I have several types of jigs in the tackle box for shore mackerel fishing. Kastmaster is usually the primary choice. I use 1/4 to 3/4 oz chrome or chrome/blue depending on the wind, distance and depth. Alternates from South Bend or Cabela’s also work although the quality of the hook is not very good. Fluttering action at the falling is outstanding. The method I often use is jigging and falling near the bottom after casting. When I need the casting distance, I use 3/4 to 1 oz Crippled Herring. It also sinks slowly. Zingama jig is popular at Willows. I use 1-1/4 to 2 oz one when the strong wind blows. It is a fast sinking and fast semi-horizontal jigging to have mack chase is the way to go.
For the fishing from the pier, I tie the hook with 15 lb mono line instead of a split ring. I like to jig near the bottom. Fishing bottom is sometimes very productive especially in the middle of day. If you fish in such a way, snags are inevitable. I use 15 to 20 lb PowerPro for main line and 20 lb mono for sabiki main line. In most case, I can recover the jig at a snag, losing only a treble hook. I have tried a single hook as well but it didn’t work as I expected. It also snagged frequently at the spots I fished. I usually switch the jig when I lose the hook. In addition to the substitute jigs, I carry a few bulk hooks of #6 and #8.
Google satellite is an excellent tool to search for sandy spots. In early spring, I picked up several spots for the flounder fishing. Pavilion Beach was the one I wanted to try. I went there in the middle of May.
High tide was 16:30. After getting a dozen of sea worms at Three Lantern, I started fishing around 5 pm. I set a 12’ telescope rod, an 8’ surf rod and a 6.5’ freshwater medium rod. Spreader rigs with 1/2 to 2 oz sinkers were used. Single Aberdeen #4 hook was tied with 20’’ of 17 lb fluorocarbon leader. I put a whole sea worm to the hook.
I casted rigs in various directions. Some spots had eelgrass. When I reeled in the rig, I occasionally felt like a snag. As I understood the situation of the bottom, I found a hot spot. When I checked the telescope rod, I found a fish on. I reeled in carefully and found a nice flounder. I grabbed the main line and pulled it. I picked up a scale from a backpack and measured. It was 16’’.
Soon after that, I found another hit on the surf rod. I counted 10 seconds and set hook. I felt it swam differently. I wondered it might be a schoolie but what showed up was another nice flounder. It was even bigger, 17’’! I casted rigs to the spot I caught. I got another but it was a little shorter than 12’’ and was released. Although I fished until a little before 7 pm, the under size was the last one.
I fished there for the first time and had never seen anyone catching flounder there. Spotting fish is the most important for the catch. I think the spot determine 70% of the catch of the day. Finding new spots is the key to expand the options. And so much fun when it is successful!
We planned on a field trip for Sunday but rainy weather pushed it back by weeks. I knew the high tide were around noon. As l checked the radar, the rain would stop late in the morning. I decided to go to Willows pier for fishing mack. I thought this rainy condition would definitely reduce the crowd and most likely mack would school near shore this time of year.
When I got to the pier around 9:45, it still rained. I saw a fisherman leaving and asked him about the fishing. He said he started early morning and kept 5 mack. He also said another fisherman got an under size striper too. I carried 2 rods. There was a fisherman casting jig&sabiki at the end of the pier. I heard he started at 8 and had kept 3. Wind was against although it was not so strong. I set up Daiwa Acculite AL SS902MFS 9’ salmon rod with a medium Shimano spinning reel. The rod was the one I bought for casting a long sabiki rig easily especially at Willows. The reel was a wide spool one, which was designed for the surf casting. I spooled 15 lb PowerPro to it. The rig was a 4-hook mirror film sabiki made of O’Shaughnessy #2 with 1/2 oz Kastmaster.
I began with the center spots. The fisherman got one soon near the pier. I dropped the rig and jigged for a while but no action. I started casting again and fished different depth ranges. You need to catch fish when schools come. Keeping casting is the key. That is what the shore mackerel fishing is all about. The 9’ rod was a little tough to handle because I got used to use a 5’ UL rod. Due to the wind, I felt like the casting distance was shorter than usual. After 30 minutes, I changed the jig to a LaFesta 24 g. This jig worked better. Jig reached farther at a light swing. I also increased the Jigging speed to fit this fast-sinking jig. As I reeled, feeling the bottom, the jig occasionally hooked a piece of seaweed or shell. The rig stayed near the bottom as I tried to keep.
