Mackerel species guide • Sea fish • Very easy (3/10)

Mackerel junior fishing guide

Scomber scombrus

A clear, plain-English guide to mackerel for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Mackerel catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Very easy (3/10)

Perfect for first-ever fishing trips with young juniors.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

8 oz – 2 lb common.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

🐟

Beginner baits

Artificial sandeel, Feathers / sabiki, Mackerel strip …

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Piers, headlands and boat marks in clear
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first mackerel with confidence

Catch your first Mackerel in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

  1. Step 1

    Busy summer pier sessions

    Mackerel are perfect for lively summer sessions from safe piers and headlands. Avoid overcrowded spots for juniors to reduce tangles and flying hooks.

  2. Step 2

    Feathers or single lures

    Use small feather rigs or a single spinner/lure cast and retrieved through the shoal. Single lures are often safer and easier for juniors to manage.

  3. Step 3

    Limit bags and keep fish cool

    Teach juniors to take only what they need for the table, dispatch humanely and keep fish on ice. Extra fish should be released carefully.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

👉 Swipe sideways to view different setups.

Spinning Rod

Beginner tip: Perfect for mackerel and mullet sessions. Let the lure sink for a few seconds, then retrieve steadily. Always fish with an adult from piers and rocks and never stand too close to the edge.

IDEAL

Rod: 8–9 ft spinning rod rated 10–30 g.

Reel: 3000–4000 size fixed spool reel.

Line: 8–12 lb mono or 15–20 lb braid with 10–12 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Small metal lures or spinners"
  • "Feather / sabiki rigs for shoals"
  • "Slim float rig with size 4–8 hook and a small strip of fish or sandeel"]

Extras

  • ["Polarised glasses"
  • "Long-handled landing net"
  • "Barbless or de-barbed hooks"
  • "Fish-safe unhooking mat or wet towel for piers"]

Light spinning or float setup for midwater and surface-feeding sea fish.

About the Mackerel

Mackerel are fast, striped fish that often arrive in huge shoals. They are ideal for teaching casting, feathering and safe fish handling.

Junior tip

Use a small set of feathers or a single lure and cast into deep, clear water from a safe mark. Unhook fish carefully and keep only what you really need.

Logged a Mackerel recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

Submit a catch report

Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

← Back to all species

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