Lures for mackerel
13 lures broken down one by one, plus the full mackerel strategy guide.
Mackerel hunt in shoals near the surface in summer, from the shore and from a boat: small jigs, soft sandeels and shiny lures retrieved fast take them without trouble. They fight hard for their size and are a good way to get into saltwater lure fishing.
There are only a few sheets at this stage, but these are lures that also work for sea bass — a good way to see how the same presentation changes with the species and the target depth.
Popper 3
Popper
Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper: the surf lure built for distance
Three sizes, a tail weight and one very specific retrieve: everything you need to know about the Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper for sea bass from the shore.
Popper
Savage Gear Prey Popper: the tool for surface feeding frenzies
How to read a shoal of feeding sea bass or mackerel and fish it with the Prey Popper: where to cast, at what cadence, and why you should never aim at the middle.
Popper
Tsunami Talkin' Popper: sound before sight when calling bass from a distance
Why the Tsunami Talkin' Popper's noise carries further than its colour, and how to use it to call sea bass and mackerel in from a rocky point.
Casting spoon 1
Paddle tail 2
Paddle tail
Fiiish Crazy Sand Eel: how to hit a feeding frenzy while it lasts
How to fish a sea bass or mackerel feeding frenzy with the Fiiish Crazy Sand Eel — fall speed, head weight and reading diving birds.
Paddle tail
Savage Gear Sandeel V2: the realistic sandeel for sea bass and mackerel
Realism, head weight and retrieve for the Savage Gear Sandeel V2 targeting sea bass and mackerel from shore, and how it differs from a livelier sandeel lure.
Jig & jighead 6
Jig & jighead
Xesta After Burner: the jig you retrieve fast, and why that works
How to fish a rear-weighted jig on a fast retrieve for sea bass and mackerel, and the decisive role your reel's line pick-up plays.
Jig & jighead
Tackle House Contact Britt: the falling-leaf descent
How to exploit the gliding fall of the Contact Britt jig in slow jigging, and why it is the drop phase that catches sea bass and mackerel.
Jig & jighead
Savage Gear Seeker ISO: reaching sea bass 70 metres out
How to cast far and count the descent with the Seeker ISO casting jig, and why its off-centre profile changes the swim on the way back for sea bass and mackerel.
Jig & jighead
Maria Blues Code: reaching the frenzy that stays out of range
How to fish Maria's Blues Code jig from a breakwater to reach distant feeding frenzies, and how to match the weight to the strength of the current.
Jig & jighead
Major Craft Jigpara: the shore jig where the bite comes on the drop
How to fish the Jigpara from the shore: managing the fall phase, picking your weight for the current, and spotting bites on a semi-slack line.
Jig & jighead
Hayabusa Jack Eye: the jig you retrieve fast and never let sink
Why retrieve speed beats everything else with the Jack Eye, how to fish a mackerel shoal at the surface and when to slow down for sea bass.
Rig 1
Go from theory to fish
CarnaFish reads your spot from a photo and gives you the game plan: zone, lure, retrieve. Free on iOS and Android.