MAC ATTACK
I live on Queensland’s Gold Coast and in summer and autumn Spanish and spotted mackerel are a major target species. These usually arrive in numbers in early December and on the inshore grounds, such as Palm Beach Reef, often attract over a hundred boats in a relatively small area. As the season progresses they spread out onto most of the close reefs and can be caught using a wide variety of methods. In our local waters it is almost unheard of to encounter mackerel in water depths over 50 metres. They are an ideal small boat target.
Spanish Mackerel are one of the fastest fish in the sea, and when you get a hook up it is always followed by a long reel screaming run. Mackerel are superb eating, with tasty firm white flesh that keeps well. The bag limit on Spanish mackerel in Queensland is 3 fish per person with a maximum of 6 fish per boat. Each season is different, some years see thousands of fish caught, yet in other seasons few fish turn up. At the moment we are in the middle of an excellent run of both Spaniards and spotties. The following is a guide to some of
