Spanish Mackerel
To some degree we catch spanish year-round but there are peak seasons. We have the spring run in Mid-February to Mid-May and then the fall run September to December. In the spring we see more fish and in the fall we see much larger fish.
Spanish are fun on light tackle and are very good table fare. Their meat is much lighter than most mackerel and can be prepared in many different ways. They are great fried, smoked, or made into fish tacos.
There is an old wive’s tale that for the most part rings true in the spring. It says “the spanish show up on the morning of the 3rd straight day of spring fog”. This makes sense with the weather patterns and water temps that will generate that fog over the coastal waters.
Spanish can be caught casting from shore, in the harbor, the surf, from the jetties, the piers, and bridges. They can also be caught trolling the harbor, around the pass, in the bay, along the sand bars, and along the beach. In Panama City you can catch them outside of Redfish Point, Deep Water Point, and at the City Marina seawall. In Destin you will find spanish in the channel around crab island, and near the Coast Guard Station. And finally in the Navarre area you can catch them near the Pensacola Pass and Fort Pickens.
In spring some of the first fish will be barely legal, but they will grow fast due to their appetite. They gorge on small rain minnows and finger mullet. Within a week of their first appearance, they all grow well into keeper size. Because they are feeding on small baits in spring, the smallest of lures tend to work best.
Spanish mackerel are schooling fish which makes them attractive to anglers, seldom will you only catch one or two. If you catch one you should easily be able to catch a limit or close to a limit.
To some degree we catch spanish year-round but there are peak seasons. We have the spring run in Mid-February to Mid-May and then the fall run September to December. In the spring we see more fish and in the fall we see much larger fish.
Spanish are fun on light tackle and are very good table fare. Their meat is much lighter than most mackerel and can be prepared in many different ways. They are great fried, smoked, or made into fish tacos.
There is an old wive’s tale that for the most part rings true in the spring. It says “the spanish show up on the morning of the 3rd straight day of spring fog”. This makes sense with the weather patterns and water temps that will generate that fog over the coastal waters.
Spanish can be caught casting from shore, in the harbor, the surf, from the jetties, the piers, and bridges. They can also be caught trolling the harbor, around the pass, in the bay, along the sand bars, and along the beach. In Panama City you can catch them outside of Redfish Point, Deep Water Point, and at the City Marina seawall. In Destin you will find spanish in the channel around crab island, and near the Coast Guard Station. And finally in the Navarre area you can catch them near the Pensacola Pass and Fort Pickens.
In spring some of the first fish will be barely legal, but they will grow fast due to their appetite. They gorge on small rain minnows and finger mullet. Within a week of their first appearance, they all grow well into keeper size. Because they are feeding on small baits in spring, the smallest of lures tend to work best.
Spanish mackerel are schooling fish which makes them attractive to anglers, seldom will you only catch one or two. If you catch one you should easily be able to catch a limit or close to a limit.
Trolling
One of the keys is to slow down. We often see many people trolling way too fast while trying to catch spanish. Things that work for trolling are:
• Clark Straw Rigs • Clark Spoons rigged small trolling leads • Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows • Small Duster or Feather Rigs • Got-Cha Troll Lures
Got-Cha Troll Lures are different than regular Got-Cha Lures. Regular Got-Cha Lures have a slant head and double treble hooks designed for erratic action when jigging. These will spin when trolled. The trolling Got-Cha is bullet shaped with just a single hook.
Standard Got-Cha
Got-Cha Troll
Most trolling baits work better with 2-4oz trolling leads. A small Sea Striker Planner is a good bet when trolling deeper water.
If the lure you choose does not come pre-rigged, we recommend rigging with 50lb Fluorocarbon leaders.
Currently spanish are open all year, but they must be 12 inches in length measured to the fork of the tail and there is a bag limit of 15 per person!
Being in the mackerel family spanish they will spoil quickly on warm days and do best in a cooler with a slush brine of ice and saltwater!
Casting from Shore or Boats!
