Mackerels swim in large schools that can stretch up to 20 miles in length. Mackerels are fast and agile swimmers. They can swim at the speed of 5. Mackerels have numerous natural enemies. Tunas, whales, dolphins, sea lions, sharks, tortoises and pelicans often consume mackerels. Mackerels are oily fish. They represent important source of omega-3 fatty acids in human diet. Mackerels migrate toward the shallow water close to the shore during the spring, when mating season starts.
Just like many other sea creatures, mackerels have external fertilization. The females release their eggs in batches between 5 and 7 times in a single spawning season. A single female can produce as much as , eggs per season They are known to be fast and agile swimmers. They have many predators, including sharks, whales, dolphins, tunas, sea turtles, pelicans, and humans. They are known for their tasty and healthy meat as it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Their population has declined over the past few decades due to overfishing.
Annual fishing limit allocations were given between sports anglers and commercial fishers. Permits are required for commercial fishers. Available permits are limited every year. Atlantic Mackerel Average Size and Swimming Speed Although there have been records of a 2-foot catch, Atlantic Mackerels rarely hit the one and a half feet mark.
Mackerel are great to eat but remember that the minimum size to retain mackerel is 30cm, and while it can be easy to catch many mackerel in a session only take what will be eaten or used as bait. Every summer there are stories of people taking extremely high numbers of mackerel from the sea and then desperately trying to give them away at the end of a fishing session, or even stuffing dead mackerel into bins in pier car parks just to get rid of them.
This is completely wasteful and makes a terrible impression of anglers to the general public. Local councils are beginning to take action against anglers who commit anti-social behaviour. Catch limits on mackerel were also brought in, with the fine also being issued to anyone catching and retaining more than twenty mackerel. Mackerel are a hugely important commercial species with the EU and Norway catching hundreds of thousands of tons of this species each year.
Commercial mackerel fishing has become a serious issue between European countries in recent years. Britain, the Faroe Islands and Iceland have been engaged in a dispute about mackerel fishing rights in European waters which has been dubbed the Mackerel War , while a number of Scottish pelagic trawler skippers illegally made millions of pounds through illegal commercial mackerel fishing before they were caught and given fines totalling millions of pounds.
There are no two ways about it — mackerel is a very easy species to catch. They are adapted to aggressively snap at anything resembling a small fish and will therefore go for any type of lure which is within their vicinity. The crudest and cheapest lures will catch mackerel although the many inexpensive lures fall apart during a fishing session meaning that many anglers avoid the very cheapest the market has to offer. First, let's set out some rules for mackerel fishing locations.
Being a highly mobile migratory fish, mackerel like deeper water and any beach, jetty, pier or breakwater that gives you access to deep water is a great choice, particularly if it's in open ocean. You wouldn't, for example, be advised to target mackerel inside a harbour or inland estuary, but a pier or rocky point jutting out into the wide blue yonder is a perfect spot.
Clear blue water is also preferred over anything muddy or sandy. Proximity to bait fish is also important. You'll often get a clue that mackerel are on the hunt by seeing scores of small fish scatter on the surface as they're chased to the surface by hungry shoals. Observing things like this and looking to find deeper water with some current are also good ways of increasing your chances of success.
Now, to put the theory into practice, let's look at an example of a great mackerel fishing location in the UK: Chesil Beach in Dorset. It is probably the most prolific mackerel fishing venue in the UK, and examining why will help you identify any of your local hot spots. Made entirely of pebbles 18 billion apparently! This scenario is perfect for finding dense shoals of bait fish and mackerel near to shore — and ideal for pleasure anglers who can still catch fish regularly without the need for extreme casting.
Our expert Matt Sparkes gives this advice: "Mackerel are found along the whole coastline of the UK, where colossal shoals mean bumper hauls are a possibility. There is the chance of a full string of fish on nearly every cast — especially on a rising tide. These basic lures are retrieved erratically through the water, mimicking small baitfish such as sand eels, which are the staple diet of mackerel.
Plain white through to vivid day-glo orange colors work best here. Fancier brands score well, too, with strips of glittery tinsel and silver reflector strips designed to glint and flash through the water. Cast out as far as you can and tighten up a second or two after the lead hits the water. Then begin the retrieve immediately by simply pulling the rod back in one continuous sweeping motion whilst keeping the butt at waist height, like a big lever. You then bring the rod forward and down again while reeling in the slack line quickly, and repeat.
This is known as pumping and winding.
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