The featured Gulf catch and cook species for April 2025 is the Spanish Mackerel!

Drawn image of a Spanish Mackerel showing the typical appearance characteristics. — Typical appearance and characteristics of a Spanish Mackerel. Image source: FWC https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/spanish-mackerel/

Spanish Mackerel are fun to catch and delicious to eat! Spanish Mackerel can be caught along Florida’s Gulf Coast year-round, although they migrate throughout the year to stay in the warmer waters (>68°F). Near Pasco County, FL, they are commonly caught in the spring months.

Read on to learn how to catch Spanish Mackerel and make a delicious and healthy meal!

Fun Facts

Spanish Mackerel will work together as a school to drive the prey fish to the water surface to eat them.
Spanish Mackerel are closely related to other mackerel species, Tuna, and Wahoo.

Species Profile

Drawn image showing different characteristics of a Spanish Mackerel. Yellow spots on body, sloping lateral line, and black spot on top fin are highlighted to make it easier to idnetify.. — Identifying appearance and characteristics of a Spanish Mackerel. Yellow spots on body, sloping lateral line, and black spot on top fin. Image source: FWC https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/mackerel/spanish-mackerel/

The Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus), also called the spotted mackerel, is a variety of mackerel. There are several mackerel of the same Genus (Scomberomorus), including the Cero, Spanish, and King Mackerel. Tuna, mackerel, wahoo, bonito, and tunny are also a part of the same Family (Scombridae), which is evident by their similar body shapes. The Spanish Mackerel have two distinctive population groups, the Atlantic and the Gulf of America (formally Gulf of Mexico) stocks. They are found throughout the western Atlantic Ocean, from Canada through Central America, but have the densest populations off the coasts of Florida.

Appearance and Biology

Spanish Mackerel have a long, narrow torpedo-shaped body (fusiform shape) and a deeply forked tail. They are a blue to green color on the top and fade to a silver color towards the belly. They have yellow, golden irregular spots on their sides and their front dorsal fin has a blackish color towards the front. They have very small scales across their body. Their lateral line appears from the gill cover to the tail and is gently sloping. (The lateral line acts as a sixth sense, allowing the fish to detect movement in the waters around them). Several other species of mackerel can look very similar but have slight differences in appearance. As they can have different regulations, it is important to properly identify the fish. For example, the Cero Mackerel will have yellow stripes down the side (rather the spots), and the King Mackerel has a sharply dropping lateral line. They have many sharp triangular teeth in a single row.

Three photos labeled A, B, and C. A shows a girl holding up a Spanish Mackerel with the ocean in the back ground. B shows a girl holding up two Cero Mackerel with a boat on a trailer in the back ground. C- Shows two men holding up a large Kingfish together on a boat. — Different types of mackerel caught in Florida showing different identifying characteristics. A) Spanish Mackerel. B) Cero Mackerel C) King Mackerel (King fish). Image sources A- Kaitlyn Hindman, B-Megan Moore, C- Lillian Kloid.

Habitat

Spanish Mackerel are found in subtropical to tropical waters. They typically live in coastal to offshore open waters, in the epipelagic zone, and are commonly found in depths from the surface to 115 ft. They will often be found near ledges, barrier islands, or passes and can sometimes be found near reefs or seagrass beds, however they will remain offshore as they are not tolerant of low salinity environments. Spanish Mackerel migrate seasonally to stay in warmer waters (>68°F), moving northward in the summer months and southward into the winter months. They live and travel in large fast-moving schools, hunting down prey in the surface waters. Smaller fish such as herrings, sardine, mullet, anchovies, and needlefish are their typical prey, but they will also eat crustaceans such as shrimp. The Spanish Mackerel will often work together to drive the prey fish schools up to the water surface to target them. Occasionally, they can be seen jumping out of the water after the bait. Spanish Mackerel are targeted by larger pelagic fishes such as sharks, tuna, and barracuda, however, dolphins have also been known to eat them. Juveniles are often eaten by other fish species, including dolphin fish.

Biology and Life cycle

Spanish Mackerel can reach a maximum length of around 36 inches to the fork. The average size is usually much smaller, around 12-18 inches and 8-11 pounds. Along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the regulation size is 12 inches to the fork. They grow rapidly for the first ~5 years, then growth slows as they mature. They can live up to ~10 years. Spanish Mackerel are schooling fish and often travel in warm surface waters. They have separate sexes, male and female, and spawn by broadcast spawning in the water column. Juveniles typically live offshore but may be found in nearshore beach surf as well. Near Florida, spawning occurs from July through September when the waters are warmer. They will migrate with the warm waters as the seasons change.

