Mackeral.... What Mackeral?

Has anyone else found the inshore Mackeral Run pretty Non Existant this year so far?

I could count my Mackeral from the Shore on 2 Hands and a foot :shock:
Usually I find Im hammering them cos Im using the K2 to Launch traces way beyond anyone else... But they're not even in Casting distance...
The boats nearly the same, We're hitting them very Sparsely...

Seems to have been a problem all around the west cost over the last few weeks, have a look at the last few posts here:

http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bull ... php?t=3042

the bridges of ross in clare have been producing the goods for the past two days, but before that my mackeral count for the season so far was three. petekd from the forum said the run out on the bridges was poor on the weekend, so they must have only shown up in numbers over the past couple of days........ unfortunately the fit blonde bird pete was eyeing up on sunday is gone, and seems to be replaced with a big pile of old line, bulmers cans, and crap in general.

they're in in force down in Kinsale.
Me and a workmate went to a mark outside the town last night, good spot off some rocks. was hitting three and four every cast so gave up after about ten minutes (kept two, threw a dozen or so back) cos it was boring.
Unfortunately few of the 10 or 15 "anglers" there at the same time did the same - as we were leaving three of these boyos were hauling 'em in six at a time and dumping them on the rocks to flap about before just casting in again and repeating. "d'yes want a few fish lads?" they asked us as we were leaving.

One English bloke seemingly on holidays was shouting to a mate into his mobile: "Yeah I got 50 of them... five-oh... yeah I'm coming back now I'll meet you at the hotel".

What exactly is he going to do with 50 mackeral in a bag back at a hotel? Gut them in the bathroom? Ask the kitchen to flashfreeze them for the flight home so he can have enough bait for the rest of the year for his other fishing? Or show them to his mates and then dump them? I'd like to think not the latter, but I'm not hopeful.

Place was absolutely strewn with rubbish as well, the majority of it empty cans of cider and discarded packs from feathers and flashers.

I know they're "only mackeral" but jesus - it'd put you off fishing.

One of these days those 'Only Mackeral' will disappear, Now obviously Macky bashers are not the Main culprits (Los españoles están haciendo el daño) EU Fishing laws are buck daft..... lets sink them....

Offshore the macks are thick off Cork harbour at the moment. They are in the harbour as well. Not sure if their are getting them off the piers yet though, its probably early.
Was out yesterday and was blown away to see the amount of gannets working a shoal driven to the surface by dolphins never saw this level of intensity this early in the year.
I would agree with K2 that the mackerel will be in trouble however it's not the Spanish that will clean them out but our own guys! and while our guys are fishing for mackerel the Spanish will take all the hake!

Very Little Mackerel showing off the boats so far in Howth compared to other years.

I was out off The Horn with Pat Robinson last night. Great fun spinning for pollock (7 pounder on light spinning gear :D ) whilst the tourists were bashing the mackeral. No shortage of mackeral at all, and they were pretty good sized.

Tanglerat, your 7lber would have ended up as bait on our last trip! :lol:

Mackerel are very scarce so far this year on the Dublin and Wicklow banks. All in all they seem very late this year. This does not bode well for Wexford which usually gets them a little later in the year... :roll:

Plenty around north Donegal bay these days.

I havent been able to go out and check this week....
incapasitated....
:evil:

Seemed a bit patchy in the early part of the summer, coming on stronger now in Donegal Bay. Was at the blessing of the boats today and then headed out for a few and found them quickly. Very very small though.

Pete

Ok folks, Never mind, They're here. 8)