Metro spanish mack advice
Submitted by beeroclock on Tue, 2025-01-07 12:32
For the last 3 summers ive been trying to catch a metro spanish mack but no luck. I have been trolling deep divers with a teaser at sun up and sun down in March,April, May in 20 - 25m north and south out of mindarie, two rocks and even west end caught tuna, sambos, yellow-tail kingfish and bonito but no mackies - have even seen mackies jump out of water in front of boat while trolling and still no hookups!!! Gonna try trolling garfish for the first time this season. Pretty sure im doing everything right as this is what i do up north and catch plenty of spaniards - anybody got any other tips cheers
davewillo
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 08/09/16
I haven't caught a metro
I haven't caught a metro mack either but it sounds to me like you're putting in the hours and doing all the right things from what I've read. There are plenty of people who say their biggest mackies come from trolling baits so I think gardies might be the right way to go.
There are a number of different rigging heads that you can use for gardies. Mold Craft do a Hoo Hooker Head for skipping baits that also create a bubble trail. I've used these and caught black marlin in Exmouth. Richter do a weighted Bait Runner that gets your bait down deeper. All of these are designed to stop the gardie blowing out its guts and becoming useless. If you stitch some bait rigging thread you can make them last all day easily.
Good luck!
PGFC member and lure tragic
sunshine
Posts: 2638
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Hooked two last year in THE 40s off Garden Island
unintentionally. Both on drifted mulies where I had too lighter running sinker and they were way up in the water column. Oddly this is how I fish for them out of Dampier and Exmouth .....never had much success on lures. I now always have a floater when out drift fishing hoping for another. APRIL May are the months I hooked up
sea-kem
Posts: 15051
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Out at direction bank about
Out at direction bank about 2 years ago with my son, he decides to put a floater out on his 20lb outfit and proceeds to get smoked by a Mackie. It hit within seconds of floating it down, I nearly backhanded him saying never bring a knife to a gun fight. He has an obsession with light gear.
Love the West!
Alan James
Posts: 2243
Date Joined: 30/06/09
I believe depth is the key
whether you are trolling baits or lures. When I lived up north I would target sails using gardies as skip baits. I never caught a mackie on a skip bait. Put the gardie on a downrigger, bingo mackies.
The pros would to troll lures / baits using plastic coated wire handlines (like you see on a washing line) and this provided the depth required.
davewillo
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 08/09/16
I've had them hit skipping
I've had them hit skipping gardies up north Alan, but I agree that depth is the way to get them. On a trip to the Mackerel Isalnds a couple of years ago there was a crew who found them stacked up in 30m - 40m from memory. They cast big blooping poppers and stickbaits and eventually they were hitting every surface that was thrown at them. One I saw that was taxed 50% still weighed 18kg so they were big fish.
I should mention I have caught a lot of metro shark mackerel but it's the Spaniards we all want to catch.
PGFC member and lure tragic
uncle
Posts: 9530
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Anchor and burly works
In that 30 m depth of parkers, but deep divers are ny preferred go to.
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
beau
Posts: 4112
Date Joined: 24/01/10
My theory is the water temps
My theory is the water temps around Perth are fair bit cooler than what they are used to so their behaviour is a bit more "sluggish" around here than what you'd expect up north, meaning you have to work a bit harder and think outside the box. Obviously plenty get caught every season the more traditional way of trolling hardbodies but to increase your chances in Perth definitely consider trolling dead baits and when you find some more likely looking areas ie. drop offs with consistent bait, high water movement, flying fish and obviously free jumping mackerel, then it's worth having some livebaits out. You can't cover the ground as much fishing with livebaits so you really have to find those likely spots first and commit to them rather than just fishing blind otherwise you will more often than not start to doubt yourself as you watch the rod tip waiting for that bite. Over the last 8 years I have done well fishing live herring but the last 2 seasons I have leant towards 30-45cm tailor as baits as they throw off a really good presence in the water, similar size skippy would be just as good if not better with those large silver flanks but I've yet to give them a go.
