow quiet days. Really fresh mackerel has got to be one of the nicest eats there is.
 
I fear our 11 year old fisherman may be losing faith in his father's fishing skills (which are in fact non-existent! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif)
 
Mirelle,
I have news for all you N Sea mackeral-less chaps, the Gabbard Banks off Aldeburgh are absolutely alive with them. The water clears as you go offshore and lo and behold therebe mackeral.

Give it a whirl next year to restore your lads faith in his dad's abilities!
 
Well, they might still be around but as you know its about 15 miles out and not much else to see when you are out there, unless you are a great fan of nav bouys and the odd bit of shipping, if there's no fish about.

I catch them on the drift, ie hove to or no sail up, with feathers, around hw slack, if there are any diving birds about nip over to them.

Best of luck.
 
Get a sharp filleting knife, ie long, thin and sharp. Stick point into vent of fish and slide up in the body cavity up to the gills. Opening the slit of the the body cavity you'll see all of the bits you need to get rid of, grab all of the bits and pull, they should all come away, if not use knife to cut gut top (ie by gills) and bottom (ie by vent). Wash blood off in salt water. Job done!

Once you get the hang of it you can gut a fish in about 20 secs.
 
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