One of the most family-friendly fishing methods along the Alabama Gulf Coast is to take a trolling trip in the nearshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For folks who don’t like to lose sight of the shore, trolling is the perfect way to enjoy a day on the water. Luckily, Alabama Beaches’ versatile charter fleet and numerous guide boats offer plenty of options for a trolling trip for Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, and possibly a redfish or two.
Spanish mackerel and king mackerel are migratory species that appear on the Alabama coast in the spring. They hang around until there is a severe cold front in the fall when they head back toward the Florida Keys. That means trolling for Spanish and kings is available when most people are heading out for a day on the water to fish.
If you don’t want to book a guide or charter, you can bring your own boat. As long as it’s not a john boat or a bass boat, just about any boat built to handle a few waves can be used. The best practice is to take a boat with rod holders that will spread the baits out behind the boat.
Several trolling methods are effective for mackerel, including straight trolling at five to nine miles per hour. The hotter the weather and water temperature, the faster the trolling speed. The most common lures used for mackerel are spoons like Halco or Clark, which have fooled countless mackerel into striking. Deploy the spoons in an array with the spoons fluttering at different depths from just below the surface to 5 or 6 feet deep. If you find the spoons coming to the surface, you’ll probably have to use a planer with a lengthy leader to keep the lures at the correct depth.
Because mackerel have razor-sharp teeth, some people use a small, braided steel leader while others prefer to stick with monofilament in the 25- to 30-pound-test range. Use quality swivels to keep the lines from twisting. When deploying the lures, stagger the distance behind the boat to prevent the lines from getting tangled, especially when turning.
Dragging large crankbaits can also be an effective method of catching mackerel, although you’ll likely have to back off on the throttle a little to keep the baits in the strike zone.
At times, natural bait will yield more bites than artificial lures. If you can get live bait, try hardtails, finger mullet, or menhaden. A duster in front of fresh frozen cigar minnows or ribbonfish (silver eels) can also produce a lot of fish.
Drifting can be an incredibly effective way to catch fish if you’re using natural bait. Go with the wind and bump the motor in and out of gear. The bait will rise when the propeller is turning. When the motor is in neutral, the bait will slowly sink. A strike will often be triggered when the bait starts to sink.
If you’re not sure about getting rigged to go mackerel fishing, head to one of the numerous tackle shops in the Gulf Shores-Orange Beach area, like J&M Tackle, Sam’s Stop and Shop, Beach Bum Outdoors, and Hooked Up Bait and Tackle. The experts there will be happy to provide everything you need for a fishing trip.
Typically, the king mackerel you catch trolling nearshore won’t exceed 20 pounds. The daily limit is three per person with a 24-inch fork length minimum. The daily creel limit on Spanish mackerel is 15 per person with no size limit. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between the two species. Here’s an easy test. Lift the dorsal fin and check the color. If it’s mostly an opaque gray, it’s a king. If it’s primarily black, it’s a Spanish.
If you catch a redfish (red drum), a slot limit of 16-26 inches is in effect, with an allowance for one fish larger than 26 inches total length per angler per day.
When I prepare mackerel for a fish fry, I take yellow mustard and coat the filets with Creole seasoning before rolling them in fish fry mix. Mackerel are rather oily, and the mustard offsets that and makes for a tasty filet. Drop the filets in 350-degree oil and cook until golden brown.
