# Trolling for Spanish Mackerel



## MathGeek

We'll be doing some trolling for Spanish Mackerel using spoons and plugs either straight back or with planers to give more spread and adjust depth with line counter reels. I already have quite an assortment of freshwater lures (MI Stinger spoons, Rapala minnows, and Flicker Shads). Will these work well enough or is it worth the extra $$$ to buy some saltwater spoons and crankbaits?


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

Surprisingly enough, one of the best fish finder rigs for spanish while trolling is a spec rig from Academy or wherever you buy your equipment. I like them in the while jig, with a white and spotted tail. That and a trolling spoon will do just find.


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## pcola4

I found spoons to work best but gotcha lures are great too


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## Brant Peacher

Nothing is better than a speck rig when trolling for Spanish.


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## lastcast

.

Clark spoons.


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## guam_bomb80

Get a couple of Stretch 25 or bomber CD 25's. You will get Spanish,Kings, bobo's and sometimes some red fish and grouper(when in season). Best all around trolling rig for inshore IMO!! good luck.


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## SaltJunkie0226

Trolling for Spanish?? Save the gas and go to the PCola Pier. Caught about 20 of em yesterday. Only there for 2 hours. Gotcha Lures


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## countryjwh

i've heard that trolling some macdonald straws would work to cut to about three inches long.


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## MathGeek

guam_bomb80 said:


> Get a couple of Stretch 25 or bomber CD 25's. You will get Spanish,Kings, bobo's and sometimes some red fish and grouper(when in season). Best all around trolling rig for inshore IMO!! good luck.


Wow, they're pretty proud of those lures at $12-$13 each. I have a lot of crankbaits in my box that I seldom use because they don't catch fish. I think I have enough diving crankbaits that don't work very well. I can put spoons, flicker shads, rapala minnows, and speck rigs at any depth I want by controlling the amount of line out with diving planers. What tangible evidence can you give me to suggest these pricey lures will outfish the other options?


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## submariner

*why*

why ask for advice then bad mouth the advice given. :no: The +25 are staple of most of the inshore fisherman for kings. He was just trying to help! :001_huh:



MathGeek said:


> Wow, they're pretty proud of those lures at $12-$13 each. I have a lot of crankbaits in my box that I seldom use because they don't catch fish. I think I have enough diving crankbaits that don't work very well. I can put spoons, flicker shads, rapala minnows, and speck rigs at any depth I want by controlling the amount of line out with diving planers. What tangible evidence can you give me to suggest these pricey lures will outfish the other options?


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## MathGeek

submariner said:


> why ask for advice then bad mouth the advice given. :no: The +25 are staple of most of the inshore fisherman for kings. He was just trying to help! :001_huh:


Didn't mean to bad mouth, just asking for some support for the notion that $12+ lures will outfish the less expensive options for spanish mackerel.


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## tjwareusmc

Ouch! No $12 lures for me. I would get sick if I got broken off! I've been using the speck rigs some lately but the Spanish kept breaking them off. I switched over the the gotcha with a little better luck, and I made my own speck rig and trilled it behind a trolling weight.


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## jjam

All great advice with varying prices, stretch 25's and even 30's can result in more species strikes like mentioned.

If kings are the primary targeted fish, there are definitely less expensive choices. 

Cheapest I believe would be wire leader with trouble hooks using dead or live bait such cigar minnows / hard tails / menhaden. Slow trolling will produce very well around 3mb and gulf.

I sometimes use $5-$6 dusters with or without bait and troll a lil faster to keep the wind flowing well over the helm on a hot summer day and do just fine.

Jimmy


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## guam_bomb80

MathGeek said:


> Wow, they're pretty proud of those lures at $12-$13 each. I have a lot of crankbaits in my box that I seldom use because they don't catch fish. I think I have enough diving crankbaits that don't work very well. I can put spoons, flicker shads, rapala minnows, and speck rigs at any depth I want by controlling the amount of line out with diving planers. What tangible evidence can you give me to suggest these pricey lures will outfish the other options?


I understand that spending $12 might bother you some but for me its a no brainer when I want to put fish in the box... especially a mixed bag. If you are worried about the cost of fishing lures today, maybe you could just go to Mc Donalds like someone else said and use the straws... I might do that too if it can save me some money and produce. Lord knows I could use it to put gas in the boat  I was just trying to give some advice of what you could use and how I like to do it. Hence the IMO(Its My Opinion).


