Shore Mackerel Reports '14 here...

Hello all,
I hope this is still of interest 9 years on... late start this year

Reasons for the thread:

1. Increase chances of catching nice dinner
2. Tempt you to try fishing for them with a fly rod or very light gear
3. Allow you to bring nippers along, they'll NEVER forget catching the first mack
4. If it works it might mean less time fishing for bait (if the bait is mack)
5. it might mean less need to haul in loads at a time for bait for the freezer during the season
6. Use the info to avoid dangerously packed venues (I have found the morning tide can be like a different planet, a quiet, safe one
above are the 'selfish' reasons, other reasons are:
7. If supported it could provide an annual 'database' on mack stocks, allowing rough comparison from year to year
8. Might cut down on the need to take extra macks in a session, which is good for the fish.

Please support it all through the season, and more important than reporting catches, please report blanks (as I am very well practised at).
Any confirmed information is going to be really useful to someone.

Thanks to all and tight lines!

Blackie

big horse mackeral being caught in ballycotton pier all week along with a few herring,and before anyone says it,i know horse mackeral are scad but its just what they call big mackeral around these parts...and they taste like s... at the moment

Rooster is bang on,got caught out badly when I tried lifting a full house out of the water only to see the biggest macks ive ever seen in my life .After that I cut 2 snoods off Seriously though if fishing down there be extra wary as some of the casting is off the wall scary and not a safe place to bring young kids when busy.

why do they taste so bad?

There was people doing off the ground casting there last year it was absolutely insane.

There was people doing off the ground casting there last year it was absolutely insane.

Yip that's the stuff im on about.But get this I was on the breakwater side well away from the lunatics,so I thought until I started getting a few fish and some egits starting casting in my direction and I actually ended up having line wrapped around my neck needless to say those fools didn't get their rigs back and couldn't understand why not

they normally taste bad this time of the year because they feed more on plankton then bait-fish,i normally wouldnt touch a mackeral until june myself

I don't believe scad are particularly good eating any time of the year-arent the huge catches of scad by Atlantic trawlers all destined for fish meal?

Lads, sorry to break up the party but we'll try and keep this topic for reports of catches or queries. Other wise reports get lost among the chit-chat.

I've tried Ballycotton, Ringaskiddy, Monkstown and Cobh over the last few days with no joy, reports of Herring being caught in Ballycotton along with some hefty Mackerel Sunday in Ballycotton.

Got a few big mackrel from black head clare yesterday

Lads, sorry to break up the party but we'll try and keep this topic for reports of catches or queries. Other wise reports get lost among the chit-chat.

Fair enough,but I still think that its important that people are made aware of the facts that some venues are dangerously overcrowded and unsuitable for children and no point in going fishing for a nice dinner if they taste like crap at certain times of the year as per the reasons for starting the thread but point taken on some chit chat that I personally am responsible for

I find the chit chat very helpful, I would also like to hear reports of over crowding and poor tasting Mac.

Thanks for the reports lads.

Saw a few being taken off rathmullan pier on Friday, big brutes too

Anything showing around cork lads?

Any seen near Dublin yet?

Some got at fanad head...

Ok lads - last 3 weekends this has been the theme in Clare. Good / Bad weather.... never went down 100 pieces in less than 2 hours. This must have been the earliest that we're getting this run ion macks... water went warm early I suppose. Elderly neighbors are happy with fresh macks, friends as well including my freezer for bait. These will be the theme until June 15 strikes!

And they taste good by the way! Those familiar with the background would know where in Clare this is.

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it's seems they are hitting the west coast I heard of macks being caught in castletownbere

Caught my first one of the year last week in Wicklow. Much earlier than they showed last year so water temps must be well up.Not a bad size one too so great scrap with the small rod and braid!