Mackerel of 2011, how was it for you this year?

skipz

Just curious, how was mackerel fishing in your area this year?
I missed out this year but it sounds like i didnt miss anything from my local area of clogherhead.
Its been on a steady decline now over the past 4/5 years. Going back 4 years there was plenty, but now your lucky to get 5 over a few hours if your lucky.
Seems to be a bit better off shore though.

rushnaldo

Donegal bay was very poor this year. Last summer there were massive shoals leading to a bonanza for the small boat men with electronic jigging machines. So this summer even the trawlers got set up with jigging machines but the mackerel never showed in numbers at all. They were there at times but small and hard to get. Thats the way it goes, depends on the water temperature and offshore currents which differs each year

purehoor

was out in clogher 5 times this year for about 3 hours a time. seen a total of 2 macks bein caught. defo off shore is better. seen lads takin buckets of their boats a couple of times. think the whole east coast is suffering. not a good sign at all. the days of stocking the freezer from the pier are well and truly gone.

shanemurphyboy

Maybe the feeding habits of the macks have just changed so there in different locations.
I had a great mack season off howth pier, float fishing every day with good catches that made me go back again and again. Only thing I regret is not stocking a few for winter piking :rolleyes:

gurteenestate

Youghal, Co. Cork was bad too. Normally the mackeral are jumping out of the water in late summer but numbers were noticably reduced this year.

syboit

They seemed to arrive later here in Cork (Cobh,ballycotton, youghal). But when they did arrive, would have enough for the Tea each time. A few times out on a boat in west cork, if you landed over a shoal you could have taken all you wanted. They did seem to stay around longer aswell, people still catching them in Cobh late Sept/early Oct.

nelly17

Overall the summer months were quite a stormy period which pushed the mackies out into deeper waters - I think it was a below par season all round.

Caribs

Hit and miss for me in Galway. Heard good reports (when I wasn't there ) but had a few good evenings fishing in Salthill. As an earlier poster said the weather wasn't exactly conducive to good fishing. Too bloody stormy and cold most of the time.

skipz

The stormy weather never really stopped the mac's on years gone by, it did maybe a day or two after when the water was murkier.
Its seems alright that as the water temp's go up the mac's are staying deeper and away from the shoreline, well on the eastcoast.
Iv noticed aswel, with the decline of mac's being close to shore each summer that bass numbers have increased on my local strands.
This maybe due to a slight rise in water temp's??

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

hooked one mackerel at rathmullen pear in donegal, that was the only fish i hooked on that pier for the whole summer. Had lads of mackerel when we went out on the boat. all fairly small though

damagegt

I didn't catch my first mackerel until the end of august then again I wasn't targeting them, and I was out pretty much every second day but when I did get them they seemed to be everywhere.I think they were just late coming in.

trottel

Spiddal Pier and Barna Pier were great in October. Went only twice this year each time about 3h, but got together 67. So guess not to bad.

Brian.D

Was hit & miss in Sligo this year but we did get a some nice size Macks when they were in for a couple of weeks

jay tipperary

skipz wrote: »

Just curious, how was mackerel fishing in your area this year?
I missed out this year but it sounds like i didnt miss anything from my local area of clogherhead.
Its been on a steady decline now over the past 4/5 years. Going back 4 years there was plenty, but now your lucky to get 5 over a few hours if your lucky.
Seems to be a bit better off shore though.

Only bagged 25 macks in 2011 :'(