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## MathGeek

guam_bomb80 said:


> I understand that spending $12 might bother you some but for me its a no brainer when I want to put fish in the box... especially a mixed bag. If you are worried about the cost of fishing lures today, maybe you could just go to Mc Donalds like someone else said and use the straws... I might do that too if it can save me some money and produce. Lord knows I could use it to put gas in the boat  I was just trying to give some advice of what you could use and how I like to do it. Hence the IMO(Its My Opinion).


I've had much more success in my fishing experience following advice that was based in first hand experience rather than opinion based on what someone heard from a friend or was offered from an ulterior motive (a friend or relative owns the business selling the lure). The only lure I would recommend with confidence is the MI Stinger spoon because we put over 250 trout in the boat with it last year. I think little of spending $200 or more to restock my tackle boxes with these lures, because they work so well.

Most of the lures I've owned came highly recommended, but simply failed to perform. Rapalas are mediocre. The only other lure that has shown promise for me is the Flicker Shad. Sure, any lure will catch fish once in a while, but I'm looking for more than once in a while, because spanish mackerel are fairly aggressive fish in their feeding, and a good lure should work if the fish are there and actively feeding. You recommended these lures for spanish mackerel. How many spanish mackerel have you personally seen these lures catch in the last 12 months?


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## guam_bomb80

I have a feeling it wouldnt matter what I or anyone told you about what worked and how many fish I or they caught on a particular lure. Seems like it would all just be fish stories to you. Fish how you want to fish and with whatever lure seems to make you feel better about the kind of fishing you do. Apperently whatever you were trying wasnt working and thats why you asked for advice.... Good luck with your fishing. I hope you catch them all!


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## MathGeek

guam_bomb80 said:


> I have a feeling it wouldnt matter what I or anyone told you about what worked and how many fish I or they caught on a particular lure. Seems like it would all just be fish stories to you. Fish how you want to fish and with whatever lure seems to make you feel better about the kind of fishing you do. Apperently whatever you were trying wasnt working and thats why you asked for advice.... Good luck with your fishing. I hope you catch them all!


I didn't think you'd answer the question. 

Actually, it's been a few years since I've trolled for spanish mackerel, though I've had great success over the last few years trolling for other species. Life's to short to take advice from folks who have not actually done what I am hoping to do. Would you take elk hunting advice from someone who's not very good at killing elk? The internet has a lot of folks who offer advice out of their own experience, but it's also full of folks offering advice from stuff they's only heard about or seen on tv or seen on some other part of the internet.


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

MathGeek said:


> I didn't think you'd answer the question.
> 
> Actually, it's been a few years since I've trolled for spanish mackerel, though I've had great success over the last few years trolling for other species. Life's to short to take advice from folks who have not actually done what I am hoping to do. Would you take elk hunting advice from someone who's not very good at killing elk? The internet has a lot of folks who offer advice out of their own experience, but it's also full of folks offering advice from stuff they's only heard about or seen on tv or seen on some other part of the internet.


I personally almost broke the alabama state record for spanish on a stretch 25. Give the guy some slack he's just trying to help. These lures will work, but like mentioned above a speck rig, spoon, or a mcdonald straw rig will work better if targeting spanish.


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## oxbeast1210

I have to agree with Guambomb I love using stretch lures. I rarely target spanish dont really like to eat em, but I have caught them plenty of times with the stretch lures. The ones I catch on the stretch are always a good size . what I like best about them is that I can catch all kinds of fish with them. 

I know how you feel about the price and agree they are expensive but worth it to me.


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## oxbeast1210

I dont understand why you ask for advice on the internet and then bash people that try to answer your question??..


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## tjwareusmc

Now you guys have me wanting to try one. Maybe I can find a stretch 25 on clearance or something


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## oxbeast1210

I buy mine on sale or used I got 4 on the forum for about 5 bucks each one 2 more at clearance for 7 bucks. slowly building up my arsenal lol


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## oxbeast1210

TJ if ur in the milton area ill give you one to try..


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## MathGeek

oxbeast1210 said:


> I dont understand why you ask for advice on the internet and then bash people that try to answer your question??..


I didn't bash the guy, I asked for supporting evidence. Didn't Reagan say, "Trust but verify." When someone's occupation is self-described as a "tackle whore" he should not be offended when someone asks how many of the target species he's actually caught on the recommended lure.


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## oxbeast1210

what do you consider supporting evidence??


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## oxbeast1210

Back to your question though,from my expierance with spanish . I dont think you need to drop extra money on the saltwater lures . The gear you mentioned will work fine. If I was you I wouldn't bother spending the extra $$$$. you have me intrested in that spoon though does anyone sell it locally?


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## MathGeek

oxbeast1210 said:


> what do you consider supporting evidence??


