Where can I find mackerel in Moreton Bay?
Where can I find mackerel in Moreton Bay?
School mackerel can be found around most of the bay islands, along the inside edge of Moreton Island and anywhere in the vicinity of bottom rubble or artificial reefs. They love vertical structure that hold bait, open water schools of baitfish and small fish. They often hang out around schools of winter whiting too.
When can you catch mackerel in Moreton Bay?
They can be found nearly all year round in Moreton bay and are common between 50-75cm, currently they have a size limit of 50cm or greater and a possession limit of 10 in QLD.
How do you identify school mackerel?
Features that distinguish spotted mackerel from school mackerel:
- Adult spotted mackerel are marked with poorly defined rows of spots on sides.
- Membrane of the first dorsal fin is bright blue in fresh specimens, fading to black and lacking large contrasting areas of intense white between sixth and last spine.
Where is the best place to catch mackerel?
The best places to catch mackerel are piers and rocks, both of which are already in deeper water. Mackerel don’t normally come in too close to the beach. This doesn’t mean that they don’t but as a general rule you’ll get much better results if you’re fishing away from the beach. The best baits are the shiny ones.
Where can I fish in Moreton bay?
Dave Downie said those after a catch of bream are best to head to Logan River, rocky areas throughout Jumpinpin, the Seaway and breakwalls of Wave Break Island and on the north side Scarborough Reef, Woody Point or any of the foreshores off the Redcliffe Peninsular.
Where can I troll mackerel in Moreton Bay?
School mackerel are being found throughout Moreton Bay and are often targeted around beacons, ledges and even flat rubble ground that holds bait. Trolling 3” spoons behind yamashita #6 or #7 trolling boards is a great way to get a feed of mackerel. Trolling boards or paravanes perform a similar role to a downrigger.
Can you eat school mackerel?
Schoolies are a little dry if overcooked but make a great fish to smoke or use in dishes such as sushi and sashimi. However the Japanese spotted Mackerel is a great all round eating fish like its bigger cousin the Spaniard or Spanish (King) Mackerel.
What does a school mackerel look like?
Schoolies are around the same size as spotted mackerel, and to the untrained eye the two species can look similar. However, school mackerel have larger and fewer spots, which are often poorly defined in adults. These bronze-grey blotches are distributed haphazardly and can extend all the way down to the fish’s belly.
What’s the best time to catch mackerel?
The best time to catch mackerel is dusk or dawn and at high tide. Spring high tides are often the best as they push bait fish closer into shore and the mackerel follow them in. Mackerel can be caught anytime, however.