# NSW: How to catch a mackerel



## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Scotts Head's a quiet little village in the centre of the mid north coast between South West Rocks and Coffs Harbour. The main beach is north facing, with a sheltered boat ramp. Patches of reef run a couple of km out from the headland, thick with snapper (supposedly). Mackerel occasionally come through in the warm currents in late summer, early autumn.

Turned up with family and friends last week - bringing along a forecast of 5 days of gentle breezes, sunny skies and flat ocean.

The warm currents arrived early this year - with rumours of spotties and spaniards being caught off Grassy Head, only 6km south.

I've caught snapper, but never caught a mackerel, so set myself a goal - and snapper plastics stayed in the rod tube. Also set myself up for ridicule with the announcement day 1 that I would feed the 10 adults succulent bbq'd mackerel by the end of the week.

Sunday: Pre-dawn launch from the Scotts boat ramp into flat warm seas. Loaded up the live-bait tank with a few yakkas, and slow trolled bridled livies over the reef for a hours, for nothing. 
Then drove down at Grassy to check future launch possibilities. Diabolical for my 30kg+ hobie - 50m trek up over a sand dune, to a 20m sand cliff down to a washed out east facing beach. The headland would give some protection from a southerly swell, but waves were coming from the east. Need a stealth.
We ate pizzas.

Monday: Same as Sunday - no takers for my yakkas. Had another look at Grassy in the arvo - still diabolical for the revo. 
We ate sausages.

Tuesday: Grassy? Yep - convinced sister's boyfriend to come for a pre-dawn drive, and weights session. Stowed everything and launched the surf-pig without dramas, collected yakkas, and slow trolled around the boats. Soon learnt the yakkas don't work - need slimies. Friendly lads on a boat donated a couple of twitching slimies, and I dropped one down on a single hook with short wire trace - for instant hook-up. Learned more lessons: mackerel are powerful, and fast. This fish pulled "stop-kingy" drag like free-spool. Couldn't get the rod out of the forward rodholder during the run, and my hand touched the braid during the battle.










After a hundred metres or so the fish stopped running, then nothing. Wire was mangled, but still attached to the hook. Suspect Pedro paid a visit. Needed a stinger.
Peddled the 6km home to Scotts to avoid a surf re-entry, against a building nor'easter. 
Ate roast dinner.

Wednesday: Stayed at Scotts, but persisted dropping jigs through every baitball in the hunt for slimeys. Released all yakkas (and a wobbegong). Persistence paid off - with couple of strings of slimeys in the tank. Saw dolphins, turtles, flying fish, 26 degree water. But no sign of macks. The crowd was baying for snapper.
Beer and humble pie for dinner.

Thursday. Pre-dawn, Grassy. Dragged the hobie over the dune, launched into the surf, found the slimies, bridled with wire and a stinger.....WHACK, ZZZZZZ

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Mackerel for dinner!!!!










Friday: Slept in, credibility restored.


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Super entertaining report. Congrats on your first mack.


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

Nice work but i will have to warn you, once you catch mackeral fever there is no turning back. 
Once you've had mack, you have too go back.


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## TheFishinMusician (Feb 5, 2007)

Classic! Geat write up X. Very entertaining.


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

Well done Tom, thats a big effort but you got the rewards. Dragging the yak over that dune and down the washed out beach must have been an absolute bugger - when we looked at that launch last year it looked like an outrageoulsy steep dune to drag your yak back over. If you drive through the campsite down the dirt track that heads south, you come to the south side of Grassy and its a short drag across the sand, for a surf launch - probably ok on a NE swell.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Leave our Macks alone Tom. 

trev


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## paulthetaffy (Jan 27, 2010)

Great work Tom! So when are you going back up there with the new Stealth to take on the surf?


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

Nice fish Tom, persistance certainly does pay. Well done



MrX said:


> my hand touched the braid during the battle.





MrX said:


> Diabolical for my 30kg+ hobie - 50m trek up over a sand dune, to a 20m sand cliff down to a washed out east facing beach.


 That'll further your "cred" , chicks dig scars and buffed stealth riders ;-) :lol:



MrX said:


> Learned more lessons: mackerel are powerful, and fast. This fish pulled "stop-kingy" drag like free-spool.


 I just cracked a woody, when are we going ?


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

> "Coming to the Straddie comp now?"