An estimate on how many of the target species the person has actually seen caught with the recommended lure. Seeing something is evidence. Hearing about it is hearsay.


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## guam_bomb80

oxbeast1210 said:


> I dont understand why you ask for advice on the internet and then bash people that try to answer your question??..


 Thanks! I guess the guy is jaded by all the bad advice hes gotten over the years. Everyone gets bad advice sometimes. Some people just act like that because they dont know how to say Thank you!!:whistling:


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## MathGeek

oxbeast1210 said:


> Back to your question though,from my expierance with spanish . I dont think you need to drop extra money on the saltwater lures . The gear you mentioned will work fine. If I was you I wouldn't bother spending the extra $$$$. you have me intrested in that spoon though does anyone sell it locally?


Don't know. I've always bought mine mail order since I can't usually find my favorite colors in the store. (Monkey puke, orange dolphin, detroit tiger).


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## jjam

MathGeek said:


> I didn't think you'd answer the question.
> 
> "Life's to short to take advice from folks who have not actually done what I am hoping to do. Would you take elk hunting advice from someone who's not very good at killing elk? The internet has a lot of folks who offer advice out of their own experience, but it's also full of folks offering advice from stuff they's only heard about or seen on tv or seen on some other part of the internet.


Wow, you come on a local fishing forum asking what works for us and in turn you have been offered some great advice from folks who been there done that even from a professional local fishing guide, but yet you suspect it's internet second hand info. To me you're bordering on Troll status

So, time for you to get out there and give it a try, hell, spanish are the easiest fish to target, I could've caught them lil oily things on bubble gum the other day while fishing the pass.

Sorry, I'm out of character,....but you hit some kinda irritating nerve tonight or I forgot to take my meds...lol


Jimmy


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## oxbeast1210

Gotcha ,
I see what you mean now,
but why not just ask him straight up how many he caught with it. Either way seems like someone could just make up a number. There would be no real way for you to know if the claims are true. 

For example you said you boated hundreds of specs with that spoon theres no way for me to know if you did .
Either way I belive you lol so where can I buy it?.


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## oxbeast1210

thanks ill give those colors a try found some online but not those colors yet .
hope I can get even a quarter of what you got on em!


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## oxbeast1210

sorry to get off topic but how do you work thosee spoons just like any other or do you use a certain technique?


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## MathGeek

oxbeast1210 said:


> Gotcha ,
> I see what you mean now,
> but why not just ask him straight up how many he caught with it.


I did. 



MathGeek said:


> You recommended these lures for spanish mackerel. How many spanish mackerel have you personally seen these lures catch in the last 12 months?


Yeah, fish sizes and numbers can be exaggerated a bit, but usually fish stories have some basis in fact, and usually folks avoid answering the question rather than outright making something up. 

Of course I'm eager to get out and try the ideas offered in this thread, but it's a but dark out now, and it will be a few weeks until I can make it down to the gulf coast. Soon. 

I am gather info, checking my gear, and ordering supplies.


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## MathGeek

oxbeast1210 said:


> sorry to get off topic but how do you work thosee spoons just like any other or do you use a certain technique?


Not much technique to it other than putting the lure in front of the fish.


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## guam_bomb80

MathGeek said:


> I did.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, fish sizes and numbers can be exaggerated a bit, but usually fish stories have some basis in fact, and usually folks avoid answering the question rather than outright making something up.
> 
> Of course I'm eager to get out and try the ideas offered in this thread, but it's a but dark out now, and it will be a few weeks until I can make it down to the gulf coast. Soon.
> 
> I am gather info, checking my gear, and ordering supplies.


The way you were acting is though you already thought i was some schmuck who sits behind a computer and fishes. I have no time to try to help someone who takes my advice and throws it out like you did then try to call me out. Do you know me? Have I fished with you before? To answer your question I have caught about a hundred spanish trolling the 25s in the last year. I fish a little bit... caught a couple every way that had been advised here in this thred. Hell, when u are talking about spanish as long as its moving fast and is in front of them, they will hit it. Like a previous post said they are so thick right now you could throw gum and catch them on it. I really do hope you have a great time when you come down and catch a ton of fish. However i hope you dont come with the attitude you displayed twords me tonight and expect to make a bunch of friends. Again, good luck!


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## tjwareusmc

Also, most people on the forum live down here. I have lived here for 3 out of the last 5 years off and on and I fish about 3-4 days each week. Some guys fish much more but when you live here and you bump into the guy in Walmart and he says "I've been catching them on this..." and you see the guy at the boat ramp say the same thing and you see five people on the forum post the fish they have all caught with a certain lure, it probably works.

