Living Sanibel
Perhaps one of the most popular light tackle fish caught on Sanibel and Captiva, the Spanish mackerel has long been a favorite gamefish throughout Florida. In the spring and fall large schools of Spanish mackerel can be seen from the beaches and off of either side of the causeway.
Prone to jumping completely out of the water when feeding on anchovies and smaller minnows, it slashes across the water and is easy to identify because of its long body and deeply forked tail.
The Spanish mackerel ranges from Canada to the Yucatan. It feeds almost exclusively on small fish but will also take shrimp and squid. It has sharp teeth, and a foot of light wire leader (#2-#3 wire) is recommended, as the fish can cut through monofilament line in an instant. The Spanish mackerel is a strong fighter for its size. It makes great table fare if eaten fresh. Because its flesh is oily it does not freeze well.
Two of the best places to catch Spanish mackerel are the Sanibel fishing pier and the causeway pier. Free-lined herring, no larger than two inches, or small shrimp are the best baits to use. Use little (quarter-ounce split shot sinker) or no weight as the Spanish mackerel is not a bottom feeder, preferring to feed in the top half of the water column. Silver spoons and small white buck-tail jigs also work. The Spanish mackerel is fed upon by dolphins, sharks, cobia, tarpon, and its larger cousin, the king mackerel.
King mackerel
The king mackerel is an important commercial, as well as recreational fish. Literally millions of dollars are spent on international kingfish tournaments from the Carolinas to Brazil.
In the Caribbean and South America, the kingfish is considered the fish of choice when preparing eviche, a Peruvian dish using raw fish that “cook” in lemon and lime juices. Commercially it is often salted, canned, or served as steak. Because of its oily flesh it should be eaten fresh. Freezing turns its flesh to a fishy-tasting mush.
The king mackerel is a fast and furious fighter. It strikes with amazing speed and has been documented at speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour. Wire is mandatory as the kingfish has teeth that rival a barracuda’s. A favorite method of catching a “smoker king” is slow trolling a blue runner over the offshore reefs in 20 to 50 feet of water. Because of its tremendous strikes, drags must be set feather light (two to three pounds of drag pressure), or the line will break instantly.
Other methods of taking the kingfish include the use of large diving plugs, silver spoons, and trolled surface baits. Large runs of king mackerel pass just a few miles off of Captiva every spring and fall during its annual migration; when running, this fish can be caught nonstop. Before the advent of spotting planes and large purse seines king mackerel schools would sometimes extend for five or six miles. Commercial limits have greatly aided in the return of this large predatory fish.
The kingfish feeds on everything in its way. It targets offshore schools of Spanish sardines all the way up to Spanish mackerel. Mature kingfish are taken by bottlenose dolphins and sharks.
– This is an excerpt from Living Sanibel – A Nature Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Islands by Charles Sobczak. The book is available at all the Island bookstores, Baileys, Jerry’s and your favorite online sites.