Good luck and let us know how you get on. I'll see if i can get some photos uploaded from the last few years
beau
Posts: 4112
Date Joined: 24/01/10
(No subject)
scotto
Posts: 2473
Date Joined: 21/04/08
what Beau said ^
He is the metro mackie Yoda (the good one from the first 3 movies).
he keeps them quiet, but that guy has caught more metro mackies than i've had wanks over Taylor Swift.
piscetor
Posts: 204
Date Joined: 13/05/16
taylor swift?
Next thing you'll be telling us you have crush on magda zervanski. Scarllet Johanson i could under stand.
Filletmaster
Da pirate
Posts: 1579
Date Joined: 03/05/15
Baits .
How's those baits .. like there been
cut with a knife .. cheers pirate
davewillo
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 08/09/16
Yeah it shows how sharp
Yeah it shows how sharp those teeth are! They're good at avoiding the hooks at times as the photos show. Black single strand wire is the best way to rig livies IMO.
PGFC member and lure tragic
piscetor
Posts: 204
Date Joined: 13/05/16
macks
I have a mate that lived in karatha for a lot of years and he swears by mullet hook in the back and one through the mouth a bean sinker on the nose and he reckons they troll good and the mackies love them.
Filletmaster
straith
Posts: 426
Date Joined: 25/11/13
water temp over 25
water temp over 25 degrees...
tinnie_trav
Posts: 63
Date Joined: 19/02/15
Five fathom
Do we think it's worth a troll on the back of the five fathom with the warm water temps we have at the moment?
Or best to head out a bit wider towards Rotto?
Reefsta
Posts: 333
Date Joined: 03/08/19
Even inshore
Had one circle under the boat in 10m on 30th January, well inside FFB, so they might be found anywhere there is a bit of a drop off or bait. Water temps seem to have been 25+ for a few weks, but variable. I've noted it changing up and down, 24-26 on a run to FFB, so must we warmer eddies in places.
tinnie_trav
Posts: 63
Date Joined: 19/02/15
FFB
Had a crack yesterday, trolled the length of Garden Island (up/back) behind the five for zero hits. Tried for 3hrs from 6am then drifted a live Skippy for 1hr.
Might try north from woodies or even the sound next time.
Cheers,
Trav
uncle
Posts: 9530
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Caught a few in the 30s
Off parkers point, anchor burly floaters out the back
, mono trace
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Scotte
Posts: 1147
Date Joined: 07/12/06
Now is the time,a slow
Now is the time,a slow trolled gar behind the 3 mile is a good option
davewillo
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 08/09/16
I was out between Hillarys
I was out between Hillarys and Rotto over the weekend and there were heaps of birds working. A couple looked like small tuna bust-ups but some were terns flying a bit higher and moving fast which could be mackies. Didn't have th eopportunity to troll but I'll make sure I have an outfit ready next time.
PGFC member and lure tragic
Reefsta
Posts: 333
Date Joined: 03/08/19
Small tuna around
Came across a few birds and bust ups about 5km off Freo last Thursday. Quickly tried casting then trolling 100mm minnows, without success. Little showers of silvery whitebait were appearing at the bustups, so swtiched to a 50mm white feather and trolled that through a bust up, rsulting in a small frigate mackerel about 35cm. I reckon those would surely be attracting spaniards, but didn't see anything. Next trip I'll take bigger gear and maybe troll a live frigate mackerel if those bustups are still around.
sea-kem
Posts: 15051
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Had a mate up our way today
Had a mate up our way today have his Whiting smashed by a small Mack, snapped him clean off. Will be having a crack on Sunday.
Love the West!
Brock O
Posts: 3270
Date Joined: 11/01/08
Some solid catches showing up
Some solid catches showing up on shitbook, perth game fishing club page atm..
eziliving
Posts: 880
Date Joined: 30/12/09
I've got a photo on my phone
I've got a photo on my phone of a couple caught of the Bouvards.
Get busy living, or get busy dying!