# New species. Narrow barred Spanish Mack.



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Got this guy today. Was about 200yrds outside the port and clearing lines. Was bringing in the long corner and and watching it kick up spray as I reeled it against the prop wash when BAM! White water and a nice solid thump on the rod. It wasn't able to fight much after that, just skull dragged it in thinking "wtf is this? Small GT?" 

Hard to judge size by the pics but it's 90 cm. or about 35.5". They can grow to 240cm. Over 6'6". Looks similar to a king but has more body to it.


----------



## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

In the late 80's I use to offshore almost every weekend and the 1st one to come to mind was the northern mack. But it has vertical lines...come to think of it, I never see any pics of Northern Mack on here....they still out here or where we just freaks back then?


----------



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Don't they call them cero or Sierra now? Or is that completely different? Big Spanish Mack with oversize eye and bars like a king.


----------



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

He was kinda washed out in that pic. Here's one from just now, it's frozen haha. 

You can see the vertical bars and how stubby it looks. It would be more apparent with a king next to it of the same size.


----------



## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Looks like a Northern Mack now....??? I know when we caught em back then, we didn't know and took em in to GBBT and they told us they were Northerns. We would catch coolers full and back then there was no limit. Most ours were 24-30 inch fish.


----------



## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Oh, BTW----you made my foot thread!!! hahaha


----------



## Njydvr (Jan 1, 2008)

Thats pretty cool, doing think i have ever seen one before. Thanks for the post.


----------



## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Jason, LP is in the Pacific and that fish is a Narrow Barred Mackerel, _Scomberomorus commerson _. He was just posting a pic of a new species for himself, not asking what it was, lol.

As to what what you're talking about, the only species I've heard mistakenly called "Northern Mackerel" around here are Atlantic Bonito. Here's one I caught last summer:


----------



## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

LP, you brought up Cero and Sierra. Sierra are native the the eastern Pacific and they catch them along the coast from Baja to Ecuador I believe. They have smaller spots than a Spanish and can grow to 15lbs it so from what I've always read. Cero, _Scomberomorus regalis_ is a western Atlantic species that is very common in the carribean and Florida keys. They look similar to Spanish but are generally heavier bodied, have a shorter snout, the dorsal is white with a black tip and the sides sport gold spots along with a dashed golden line running the length. They can grow to 20lbs. Here's a Cero I got in my kayak a few weeks back in the key:


----------



## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

I remember catching them while on Guam years ago. pretty common if I remember right.


----------



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

here's a video one of the guys did on another boat this weekend.


----------



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)




----------



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)




----------

