Good news for offshore boaties is that the south-easterlies we’ve been experiencing of late will abate over the weekend as a low pressure system moves across the Great Australian Bight.
In fact, the forecast this weekend is no wind at all and calm seas.
That’s amazing for July in the Top End, and it’s falling on a weekend.
The combination of neap tides and gentle seas will make offshore pelagic fishing an absolute delight, especially for Spanish mackerel.
There are several ways to fish productively for mackerel.
My particular favourite is to troll for these razor-jawed speedsters.
Thanks to modern GPS technology, and the ability to revisit almost the exact spot on the water where you have logged a waypoint, trolling hard-bodied lures for mackerel can be deadly.
Let’s start at the business end of mackerel trolling: the lure itself.
For mackerel, small lures are not nearly as good as big lures, and plenty of shine and contrast will invariably improve results.
For many years, the Spanish mackerel lure that you judged all others by has been the Rapala CD Magnum in sizes 14 upwards.
The combination of a glistening metal bib, the ability to dive to depths of 5m or more, a hard action that handles fast trolling speeds, and a spectacular colour range have been the downfall of mackerel and other pelagic species across Northern Australia for going on four decades.
There are other lures that catch mackerel consistently, including Classic 160s, Classic Bluewater, Reidy’s Big Boss and the deadly Bluewater Saury.
There are two colour styles which seem to account for the bulk of mackerel catches: the red head with white body, or “Qantas” colour, and anything that is predominately chromed and again with a bit of red.
There is absolutely no doubt that the best times to be trolling for mackerel are during the first and last couple of hours of daylight.
That is particularly the case if the mackerel are scarce, or not on the job.
At other times, when the schools are large and the macks are more competitive, they will bite all day.
Headlands adjacent to bays and river mouths, as well as offshore ledges and rocky pinnacles, are common mackerel habitat and always worth a shot.
Look for bait schools on the surface; and below the surface as indicated by your depth sounder.
Troll around these at a brisk pace – say, 6 knots or more – and mark any spot that you want to spend time trolling over.
Naturally, if you hook a mackerel, you should mark it on the GPS immediately.
As with baitfishing for Spanish mackerel, a wire trace of minimum 30kg is essential.
Light-to-medium game or jig rods are perfect for mackerel fishing.
Both threadline and overhead geared reels are suitable for macks, and they should be capable of holding at least 300m of 15kg braid or monofilament line.
Remember to sharpen your hooks as a mackerel’s jaw is pretty hard, and set your reel drag to “strike”.
Once hooked, a mackerel will usually blast off – perhaps making two or three similar runs – before fighting doggedly around the boat.
Be very careful gaffing and pulling your big mack aboard as they have razor-sharp teeth and they tend to thrash about.
It’s best to calm your mackerel down with a sharp blow or two from a “Priest”: usually a piece of pipe or a wooden club.
Bleed your mackerel by cutting its throat and you’ll definitely improve the quality of the flesh.
Fillet it and get the fillets on ice quickly.
Remember also your bag limit of two macks in possession; more than enough to feed family and friends.
Gary Allen with a typical dry season Spanish mackerel which he caught trolling at Lee Point.
