Spanish mackerel are lots of fun and sometimes show up
off the coast of Virginia and can be caught from Chincoteague southward. In July or August, look for
Spanish to appear almost anywhere outside
Chincoteague Inlet. You can expect to see fish jumping out of the water anywhere from the
inlet to 15 or miles miles out, most often during the first hour of daylight. Jumping fish
may be ready to bite or have lockjaw. Also the best fishing can be when no fish are
jumping. The only way to know is to try! I usually like to head southeast towards bouy N2
which is about 5 miles southeast of Chincoteague Inlet. Just inshore of this boy is the
real Turner's Lump where the bottom rises abruptly to 14 feet or so. This break from 14 to
30 feet is my favorite spot to look for spanish.
I have found that the Spanish mackerel are a bit
finicky in regards to the tackle and techniques used. I prefer to troll #00, #0 or #1
clark spoons for these fish. I use light rigs, such as bay rods with #15 to #30 line. The rod
gets a small sampo ball bearing snap swivel. After the swivel I attach either a #1 drone
planer or a small inline sinker from 2 to 8 oz. Attached to the sinker or planer is a 25
to 30 foot leader of #30 line with a small ball bearing swivel at it's mid-point. The
spoon is tied on the leader with an improved clinch knot. I may use a planer rig as one
flat line and a heavy sinker rig on the other flat line. The outriggers get the lighter
weight rigs. I let the rigger lines out 100 feet or more and the flat lines from 20 to 40
feet from the sinker to the stern or about 50 feet from the planer to the stern.
Now comes the critical part…the
boat speed. I don't seem to do well at all unless I go fast, like 7 knots. At times 200
rpm's difference in speed (.5 knots more or less) is critical when trolling for these
fish. The other trick I have learned is to fish for Spanish early in the day. I define
early as the soonest possible time after dawn. A crew that is willing to get an early
start can have an excellent catch in a short time. I have seen Spanish mackerel in a
frenzy off Chincoteague several times. This is most often very early and sometimes every
line will be hit as soon as it hits the water. Later in the day the fish get very shy and
hard to catch. Normally the first big Hurricane will send the fish south in a hurry.
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