Catch

To maintain a healthy fishery, it is important to use sustainable fishing practices when catching and releasing fish. A Florida fishing license is required to land all saltwater species in Florida regardless of where they are caught (state or federal waters). Florida fishing licenses require a fee, however, fishing licenses from a shoreline are free. Both types require you to register for the license on the FWC website which can be found here: https://license.gooutdoorsflorida.com/

Habitat

Common in 10 – 150 ft water depth, but will hunt in surface waters
Live in tropical coastal to offshore open waters
Can be found near offshore ledges, barrier islands, or passes
Migrate seasonally to stay in warmer waters (>68°F)

Season and Regulations

Measurement: Measure the Spanish Mackerel with the mouth closed. Measure from the tip of the snout/mouth to the fork of the tail. The fork of the fish is defined as the center point in the tail (not the tips).

Fishing regulations can change frequently, always check current FWC regulations before fishing. Regulations can be found here: myFWC

While you always hope to catch “The Big One” small fish are often caught during a fishing trip. If your catch is smaller than the regulations allow make sure you return them right. Fish should be returned to the water as quickly as possible and resuscitated. Learn more about the Return ‘em Right program here.

If in deep water (>50 ft) a descending device should be used to help the fish make it home. Using best release practices will help the future of your local fishery!

Descending devices are required when fishing for reef fish. You can get a free descending device sent to you by following this link: https://returnemright.org/

Methods

Hook and line, spearfishing, cast nets, and seines are all legal ways to catch Spanish Mackerel.

Hook and Line Fishing

A women standing by the water holding out a Spanish Mackerel in front of her. She has red curly hair, and is wearing a hat and colorful shirt. The water is a deep blue green color. — Local fisher holding up her Spanish Mackerel catch! Image from Kaitlyn Hindman.

The most common way to target Spanish Mackerel is with hook and line fishing. They are aggressive feeders and will target live, dead, and artificial baits, making them easy to catch. Techniques can include casting and retrieving or trolling.

Tips and Tackle

Schools of Spanish Mackerel can often be found by looking for areas where birds are diving on bait fish, as this is a sign of the mackerel forcing the bait to the surface.
When using artificial bait, mackerel prefer shiny objects.
When casting baits, retrieve them quickly, as the mackerel prefer chasing fast-moving targets.
Light spinning tackle and 10-25 lb mono filament line can be used, but a stronger leader like such as 30-60 lb mono filament line is needed as their sharp teeth will cut through light line. Light wire leader line can also be used.
Chumming the waters can help draw the Spanish Mackerel to you.

When fishing for mackerel, other predators like sharks and barracuda may try to eat the hooked mackerel as it is being retrieved. Reel them in quickly to avoid this. Spanish mackerel must be landed with their heads and fins intact to keep. If they are partially eaten by predators, they cannot be kept.

Bait

Below are some great bait choices for targeting Spanish Mackerel:

Herring
Sardines
Other bait fish
Shrimp
Artificial bait (spoons, dusters, jigs)

Trolling tips

When trolling for Spanish Mackerel, use a #1 or #2 diving planer to reach the targeted depth. Behind the planner, attach a trolling jig or spoon to the line with a swivel (to avoid line twisting) about 15-20 ft back. A diving lure can also be used. The target depth for mackerels is about 10-30 ft. Troll at around 5-7 mph along reefs, ledges, are areas where birds can be seen hitting the surface. Multiple lines can be trolled at once to target the mackerel as they travel in packs.

Spearfishing

Two images of people holding up kingfish labeled A and B. A shows a man holding two kingfish up by their tails with a boat on a trailer in the background. B shows a man holding a large kingfish up standing on a sea wall. The fish reaches from his neck to his ankles. — King mackerel caught in the Gulf, showing much larger sizes than a typical Spanish Mackerel. A) Local fisherman holding up two Kingfish (Image from John Penichet) B) Local fisherman holding a large Kingfish (Image from Tracy Moore).

Spanish Mackerel can be caught by Spearfishing, although it is not as common. They are fast moving and have very good eyesight making them difficult to catch with this method. Larger types of mackerel like the King mackerel or the related Wahoo are more often targeted this way.