Lazy, keen to meet up with the Qld crowd at straddie, but it clashes with the SWR marlin/cobe/mack chasing weekend.

Paulb, accessing the launch is problematic solo, but OK with the help of a passing stranger. Waited for the Grassy Head female surf-lifesaving boat crew, but made do with a local stoner. Will put up some pics.

Trev, you guys have enough up there in Qld. Catching one of your macks down here in NSW is worth a SoO trophy.

Paultts:


> "So when are you going back up there with the new Stealth to take on the surf?"


End of Feb, SWR. Coming?

GetSharkd:


> "I just cracked a woody, when are we going ?"


Next month, Brent. Um, coming?


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

There is reports of good numbers of mackeral at swr atm.


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Love it Tom, you don't half challenge yourself do ya! Bet the Mackerel tasted wonderful after that effort. I hope that's the first of many for you too.


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## johnny (Aug 12, 2007)

6km home trip...sand hills..mack truck....I'm exhausted !


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

Loved your write up and pics.
Well deserved fish. Congrats.


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

You really earned your spots, X. What a tale of redemption, that mackerel must've tasted great.


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Props on sticking to your plan and achieving your goal. I'm just waiting for another season where the spotties show up in Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay. Was fun knowing what was constantly biting off the leaders of those not in the know.


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

Great write-up. Maybe if I was that persistent with Snapper ...

I no nothing about fishing for the big stuff. Tell me, why do you have your drag set so tight that you can't pull the rod from the holder. Can't you set it lighter for the strike and then tighten it, or is it then impossible to then achieve the right setting?


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

> "Tell me, why do you have your drag set so tight that you can't pull the rod from the holder. Can't you set it lighter for the strike and then tighten it, or is it then impossible to then achieve the right setting?"


Ado, I have limited experience with mackerel, so for correct drag settings I defer to the Palmy boys who regularly nail them. I was just making it up as I went along.

At home in Sydney, I target kingfish over shallow inshore reefs. Kings are dirty bastards, the will go deep and pull you into the reef given half a chance. I go hard early, and the drag setting has to be heavy, to keep the leader intact while dragging them to deeper water. If I can't get the rod out of the holder, I just use the yak to fight the fish, and peddle away. I back-off the drag later in the fight.

There were quite a few anchored boats on the Grassy reef, so I figured the same heavy drag would reduce the chance of a surface running mack cutting me off on a nearby anchor line. I'm used to the rod-holder struggle - just wasn't prepared for the speed of the first fish after hook-up, and the fact it didn't go deep (like a king).

In open water, I presume the mack fishos can fish much lighter - as the fight is clean?


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Great effort Tom. I agree with Paul, that beach launch at Grassy looked a nightmare last year, we figured you'd need a crane.
Next time take a black marker and draw spots on the yakka.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

keza said:


> Great effort Tom. I agree with Paul, that beach launch at Grassy looked a nightmare last year, we figured you'd need a crane.
> Next time take a black marker and draw spots on the yakka.


 :lol: :lol:

Or come to Qld for the weekend.

trev


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

MrX said:


> > Kings are dirty bastards, the will go deep and pull you into the reef given half a chance. I go hard early, and the drag setting has to be heavy, to keep the leader intact while dragging them to deeper water. If I can't get the rod out of the holder, I just use the yak to fight the fish, and peddle away. I back-off the drag later in the fight.


Shoot first and ask qns later I love it. Can be crucial tactics for big cobes as well. 
Mackeral on the other hand i like a much looser drag; they are def not dirty bastards and will not reef you. They will bite you off and an increased drag will increase bite offs. Although a big spanish may spool you if you don't have a lot of line. Love their screaming runs.


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## Salty Dog (Sep 18, 2005)

Nice work Mr X. Great fish!


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## buttcrack (Jun 25, 2010)

Grassy Head is a great spot to fish and the south end ofthe beach against the rock wall is the best way to get out.... Getting back through the surf without being twisted and tossed is the hardest part! :lol: It also looks like they havn't fixed the public pathway to the beach as it was eroded last year.

Nice spotty!

Andrew


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## Geoffw (Jan 23, 2011)

Woh! It's tales like this that make me want to travel again. I have fond memories of the macks - before I had the yak and catching from a yak must be so much better. Don't know that i would have your persistence though over sand hills, down cliffs, through surf....... wish i was there


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