Allan
Well-Known Member
I've been trying to catch Scottish mackerel with no luck. In England and France, I've always slowed down to about 3-4knts and put out a line of feathers. Up here, nothing! Any suggestions?
Allan
Allan
Is this the forum for fishing question?
- Thread starter Allan
- Start date
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Probably nothing to do with your technique - just no fish about. Mackerel are migratory shoal fish and follow their prey species. When you find a feeding shoal your technique is right.
rotrax
Well-Known Member
Fishing from our boat in Ireland, from Kilmore Quay right round to Londonderry has been rubbish. Tranona is right - you will only catch if the fish are there and feeding.
An Irish angler and charter boat skipper told me the big Tuna are back. While sharking he caught, tagged and released one of over 750lbs.
I believe we saw some Tuna strikes off Larne, big white splashes amongst diving Gannets and Shearwaters.
An Irish angler and charter boat skipper told me the big Tuna are back. While sharking he caught, tagged and released one of over 750lbs.
I believe we saw some Tuna strikes off Larne, big white splashes amongst diving Gannets and Shearwaters.
Spirit (of Glenans)
Well-Known Member
Not the time and place to be using a towed log then
johnalison
Well-Known Member
I’m surprised at that. Although we only went to Ireland once, I have two abiding memories. One was of a flock of a couple of hundred gannets doing their plunging thing around our boat, and the other was when we were tied to an angling boat in Courtmacsherry where a large catch of very large fish were being landed.
Scillypete
Well-Known Member
Perhaps ‘Scottish’ mackerel prefer their feathers battered ?
Neeves
Well-Known Member
Maybe invest in a different lure - they are hardly expensive. We use a thing that looks like a fish - trawl at 6 knots - and only catch Spanish mackerel, Mahi Mahi and Tuna (this is Oz waters). We also use stainless traces and dyneema line.
Jonathan
Jonathan
salad
Well-Known Member
You may find hokkai's fair better than traditional feathers. You can buy them pre-ried. Mustad are trustworthy. Any pattern really, especially on a sunny day. Luminous are nice to have too in deeper water when its overcast.
You probably don't have enough weight on to get the feathers down any depth at the moment. I'd strongly recommend getting yourself a paravane instead of chucking on more weight, for ease of use.
If there's any mackerel about at all, you'll catch them with hokkai's and a paravane at 3 knots imo.
If it's for children, leave them 2 hooks on, top and 2nd bottom.
You probably don't have enough weight on to get the feathers down any depth at the moment. I'd strongly recommend getting yourself a paravane instead of chucking on more weight, for ease of use.
If there's any mackerel about at all, you'll catch them with hokkai's and a paravane at 3 knots imo.
If it's for children, leave them 2 hooks on, top and 2nd bottom.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Lure is almost irrelevant with feeding mackerel - they go for anything moving at the right speed and bright. I have even caught them on bare hooks.
Allan
Well-Known Member
Many thanks to all. I watched people catching fish on feathers from the shore yesterday, so I'm sure they're about. I use a paravane which I've tried on various settings for depth. In the past I've just used a central setting. I'll try again tomorrow, hopefully the fish down by the IOM with be more obliging!
Allan
Allan
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Good luck. Remember hitting a shoal just south of Old Harry at 6.30 one morning on the way to Cherbourg. 5 fish on one line. 2 for breakfast and other 3 (they weren't very big) for lunch mid channel. stopped trailing the line as there are only so many a singlehander can eat.
The Q
Well-Known Member
We used to anchor in the Lower Minch, an Cuan Canach ,just off South Uist, Uibhist a Deas , (Outer Hebridies), chuck a 9 hook feather trace in and the mackerel leapt on, all nine hooks occupied was not unusual...
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wingcommander
Well-Known Member
Agree totally, I have a video somewhere of me gutting a line full of freshly caught mackerel, anchored in loch na drambui nr Tobermory. All of them had a mouthful of freshly eaten sprat....yet the greedy bu###rs still chomped on my lures.
PetiteFleur
Well-Known Member
I remember many years ago, on a friends boat on the West Coast of Scotland, trolling for mackerel, catching about 25 in about 20 minutes, getting back to his marina, been driven to Glasgow Airport, arriving home early evening, cooking some for supper and going straight to bed - never questioned about the mackerel at the airport but did have them well wrapped!1
rotrax
Well-Known Member
Billy, the Glenarm Harbourmaster also runs an angling charter boat. He told me this is the worst season he has had in 25 years. His last evening trip was 3 hours, five anglers and five mackerel.
That really is poor. Last time I fished on a charter boat off Glenarm we caught Cod, Haddock, Whiting and Coalfish. The feathers caught the fresh mackerel for bait on the way to the mark.
The fishing is, as I said earlier, very poor.
LiftyK
Well-Known Member
You’d think that with humans staying home during covid travel bans, the fish stocks would recover somewhat. That was not my experience over the previous two seasons. My paravane dangled in the Solent, same speeds as you report, caught nothing. This year is much better and I’ve caught several on two recent occasions. As always, if you see birds dipping, head for them.
Jim@sea
Well-Known Member
In 1974 I was fishing off the Skerries and a local fisherman from Holyhead and this enormous boat went past and he said it was a Russian Trawler which "hoovered" up all the Mackerel. I wonder how many millions of tons of Mackerel have been taken since.
Spirit (of Glenans)
Well-Known Member
The southeast coast is best for shore and inshore angling. Greystones to Dunmore East.
jdc
Well-Known Member
I think the enormous number of seals in lochs is a factor. We almost never catch mackerel in sea lochs using the trolling technique; I suspect that there are loads about - else what do the seals eat? - but a fish lazily drifting along in the upper waters looking for prey is soon prey itself! There have also been above average numbers of dolphins in Scotland this year, and they follow mackerel shoals, so loads about.
But this summer we have caught loads on the E, N and W coasts by a change of technique. Basically stop off headlands, and fish deep, allowing the feathers to sink very rapidly to between 20 and 30 metres, and then jig in the normal way. Particularly good has been Duncansy Head, Cape Wrath and Handa Island, Pt of Stoer and Ardnamurchan, but basically anywhere with a steep drop-off. We have been told of good catches in Lochs Carron and Duich, but failed to get any while there.
But this summer we have caught loads on the E, N and W coasts by a change of technique. Basically stop off headlands, and fish deep, allowing the feathers to sink very rapidly to between 20 and 30 metres, and then jig in the normal way. Particularly good has been Duncansy Head, Cape Wrath and Handa Island, Pt of Stoer and Ardnamurchan, but basically anywhere with a steep drop-off. We have been told of good catches in Lochs Carron and Duich, but failed to get any while there.
gordmac
Well-Known Member
Would agree bottom fishing rather than trolling if you get the right spot.