There are several lure options that work well for spanish, but these are a few of our most favored lures:
• Got-Cha Lures • Spoons • Bucktail Jigs • Yo-Zuri Twitch Baits • Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows • Z-Man Jerk Baits • And Bubble Rigs!
Chumming
Chumming is a great way to attract them. When chumming instead of trolling, you can use much lighter tackle and can cast for them. Sometimes, people get bored quickly while trolling, especially kids. Chumming and casting to the spanish keeps you and the kids busy and because spanish are mostly 4lbs and under, they are much more fun to catch on light spinning gear.
Set up the boat with the current running away from the boat and cast into the chum slick where the spanish will be feeding. Just a regular chum bag and a 5lb box of frozen chum works great!
Chumming is a great way to attract them. When chumming instead of trolling, you can use much lighter tackle and can cast for them. Sometimes, people get bored quickly while trolling, especially kids. Chumming and casting to the spanish keeps you and the kids busy and because spanish are mostly 4lbs and under, they are much more fun to catch on light spinning gear.
Set up the boat with the current running away from the boat and cast into the chum slick where the spanish will be feeding. Just a regular chum bag and a 5lb box of frozen chum works great!
Chumming is a great way to attract them. When chumming instead of trolling, you can use much lighter tackle and can cast for them. Sometimes, people get bored quickly while trolling, especially kids. Chumming and casting to the spanish keeps you and the kids busy and because spanish are mostly 4lbs and under, they are much more fun to catch on light spinning gear.
Set up the boat with the current running away from the boat and cast into the chum slick where the spanish will be feeding. Just a regular chum bag and a 5lb box of frozen chum works great!
Spanish vs King Mackerel
Spanish are streamlined fish with a dark green or blue back. Their bellies have a silver color. You’ll notice a dark spot on their upper gill cover and will have projecting scales on their lateral line.
Spanish and king mackerel share many characteristics. The two have similar body shapes, but they differ in their overall body composition. This makes identifying the differences a little bit difficult. They have similar lateral lines, dorsal fins, and gills. Spanish mackerel have a gradual dip in their lateral line midsection, while king mackerel have a pronounced dip in their lateral line.
| Spanish Mackerel | King Mackerel |
| Back is bluish-green, fading to silvery sides and belly | Back is bluish-green, fading to silvery sides and belly (no spots) |
| Irregular golden-yellow spots on sides | Front of first dorsal fin lacks a dark blotch |
| Bluish-black blotch on front of first dorsal fin | Lateral line drops sharply below the second dorsal fin |
| Lateral line slopes gently from behind the gill cover to the tail | Juveniles may have yellowish spots, similar to spanish mackerel |
Spanish Mackerel
King Mackerel
Biology
• Spanish mackerel grow fast, up to 13 pounds, and can live up to 12 years.
• They are able to reproduce by age 2.
• There are two distinct populations, one in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the Atlantic.
• They spawn from April to September off the North Carolina and Virginia coasts in the Atlantic Ocean and in shallow coastal waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
• Spanish mackerel release their eggs in batches throughout the spawning season. Females can have 500,000 to 1.5 million eggs over the spawning season.
• Spanish mackerel swim in large, fast-moving schools.
• They migrate as the seasons and water temperatures change.
• Along the Atlantic coast, spanish mackerel move northward to North Carolina in early April and to New York in June. As waters cool later in the year, they return south to Florida waters.
• In the eastern Gulf of Mexico, they migrate to the west of Cape San Blas, Florida. They remain in the northern Gulf of Mexico until September and migrate south along the coast in the fall.
• Spanish mackerel prey primarily on herring, menhaden, sardines, mullet, needlefish, and anchovies.
• To a lesser degree they also feed on shrimp, crabs, and squid. They are often seen forcing schools of small fish into tight bundles and nearly pushing them out of the water when feeding.
• Dolphins and sharks prey on spanish mackerel.
Where They Live
Spanish mackerel are found off the Atlantic coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Spanish mackerel mostly live in open water but are sometimes found over deep grass beds and reefs, as well as in shallow estuaries. They prefer water temperatures above 68° F.