If you are local and you want information on how to catch fish, people are usually very nice and informative. And if you are not local, I would listen to the locals because it is likely that many of them have fished these waters thousands of times more than you. I might be jumping to conclusions but when you live 25 hours from here and you ask a guy who lives and fishes here about a lure, I would at least give his opinion some weight.

I've also been recommended some lures that didn't produce for me but I attribute that to user error, sometimes it's all about presentation.

The Spanish though, I have no doubt would hit a McDonals's straw. Spanish and Bluefish in my experience get crazy and aggressive when they are feeding and they hit everything in the water!


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

tjwareusmc said:


> The Spanish though, I have no doubt would hit a McDonals's straw. Spanish and Bluefish in my experience get crazy and aggressive when they are feeding and they hit everything in the water!


The straw is the same concept as one of the offshore trolling lures, it has holes on both ends of it so it leaves a bubble trail. Just cut the straw to 3-4inches in length, tie a 5-6ft leader of fluoro to a treble hook, then slide the straw down it. I like to put a split shot at the top of my straw to give a tad bit of weight. Also, I use 3 way swivels to make double rigs of that, one about 8ft long and one about 3-4.


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## chicon monster

SouthAlabamaSlayer said:


> The straw is the same concept as one of the offshore trolling lures, it has holes on both ends of it so it leaves a bubble trail. Just cut the straw to 3-4inches in length, tie a 5-6ft leader of fluoro to a treble hook, then slide the straw down it. I like to put a split shot at the top of my straw to give a tad bit of weight. Also, I use 3 way swivels to make double rigs of that, one about 8ft long and one about 3-4.


ive never used one of these rigs but ive heard alot about them, how do you cast them if there is not much weight on it.


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## 20simmons sea skiff

be careful while trolling, last trip pulling 25,s and 30,s caught 10 mutant snapper (huge), 2 at time in 10 min,s had to quit trolling .


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## 20simmons sea skiff

I pull 25,s and 30,s and put a clark spoon and duster way back with rod on t top, have caught some of largest kings on this duster spoon combo, right on top water


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

chicon monster said:


> ive never used one of these rigs but ive heard alot about them, how do you cast them if there is not much weight on it.



They're for trolling.


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## chicon monster

SouthAlabamaSlayer said:


> They're for trolling.


oh alright that makes sense now, im just pretty slow.:blink:


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## 20simmons sea skiff

*stretch 25,s*

8.36 at walmart, last wk caught 10 or 16 mutant snapper on them, 7 30#and larger redfish last summer, 7 gag grouper last year, use 40 lb wire, wont lose many if any at all














only lures i pull 25,s and 30,s 2.7 to sometimes 4, will blow out at 4


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## grey ghost

hey 20simmons, whats your goto color- i have fairly good luck on pink?? also have you ever had bran knew 25's just turn and blow out top of water at really low speed, no matter what speed 2 to 4 it would do a sharp turn to the top?? i took them back, if you looked at bill it looked almost crooked, slightly tilted, duno maybe bad lures??


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

grey ghost said:


> hey 20simmons, whats your goto color- i have fairly good luck on pink?? also have you ever had bran knew 25's just turn and blow out top of water at really low speed, no matter what speed 2 to 4 it would do a sharp turn to the top?? i took them back, if you looked at bill it looked almost crooked, slightly tilted, duno maybe bad lures??


You can adjust the bill with a pair of pliers, the back usually has instructions. Tilt it the opposite direction to make it run true.


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

Also, grey ghost, the silver and blue one and the gray bottom and smoke top works well, looks like a mullet.


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## TradeWinds

Caught 11 Spanish and 12 bonita yesterday trolling at the depth change (green/black water) At Destin east pass. Using a 3 inch yozuri lure. They ate the paint off em. Got a couple on our spoons but they lit up the yozuri.
Had a nice king on it too but flipper got him.


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## fsu alex

I'm going to destin pass this weekend to fish for whatever bites after I leave crab island. It sounds like trolling stretch 25's is the best bet any other suggestions?It would be nice to load up some spanish!


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

fsu alex said:


> I'm going to destin pass this weekend to fish for whatever bites after I leave crab island. It sounds like trolling stretch 25's is the best bet any other suggestions?It would be nice to load up some spanish!


If you go back and read this thread, many people have recommended spec rigs, spoons, and mcdonald's straw rigs. All 3 work for me. I don't troll deeper than 25 ft, so those stretch 25's don't work for me.


