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Spanish Mackerel
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Scomberomorous maculatus |
| Common Names: | spanish mackerel, atlantic spanish mackerel, spanish mac |
| Environment: | Inshore, Nearshore, Surf |
| Ideal Temp: | 70-80°F (21-27°F) |
About Spanish Mackerel
Spanish Mackerel are found in the western Atlantic north to the Chesapeake Bay and occasionally to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and south to Yucatan, Mexico. It appears that one Atlantic and one or more Gulf groups of Spanish mackerel occur in Florida waters. With rising water temperatures, the Atlantic group migrates along the Atlantic coast of the United States from Miami Florida, beginning in late February through July reaching as far as southern Cape Cod, Massachusetts, then returning in fall. The Atlantic group spawns starting in April off the Carolinas and from late August to late September in the northernmost part of its range.
An Eastern Gulf group moves northward from the Florida Keys during late winter and spring, appearing off the central West Coast of Florida about April 1. Movement continues westward and terminates along the northern Texas coast. During fall, this group migrates back to its wintering grounds in the Keys.
The fish exhibits a green back; its sides are silvery marked with about three rows of round to elliptical yellow spots. Lateral line gradually curving down from the upper end of the gill cover toward caudal peduncle. The first (spiny) dorsal fin is black at the front. Posterior membranes are white with a black edge. Its single row of cutting edged teeth in each jaw (around sixty-four teeth in all) are large, uniform, closely spaced and flattened from side to side. As with the King mackerel and the Cero mackerel, these teeth look very similar to those of the Bluefish, Pomatomus Saltatrix.
Spanish mackerel are a good food fish and although they are considered large at 10 lb (4.53 kg), some record specimens will grow to more than twice that size. They are a shallow water species, preferring sand bottom in 10 to 40 foot (6 to 12 m) depths, occasionally found as deep as 80 feet (24 m).
This is an excellent game fish that can be taken on a wide variety of lures and baits. Nylon jigs are considered one of the best lures, especially when retrieved rapidly with an occasional jerk of the rod tip to impact a darting motion to the jig. Feather lures and spoons are also successful, while minnows and live shrimp are the best natural baits. Occasionally almost any lure or bait will work, while at other times, nothing will.
Recreational anglers catch Spanish mackerel from boats while trolling or drifting and from boats, piers, jetties, and beaches by casting spoons and jigs and live-bait fishing. Fast lure retrieves are key to catching these quick fish.
Spanish Mackerel Fishing
| World Record: | 5.89 kg (13 lb 0 oz) Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina , USA |
| # Fish Caught: | 424971 documented in database. |
| Earliest Record: | 4/19/1981 12:00:00 PM and located at 30.34543, -88.56150. |
| Latest Record: | 6/27/2024 10:43:32 PM and located at -31.82141, 115.73853. |
| Common Techniques: | Casting, Fly, Trolling |
| Popular Lure Types: | Flies, Plugs, Spoons, Topwater, Trolling |
| Fishing Spots: | 1043 Spanish Mackerel fishing spots. |
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