Spearfishing can be conducted while scuba or free diving. Always take precautions to be safe when spearfishing. It is best to go with an experienced diver or be trained before attempting this method. When spearfishing you still have to follow fishing regulations, meaning that you cannot shoot a Spanish Mackerel less than 12 inches in size. As the spearfishing method requires you to estimate the fish size, make sure you have practice with accurately estimating fish size underwater! You can practice hunting fish species of non-regulated sizes until you feel comfortable with this skill!

*Remember fish can look bigger underwater, so be careful when picking your target!!!*

For best fishing practices and to learn more fishing tips, tricks, and regulations check out the free Florida Friendly Angler course: https://www.flseagrant.org/fisheries/florida-friendly-angler-certification-program/

If you want to go fishing but don’t have a boat of your own, fishing charters are a great option! You can find a list of certified Florida Friendly Fishing Guides here: https://www.flseagrant.org/fisheries/florida-friendly-fishing-guide-certification-program/#guides

Fillet a Spanish Mackerel

Learn how to fillet your Red Grouper Catch with Florida Sea Grant Agent Michael Sipos!

Cook

In the Gulf, Spanish Mackerel is a smart sustainable seafood choice as it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested. Prior to the 1980s, Spanish Mackerel were heavily fished commercially and recreationally in an unregulated fishery, leading to decreasing populations. Implemented regulations have allowed the Spanish Mackerel stocks to return to sustainable levels.

Spanish mackerel meat has a rich flavor and can be prepared in a variety of ways, including smoked, fried, grilled, sautéed, steamed, and more! People often prefer to cook smaller Mackerel as larger fish of this type can accumulate high mercury levels. Due to the small scales, the skin of the mackerel can also be eaten.

Other types of mackerel can be prepared in similar ways and can be used for the recipe below. This includes the Cero and King Mackerel.

Below is a delicious recipe for cooking up your fresh catch:

Photo of a bowl of fish spread. — Freshly made smoked fish spread.

Smoked Mackerel Spread

Serving size: ½ Cup of Spread

Ingredients:

4 Spanish Mackerel Fillets
¼ Cup Chopped Onion
¼ Cup Chopped Celery
¼ tsp Salt (or to taste)
¼ tsp Black Pepper (or to taste)
~½ Cup Mayonnaise

Instructions:

After smoking the fish fillets, remove any skin that may have been left on and check for bones. Use your hands or a food processor to break the fish into smaller pieces.
Finely chop up the onion and celery.
Mix in onion, celery, mayonnaise, pepper and salt. *Add mayonnaise until the mix is the texture you desire*
Serve on crackers and enjoy. For more flavor options, top off with hot sauce, lemon juice, jalapenos, or pickled onions! Get creative!

Tips:

If you prefer your spread to be chunky, use your hands to break up the fish; if you like it smoother, throw all the ingredients into the food processor.
Allow the spread to sit overnight for the best flavor development!
Add more mayonnaise the next day if the spread is too dry.
Add fish seasoning for more flavor!

This recipe can be made using baked fish instead of smoked fish, but you will miss the smoke flavor. Some people use liquid smoke as an alternative to smoking the fish!

Learn more about how to smoke fish here:

Read more here: Smoke a Fish Blog

Next month sneak peek!

Our featured Gulf Catch for May is the Grunt!

Did you know Grunts get their name from the grunting sound they make when they grind their teeth together?

Do you have a favorite Grunt recipe or a photo of you with your catch? Share it with us for a chance to be featured as a photo or recipe of the month! Submit here

More information on the Stock assessments can be found here: NOAA Stock Assessment

Check out the other Gulf Coast Catch and Cook blog posts!

January: Red Grouper

February: Hogfish

March: Sheepshead

April: Spanish Mackerel

May: White Grunt

June: Red Snapper

July: Bay Scallop

August: Mangrove Snapper

September: Gag Grouper

October: Triple Tail

November: Stone Crab

December: Redfish

Have a question? Ask the Author!

If you have any questions about marine fish in Pasco County Florida, please contact the UF/IFAS Extension Sea Grant Agent for Pasco County, Dr. Megan Moore at me.moore@ufl.edu.

For more detailed information, contact your local University of Florida Extension Office.

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Gulf Coast Catch and Cook July: Bay Scallop

Gulf Coast Catch and Cook April: Spanish Mackerel