mackerel coming in?

[liam78]

HI WONDERING WHEN THE MACKEREL START COMING AROUND THE ANTRIM COAST?
I KNOW THE CO DOWN COAST GET THEM JUNE LATE THEN THEY GO BY AROUND OCTOBER .
ALSO DOES MACKEREL ATTRACT OTHER FISH TO COME IN CLOSER TO SHORE?

[stevecrow74]

it all depends on the weather..
here in the west of ireland it can vary from the end of april to the end of july..

but a few weeks of intense sun is needed to bring them in early, but bad weather will keep them out in deep water...
so ask a weatherman he'd be able to tell you.

as for other species, here it's the sprat that bring in thee fish, mackerel, scad and garfish but i have heard reports of tope been spotted in close...

so you'll never know...

[kieran]

Hi

The mackerel have been "in" all throughout the winter if you know where to look, the curious bit being that these were predominantly smaller fish, not the typical late autumn "jumbos" / stragglers which suggests that they have been staying around or coming "in" from offshore in the calmer weather... the last two weeks may have killed them off, not been out myself so can not confirm the usual locations (sheltered weedy bays with light currents off the west coast), but around here if you get a week of good weather in April, its worth trying for them... I try around Easter...

Has anyone else noticed them being caught throughout the winter?

[liam78]

thank you too,

[steve t]

Kieran, I caught one in January, it was a big one, caught on the bottom at 90', saw a couple of smaller ones caught same time last year, they were at more usual depth,
Steve