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## 20simmons sea skiff

Ive had one run 90 degrees to boat, took it back, only time they usually blow out is to fast. At high speed they run higher instead of deeper according to directions i use 2.6, mullet holo hot last 2 years, i fill the boat with spanish, kings, last week 10 big snapper, grouper, large redfish


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## submariner

mathgeek : basic answer is +25 are normally for bigger fish than spanish. The will catch spanish but mostly the larger ones. They are good for kings, red, grouper ect. So they are recommending using them because of the greater chance to catch a mixed bag.

If you are going for only spanish, then a smaller rig would produce more. I know it sounds silly, but the suggestion about Mc D straws is valid. They make a spanish trolling rig that has several different colors rubber tubes with single hooks tied to a leader. Very effective.

As far as using freshwater lures, not a real issue except be prepared tochange the hook, they will rust. Keep in mind a big freshwater fish is 5 #, most reds, groupers, kings are bigger. Bigger bait bigger fish. Hope this helps


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## aroundthehorn

There's a lot of really good advice in this thread if the OP chooses to read through it again.

Stretch lures, Clark spoons, gold spoons, squid spoons, duster rigs, mackerel tree rigs, straws all work. Spanish mackerel are not picky. There have been a lot of them around lately, so keep a couple of spinning rods around for casting to top water fish. 

Like submariner said, saltwater fishing is a whole different ball game from freshwater fishing with regard to the size of fish and lures and the sheer variety of species. You can catch snapper, grouper, reds, flounder, sharks, sheepshead, etc. all in the Bay. It's been a steep learning curve for me, but I continue to learn and try to enjoy it.


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## fsu alex

aroundthehorn said:


> Like submariner said, saltwater fishing is a whole different ball game from freshwater fishing with regard to the size of fish and lures and the sheer variety of species. You can catch snapper, grouper, reds, flounder, sharks, sheepshead, etc. all in the Bay. It's been a steep learning curve for me, but I continue to learn and try to enjoy it.


I heard that!


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## tjwareusmc

So are you guys catching snapper and reds trolling the stretch 25's? I am new to trolling and had no idea they would hit a lure like that.


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

tjwareusmc said:


> So are you guys catching snapper and reds trolling the stretch 25's? I am new to trolling and had no idea they would hit a lure like that.


They are in Pensacola where there are a lot of structure in the bay and right out of the pass. In OB where you are there wouldn't be much point in trolling 25's unless aiming for kings because the snapper are on reefs in deeper water, where in pcola bay they're shallower. Reds will hit them trolling off the beach though.


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## aroundthehorn

tjwareusmc said:


> So are you guys catching snapper and reds trolling the stretch 25's? I am new to trolling and had no idea they would hit a lure like that.


There's a lot of structure in the Bay. But, yeah, people catch them on Stretch lures. I'm not saying it's common, but it does work.

A stretch 25 isn't much bigger than some of the top water baits and plugs, and when you are trolling you are only going between 3 and 5 mph (max). It really is good to have a couple of them around.


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## tjwareusmc

I see. Thanks for the responses. I fish from Sherman Cove from time to time, maybe they would work better near there.


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## Nat

I'm gonna run down the beach on Good Friday, trolling clark spoons, on 12 lb mono inshore rods with a 4' leader 30 lb floro

with the north wind, it should not be too rough right on the beach


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

Nat said:


> I'm gonna run down the beach on Good Friday, trolling clark spoons, on 12 lb mono inshore rods with a 4' leader 30 lb floro
> 
> with the north wind, it should not be too rough right on the beach


Same here, after we drift for bull reds.


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## tjwareusmc

Well I did go ahead and pick up a 25+ for $9.96 this morning, along with a bomber and a Yozuri (sp?) lure. I was surprised by the pressure the 25 puts on the line trolling! I'm embarrassed to say that I thought I caught a fish pretty soon after I started trolling. I stopped and fought the lure all the way to the boat :wallbash::wallbash::wallbash: 

I tried different things throughout the day, getting some good hits on ballyhoo and the Spanish and bluefish liked the Yozuri. Nothing ever hit the bomber or the 25+.


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## MathGeek

tjwareusmc said:


> Well I did go ahead and pick up a 25+ for $9.96 this morning, along with a bomber and a Yozuri (sp?) lure. I was surprised by the pressure the 25 puts on the line trolling! I'm embarrassed to say that I thought I caught a fish pretty soon after I started trolling. I stopped and fought the lure all the way to the boat :wallbash::wallbash::wallbash:
> 
> I tried different things throughout the day, getting some good hits on ballyhoo and the Spanish and bluefish liked the Yozuri. Nothing ever hit the bomber or the 25+.


Thanks for the report.


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## grey ghost

Lol, I fought a lead weight one time! Lol


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