It’s not clear what makes Spanish Mackerel “Spanish.” The name of their genus, Scomberomorus, contains the Latin word for Mackerel (scomber), while the species name maculatus comes from Greek and refers to the spots on their body. The suffix morus is also Greek, meaning “silly” or “stupid.”
There’s nothing silly about Spanish Mackerel fishing if you ask us. It’s loads of fun and makes sure you’ll come home with a smile on your face – along with a cooler full of fish. Read on to find out more about this exciting little critter, including info on how to catch them, where to find them and more!
How to Identify Spanish Mackerel
Technically there’s no single Spanish Mackerel species. Rather, Scomberomorini is a tribe of saltwater fish which includes many varieties. When US anglers talk about Spanish Mackerel, however, they usually mean Scomberomorus maculatus, a variety native to the Atlantic coast. These Spanish Mackerel also go by the names Horse Mackerel, Spotted Mackerel, or simply “Spaniard” for short.
They’re extremely common in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly near Florida, and they swim along much of the East Coast. Sometimes they reach as far north as Cape Cod and south to the Yucatan Peninsula. They’re a migratory species, influencing when anglers in these areas catch them throughout the year.
Though they aren’t the biggest fish in the sea, Spanish Mackerel are speedy targets and excellent table fare, which makes them popular on fishing charters. These little torpedos typically reach 14–18 inches and weigh just 1–3 pounds. You’ll recognize them by their yellow spots, which set them apart from most other Mackerel species in this part of the world. Still, it can be hard to know the difference…
Spanish vs. King Mackerel
Spanish Mackerel share much of their habitat with King Mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla). Also known as Kingfish, King Mackerel grow much larger. Adult Kings are silver from head to tail, but juveniles have small, yellow dots which can make you think you’re holding a Spanish Mackerel instead. This makes it hard to distinguish King Mackerel vs. Spanish Mackerel, but not impossible:
- The front dorsal fin on a Spanish Mackerel is dark, while juvenile Kingfish have gray dorsal fins.
- Spanish Mackerel have a fairly even lateral line (what looks like a faint crease along the side of their body). On Kingfish, there’s a distinct drop (or dip) in the lateral line as it extends toward the tail.
Cero Mackerel and Serra Spanish Mackerel
If you’re fishing in the Florida Keys or further south, you might run into a couple of other species which look a lot like Spanish Mackerel. Namely, Cero Mackerel (Scomberomorus regalis) and Serra Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus brasiliensis).
Cero Mackerel can swim as far north as Massachusetts, but they’re rarely spotted past southern Florida. Meanwhile, Serra Spanish Mackerel don’t show up until you enter the Caribbean Sea. The Latin name brasiliensis is a big hint, as this species sticks to the Atlantic waters of Central and South America.
These species are similar in size to Spanish Mackerel and bear similar markings. In fact, when it comes to Serra Spanish Mackerel, you probably won’t see any difference at all. The main distinction between this species and regular Spanish Mackerel is their distribution, with only a little bit of overlap around the Yucatan Peninsula.
On the other hand, you can recognize Cero Mackerel by the yellow line running down their sides, with elongated dots above and below it. Spanish Mackerel only have spots, which are perfectly round.
Sierra Mackerel
Turning our attention to the Pacific, we have yet another small, spotted cousin of this fish: Sierra Mackerel (Scomberomorus sierra). Also referred to as Pacific Sierra, this species looks exactly like Spanish and Serra Spanish Mackerel, with yellow spots all over each side. The good news is there’s no habitat crossover with Atlantic Spanish Mackerel, so that makes telling them apart easy!
Narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel
Narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) is another species you’ll find in the Pacific Ocean – more specifically, the Indo-Pacific. Aside from the name, you aren’t likely to confuse Narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel with regular Spanish Mackerel, or even Sierra Mackerel for that matter. Other than the fact that they never appear in the same waters, Narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel actually look a lot more like King Mackerel.
Luckily, these species live so far apart that you’ll never catch them in the same place so the only clue you really need is basic geography. If, by chance, you need to tell them apart, Narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel are the ones with vertical tiger stripes. This makes them look a bit like Wahoo – which is also, technically, a Mackerel!
As these three all swim in the same waters, we could easily devote an entire article to these three fish. For now, let’s just say none of them are the Spanish Mackerel you’ll be fishing for in the following places…
Best Spanish Mackerel Fishing Spots
As migratory fish, Spanish Mackerel come and go. Once they’re in the area, however, they’re pretty much everywhere. This makes it hard to pinpoint specific hotspots. Really, it’s more about timing. If you’re in the market for a fishing charter that can take you to them, these are a few popular places:
Miami, FL
Spanish Mackerel abound up and down both coasts of Florida, but Biscayne Bay repeatedly makes the list of top recommendations. For a piece of the action here, set your sights on world-famous Miami. Since the species migrates south to escape cold temperatures, they’re really abundant here in winter, with the fishing especially hot from December to March.
You can fish for Spanish Mackerel in Florida year-round. There’s a daily bag limit of 15 fish per person and a minimum fork length of 12 inches.
Orange Beach, AL
The Gulf of Mexico sees its share of Spanish Mackerel all year. And perched at the top of the Gulf is Orange Beach. You’ll find no shortage of charter boats ready to take you inshore or nearshore fishing for Spanish Mackerel and loads of other eating fish. Up here, they’re most abundant during the warmer part of the year, with July and August marking the peak season.
There’s no size limit for Spanish Mackerel caught in Alabama state waters, where anglers can keep up to 15 fish per day.
