Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing: Spanish Mackerel & Grouper!
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Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, May 9, 2018; Captiva Fishing & Sanibel Fishing Report.
Captiva Fishing Report, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Wednesday, May 9: Spanish Mackerel & Grouper; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, there is some spotty red tide impact right now; more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.
Wednesday, May 9, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Grouper & Spanish Mackerel, Redfish Pass, Catch & Release. Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites. Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.
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“The Atlantic Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) is a migratory species of mackerels that swims to the Northern Gulf of Mexico in spring, returns to South Florida in the Eastern Gulf, and to Mexico in the Western Gulf in the fall.
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 highly valued fish throughout their range from North Carolina to Texas. 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. Commercial methods are primarily run-around gill netting, and rarely, by trolling lures similar to those used by recreational anglers.
On November 4, 1987, Woody Outlaw caught a world-record 13-pound Spanish mackerel[4]on a blue and white Sea Witch with a strip of fastback menhaden on a 7/0 hook, held by a Shimano bait-casting reel on a Kuna rod with 30-pound test line.[5]
Spanish mackerel are primarily marketed fresh or frozen as fillets as commercially caught fish are too small to sell in the form of steaks. Their raw flesh is white. They may be prepared by broiling, frying, baking or, rarely, by smoking.
The Spanish mackerel is also a popular sushi fish. By analogy with the Japanese Spanish mackerel, which is a member of the same genus, it is often called sawara on sushi menus.” Please see more information here.
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Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles
“Spanish Mackerel: Scomberomorous maculatus
Florida Regulations:
Regulations | Gulf State Waters | Atlantic State Waters |
---|---|---|
Minimum Size Limit | 12” fork length | |
Daily Bag Limit | 15 per harvester per day |
Gear Requirements:
- Legal Gear: beach or haul seine, cast net, hook and line, spear
Habitat and Fishing tips:
Spanish mackerel are a pelagic, fast swimming fish that are prevalent throughout Florida’s coastal waters when water temperatures exceed 70 degrees.
To remain in warm water, Spanish mackerel migrate out of the northern parts of the state in the fall of the year and return in April with the warming waters.
Mackerel are frequently found in shallow, clear water over grass beds and along sandy beaches where they feed on schools of baitfish. Spanish mackerel are aggressive feeders that will strike a wide variety of natural and artificial baits, so they can be very easy to catch.
Many anglers identify the location of Spanish mackerel by trolling or watching for birds diving on schools of baitfish, which often indicates that mackerel are forcing the bait to the surface. Angling techniques include trolling or casting with small shiny spoons, dusters or jigs. Light spinning or bait-casting tackle with 10 to 15-pound monofilament line is adequate; however, 30 to 60-pound monofilament leader is required due to the mackerel’s razor-sharp teeth.
State Record:
12 lb, caught near Ft. Pierce
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Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles
King Mackerel: Scomberomorus cavalla
Appearance:
- Back is bluish-green, fading to silvery sides and belly (no spots)
- Front of first dorsal fin lacks a dark blotch
- Lateral line drops sharply below the second dorsal fin
- Juveniles may have yellowish spots, similar to Spanish mackerel
Similar Species: Cero, S. regalis; Spanish mackerel, S. maculatus (both have gently sloping lateral lines and a dark blotch on front of first dorsal fin); and wahoo, A. solandri (first dorsal fin long and continuous)
Size: Up to 72 inches
Habitat:
Coastal to offshore waters. Often around piers. They may occasionally be found in deep water.
Behavior:
Spawn offshore in mid-summer. Schooling fish that migrate from south Florida waters in winter northward in spring. Feed mainly on fishes.
Additional Information
State Record: 90 lb, caught near Key West
Fishing Tips and Facts: Kings feed on small fish and squid and take both natural and artificial baits. Live baits include pogies, herring, Spanish sardine, ballyhoo, and mullet. Lures should be flashy sub-surface lures or large fish-like plugs. Use 20-pound line and tackle, or heavier for larger kings, with a wire or mono leader.
FWC source & more information here.
Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams. Wednesday, May 9, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Spanish Mackerel & Grouper, Inshore, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.
We’re located at Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.
After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned with sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.
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Fair winds and following seas,
Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper left or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.
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