August is a great time of the year to take the family out and do some Spanish mackerel and bluefish fishing. It’s an inexpensive way to catch plenty of fish and guarantee a great time for the kids. Typically, most of the fishing is done trolling right along the beach in 20- to 30-foot depths. Running out of our area (Beaufort Inlet), you can either troll right along Atlantic Beach or you can troll along Shackleford and up around the Cape. A normal spread for Spanish fishing consist of four rods. ClarkSpoon’s are your lure of choice when trolling for these fish. I like to stick with either 1/0 or 2/0 hooks that are plain silver or gold. I rig my leaders with 20 feet of 30-pound test mono, with a ClarkSpoon tied on one end and a 30- to 50-pound swivel on the other end. While trolling, I’ll use two #1 planers and a pair of two- to three-ounce trolling weights. My rods with the planers will run right off the back of the boat while the other two rods will have trolling weights on them, and they will be put 100 to 150 feet behind the boat. Finding the right speed for Spanish can sometimes be tricky. Just remember, if your seeing Spanish jumping around you and your catching all bluefish, try speeding up a touch. Spanish mackerel typically like a little faster bait than bluefish. As always, if you have any more questions, feel free to call or stop by the shop.
Matt Zook of Capt. Joe’s Bait and Tackle Atlantic Beach NC
www.saltwaterbaitandtackle.com