Although I thought the rain would stop soon, it became heavier. I wore a rain gear but was a little upset. When I started to think about leaving around 11, I felt something as soon as the jig reached the bottom. After a jig and a fall, fish hit. As I reeled in at a steady speed, more fish bit and the rod bent more. The fisherman asked me if I got and I replied I thought I got at least a few. Soon I found full hook of 5 mack! I couldn’t pull out the entire rig with the rod so grabbed the line and took them on the pier. Yes! I didn’t lose any! I took a photo, bled them and put them into the cooler. All fish were 12-13’’size.
As I kept jigging, I got snag. I thought I could recover the jig because I tied the hook with mono line instead of a split ring. However, the main line broke when I pulled it. I lost one of 2 LaFestas, which were out of stock years ago. I thought the casting distance was important that day. I put Zingama 1-1/4 oz under the 4-hook sabiki. I got a decent mack soon. After pulling five fish at the same time, it felt very light.
It stopped raining around 11:30. I found the fisherman got some. As I asked him “Got it?”, I saw a surface blitz! I quickly reeled in the rig and casted beyond the blitz. Pulling the rig at 5-6 ‘ range, I got hits. Full hook again! I tried pulling with the rod this time. After reeling to 5’’ above the swivel, I pulled out the fish. All the mack jumped into the pier. When I put fish in the cooler and got back to the fishing, the blitz was gone. No action around the area any more. After that I got a double but lost one. I wrapped up at noon. I got plenty. All of 12 fish were nice 12-13’’ ones and tasted delicious! Fabulous!
I thought I could get some if I had a spot in the pier. Actually it was much better than I expected. Willows tackles; a 9’ rod, 1 oz jigs and hand-tied sabiki rigs worked perfectly to catch schools. In addition to Zingama, I would like to test some 1 oz size jigs. Seems like fast sinking small 1 oz ones are easy to handle.
Float rigs are popular for shore mackerel fishing in October. A slip float is versatile because you can handle the rig with 6.5-7’ short rods. The float in a photo below is a representative one. This package contains beads and stoppers. For this float, a 1/4 oz egg sinker fits. Usually 7 to 10 feet from the float to the hook works. Small cubes of herring, mackerel or shrimp are good for bait. Although I like Gamakatsu split shot/drop shot #1 hooks, anything #2-#1 size would work. I usually use 12 lb fluorocarbon leader. Once a mackerel bites, the float rapidly sinks so it is pretty easy to catch the action.
I found Al’s bait opened at the beginning of April. As I looked into tide for Saturday, high was around noon. Water warmed up in the river would come out to the mouth in the afternoon. I thought it was ideal in early season. So I planned on fishing flounder at Willows pier with my daughter.
Unfortunately, Al’s didn’t have sea worm yet. I drove to Bridge Street and got a dozen on the way. We started around 2:45. I used a rig with a kind of spreader bar. Sinker was 1/2- 1 oz. Aberdeen #4 was tied with 16’’ of 17 lb fluorocarbon leader. I set a 12’ telescope rod, a 6.5’ medium rod and a 5.5’ medium rod. Reels were small ones with 15 or 20 lb PowerPro. There were no crabs unlike in summer. I wondered it might be too early.
Meantime boys on bikes came to the pier. When I talked with them a little, one boy found something bit on a telescope rod. I took the rod on hand and found that it was not wind but fish. I counted 15 seconds and set hook. What showed up as I reeled in was a 12’’ plus of winter flounder.
I casted all rigs to the same area but didn’t have any action after that. I wrapped up around 5. It was a warm sunny day so things worked as I expected. However, it was a surprise for me to catch a flatty in the first week of April. This year might be special because water temp was higher than average at this time of the year.
When I enjoyed flakey seafood for dinner, I realized with excitement that the season started. Where would I explore next?
