Mackerel Fishing this year.

[Toutvabien]

Hopefully heading westish next week from Essex towards N France.

I just wondered if any of the south coast sailors have been pulling in any mackerel so far this year? None seem to be around our neck of the woods on the E Coast, despite the warm water, and as we normally drag a few feathers along when we are sailing beyond Dover I wanted to know if the shoals of Mackkie will feed the family or will I have to resort to Aldi tinned lentils to keep them fed?

 

[rbmatthews]

I know it isn't the south coast, but we have caught a few in the last couple of weeks up here in the north-east of Scotland, but they are not plentiful.

 

[Scarron]

Went out last Wednesday evening, had to go all the way from Hamble to Hurst before we caught anything - only got 3.

Speaking to the landlord of The Ship at Itchenor, they caught loads yesterday off Selsey Bill, so they are out there

 

[Toutvabien]

It is the "not plentiful" that intrigues me, a few years ago I would expect to pull a line of mackerel in on most cross channel passages in the summer months, when we hit a shoal we would get 5 or 6 largish fish at once. We hit 12 at once on two rods coming out of Kinsale in 2006, BBQ'd about 8 and used 4 as bait.

In recent years, say since 2008 I cannot recall getting a good catch, just a few small fish that have gone back into the sea alive, so I was wondering if I am alone in my failure to lure fish onto my lines, or has the population shifted?

 

[dylanwinter]

had the spinner out a fair bit this year

just one measily mackeral in the Moray

not a sausage since

D

 

[Twister_Ken]

had the spinner out a fair bit this year

just one measily mackeral in the Moray

not a sausage since

D

You know what they say north of the border - Ye can'nae cetch a sossy on a spinner.

 

[rbmatthews]

It is the "not plentiful" that intrigues me, a few years ago I would expect to pull a line of mackerel in on most cross channel passages in the summer months, when we hit a shoal we would get 5 or 6 largish fish at once. We hit 12 at once on two rods coming out of Kinsale in 2006, BBQ'd about 8 and used 4 as bait.

In recent years, say since 2008 I cannot recall getting a good catch, just a few small fish that have gone back into the sea alive, so I was wondering if I am alone in my failure to lure fish onto my lines, or has the population shifted?

We were catching 4-5 at a time last year, and the ones this year have been a reasonable size, just not many of them. Lots of folk seem to be saying the same thing, so something must be happening.

 

[Poignard]

Not only have I not caught any but I unwillingly donated my spinner and a paravane to some French lobster fisherman in the Chenal du Four who had placed his pot marker in my path

 

[pmagowan]

Apparently the mackerel and the sand eels have gone north this year and are hardly about our coasts at all.

 

[rbmatthews]

Seems as though they are all out in the Atlantic:

http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/21223/UK_Mackerel_stocks_highest_for_26_years.html

 

[l'escargot]

Would normally expect this warm weather to bring them into the Solent along with the bream but haven't heard much of either this year.

 

[Storyline]

Seems as though they are all out in the Atlantic:

http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/21223/UK_Mackerel_stocks_highest_for_26_years.html

This on the face of it is good news but I seem to recall there are some factory type boats operating out of NI hoovering them up so it will probably not last for long.

My experience so far this summer (in nw Scotland) is that they are not too plentiful, still plenty around in the hot spots but random plummeting has produced zero results. Nowadays we rely on catching pollack to use as bait for the pot on rock pinnacles that can be found on the chart, a technique that never fails.

 

[GrahamD]

I've also noticed a distinct lack of mackerel during a trip to the West Country a couple of weeks ago. As Simon K has been reporting unusually high water temperatures around the UK in the last few weeks I wonder if the two are linked?

 

[Toutvabien]

As I suspected the Mackkies have done a runner on the South Coast as well, I had better stock up with the Aldi Petit Sale to keep the crew going on the outward passage.

 

[[70521]]

At the grand old age of 52 I caught my fist fish this year! I suspect it will be another 52 years before I try again.

 

[Jezamonos]

Intrigued as to what people use to catch fish while on the go. Is it just a rod with a lure tossed out over the stern ?

 

[webcraft]

.
No mackerel up here yet this year - most unusual.

- W

 

[Toutvabien]

Intrigued as to what people use to catch fish while on the go. Is it just a rod with a lure tossed out over the stern ?

When we used to actually catch fish we used a rod with feathers or lure,
lightly weighted, or a paravane, which keeps the tackle under the surface of the water, with lures or feathers attached. We used to be quite good at catching fish whilst sailing, as long as we were not going faster than about 4 knots, but the fish have wised up in recent years. Still catch a few when anchored up but not had much luck underway lately.

 

[Poignard]

Intrigued as to what people use to catch fish while on the go. Is it just a rod with a lure tossed out over the stern ?

The chandlery in Moulin Blanc marina in Brest is offering Mitchell boat rods with multiplier reels at what seems a good price. I was thinking of buying one but the missus (who hates spending money) says "Why do you need a fishing rod when you have always managed to catch mackerel without one?"

I suppose she's got a point. Would I catch more fish with a boat rod?

 

[pagoda]

Apparently the mackerel and the sand eels have gone north this year and are hardly about our coasts at all.

North ?
Not many over here in Stavanger area either, anybody able to comment on the Hebrides or Orkney/Shetland?
I didn't get a bite in 3 weeks, and didn't see any being caught either (boats or off the rocks). Some bottom fish being taken by lines/normal bait, but not many.