North Myrtle Beach, SC
Spanish Mackerel pass through North Myrtle Beach as they migrate up and down the Atlantic coast, and you can catch them here anytime between April and November. They show up close to shore at either end of the season, but early season fish are usually smaller. The action tends to peak around July and stays hot through autumn.
Spanish Mackerel harvested in South Carolina must have a fork length of 12 inches or more. There’s a bag limit of 15 fish per person, per day.
Carolina Beach, NC
Moving right up the coast, Carolina Beach offers some of the best Spanish Mackerel fishing in North Carolina. The season here is similar to South Carolina, beginning in April and gradually heating up by June. During their migration, these fish pass so close to shore that you can cast for them from piers or the beach. Nearshore wrecks, reefs, and tidelines are also popular fishing spots.
In North Carolina, there’s a bag limit of 15 Spanish Mackerel per day, with a minimum fork length of 12 inches.
Virginia Beach, VA
By the time they reach Virginia, Spanish Mackerel season is fairly short and sweet. But that doesn’t make it any less productive. If you’re in Virginia Beach between June and October, it’s certainly worth hitting the water for these fish! Charter boats troll for them in the lower Chesapeake Bay as well as ocean waters.
There’s a bag limit of 15 Spanish Mackerel in Virginia and the minimum size limit is 14 inches.
How to Fish for Spanish Mackerel
The first thing you need to know is that Spanish Mackerel feed in large schools close to the water surface. You may not see them, but they’ll usually swim just 20–40 feet down. To find a feeding school of Spanish Mackerel, look for commotion like seabirds picking at tiny bait fish that are being corralled from below.
Once spotted, it’s common to chum the area in order to coax these fish up right up to the surface (glass minnows are a top bait choice for this in Florida). You can either troll through the school or grab some light tackle and start casting for these fish. Some anglers even opt for fly fishing.
Trolling
The most popular and effective way to catch Spanish Mackerel is by trolling spoons. Specific lures and techniques vary slightly depending on the area, but it’s very common to use diving planers and small gold or silver spoons, which are pulled 15–20 feet behind the boat. To target Spanish Mackerel, you’ll have to troll faster than you would for most other species (usually 5–7 miles per hour), so don’t expect to catch much else.
Surf Casting
Anglers looking to add more sport to the endeavor will find it fun to cast for Spanish Mackerel. You can do this from a boat or on the shoreline. Keep in mind that surf casting is less predictable than trolling. You might have great success with a certain tactic one season, only to come back and find that the fish are totally disinterested in it the next. Be open to experimentation and try some of the following:
- Cast with a fast retrieve. 1–1.5 oz casting jigs are good for this because you can fish them at various depths. Cast as far as you can into the surf and allow your bait or lure to sink a little before retrieving it.
- Cast with a slow retrieve. For this, try using a wooden egg or casting bubble to keep your lure a long way out without it sinking too low in the water column.
- Jigging. Cast far and aim to jig about 15 feet below the surface – but don’t set or bounce your jig along the seafloor like you would for Flounder. Once you feel the bottom, lift your rod to keep the bait or lure suspended several feet up.
Spanish Mackerel Fishing Gear & Bait
Though Spanish Mackerel are fairly small, you should troll for them using medium-to-heavy tackle in order to support number-one or number-two diving planers. Clip your planer to the main line with a swivel and then attach your leader using a ball-bearing swivel. That ball-bearing swivel is essential because it keeps your line from twisting!
Your main line should be 20–30 lb braided, and leaders should be 15–20 feet of 30 lb test fluorocarbon.
Experienced anglers swear by 2–3″ spoons in gold or silver. Many believe that Spanish Mackerel prefer gold, but it’s common to fish both colors at once to cover all bases. You may even want to throw in a wildcard by adding prismatic tape in a bright color such as red or chartreuse.
Plan to troll most of your spoons fairly deep – after all, that’s what the planers are for. At the same time, you might run a couple of lines higher in the water column using a lead weight that’s just a couple of ounces.
For casting, choose a medium-light spinning rod that’s 7–8.5 feet long. You can use a 3000–5000 series reel and 10–15 lb braided line. Again, you’ll want to add a fluorocarbon leader that’s several feet long. While this can cost you some lures due to their sharp teeth, Spanish Mackerel have keen eyesight, so using anything other than fluoro for your leader might mean you get no bite at all.
When to Fish for Spanish Mackerel
As a migratory species, the best time to fish for Spanish Mackerel varies depending on the area. With southern Florida at the heart of their territory, you can catch them here year-round.
They migrate north during the warmer half of the year, toward the top of the Gulf of Mexico and up the East Coast to the Mid-Atlantic region. In these areas, you can catch Spanish Mackerel sometime between spring and fall, with summer being the peak season in many places. The further north you fish, the shorter the season will be, as the fish arrive slightly later. During fall, some Spanish Mackerel make their way south toward Cancun.
Spanish Mackerel: Silly Good Fun
Between their looks, their name, and all the species related to them, Spanish Mackerel can definitely get confusing. Maybe putting “stupid” in the name was supposed to tell you how you’ll feel! But once you hook one, there will be no doubt… These are fish worth catching.
Small but speedy, tiny but tasty – they’re a welcome addition to any cooler. Plenty of anglers hit the water just for the sake of stocking up on some Spaniards. Not to mention, they’re a blast to cast for. So before you write them off as bycatch, give these silly fish a try. We’ll see who’s laughing then.
Have you ever filled your cooler with Spanish Mackerel? Where did you go? We’d love to hear your Mackerel fishing stories in the comments below!
The post How to Go Fishing for Spanish Mackerel: The Complete Guide for 2025 appeared first on FishingBooker Blog.
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