Fortunately, New Zealand’s has plenty of potentially effective bait in its waters, including pilchards, sprats (herrings), anchovies, mackerel, squid, mullet, flying fish and piper, right through to larger species such as kahawai, skipjack tuna and trevally – so it’s likely you’ll have access to at least a couple of them.

All these species (and many more) can be used to catch other fish when used whole or cut into smaller pieces. However, as mackerel are probably the most readily available for most northern anglers to catch and are attractive to many predatory fish, too, we’ll kick this bait-catching series off with the humble yellowtail (some of the other mackerel species and sub species – i.e. Chilean mackerel, koheru and blue mackerel – will be dealt with later on). After all, a strongly wriggling live mackerel is hard for even the biggest predators to resist, as is one that’s been stunned and quickly butterflied, so it trails a plume of fresh blood whilst fluttering slowly towards the bottom.

Consequently, if starting out with a whole tank-full of these little rippers, optimism cannot help but be greatly boosted.

The right stuff

Good mackerel fishermen combine suitable tackle and techniques to get results – but the very best exponents can successfully alter the latter aspect should the more tried-and-true mackerel-catching methods prove unproductive.

Having a small outfit that’s light enough to hold and work effectively – for hours if necessary – is a good start. This can be either a compact spinning or baitcasting reel loaded with 3-4kg line (although I find the spinning outfit’s casting capabilities to be an advantage at times), accompanied by a whippy rod around two-metres in length. Such rods enable flies and jigs to be moved around better, with the ‘forgiving’ action helping to absorb sudden bumps and bangs so that the soft-mouthed mackerel are less likely to rip free. Similarly, the lack of stretch in braid-type lines can still see fish ripping free more regularly, making the addition of a few metres of 4-6kg nylon trace beneficial.

Fill up on flies

Make sure you have a decent selection of bait flies (sabikis) in different sizes and appearances. Although the ‘original’ white ‘fish-skin’ wing and fluoro-red snooded flies so commonly available do catch fish, particularly when the mackerel are numerous and hungry, it takes a better calibre of sabiki to do so consistently. This usually means paying more money, but flies that ‘cream’ the baitfish equate to less time spent catching them and more day remaining afterwards for the hooking of whoppers, making them a worthwhile investment.

The most effective sabiki flies tend to imitate the mackerel’s favourite food forms — krill or whitebait for example — and are often accompanied by accessories and/or properties that help stimulate the mackerel into biting.

Some of the very best krill-type sabikis are made by Hyabusa — the fluorocarbon-traced version in particular. In fact, I loved the #10 pink-shrimp 450 model so much I bought 50 packetsof them when I heard they were no longer being brought in. However, I’m out of them now, so, someone, please bring them in again! (Fortunately, a reasonably good substitute is available through Black Magic — but I suggest tying two of these rigs together to cover more of the water column.)

But natural isn’t always best. For example, when night fishing, especially deeper down beneath the spot-lit water, Black Magic’s ‘Midnight Mackerel’ takes some beating, the flies’ luminous and fluorescent qualities combining to produce something especially attractive to mackerel. Again, by joining two sets together, one of the flies is more likely to end up presented at the right depth, which can vary constantly.

Of course I haven’t used all the flies available, as there are hundreds hanging around on shop walls waiting to be discovered and used, and even as you read this, still more are being created. But don’t be daunted by the big selection on offer. To start off, I recommend getting some reasonably heavy-duty pink-shrimp imitations in size 10, as well as some Midnight Mackerel packs for night fishing in the same size. Then, just in case, get some smaller shrimp-type flies (for smaller mackerel and pilchards), along with two or three packs that suit your fancy in different sizes. (Even if the latter prove relatively ineffective, they can still be used in conjunction with bait — but more on this later.)

Daytime boat tactics

A fish-finder is the easiest way for boaties to find schools of mackerel during daylight hours, and will also indicate the depth at which they’re holding.

When a decent-sized school is found, reverse the boat up a little to get back on top of the school, possibly taking the current direction into account if possible.

Before dropping down though, ensure your flies’ sinker is at least an ounce — two is often better — and ideally of a streamlined shape. This weight may seem something of an overkill, but it causes the flies to fall more quickly in response to the rod’s action for a jerkier, more realistic movement, and helps maintain pressure on the fly-string throughout the retrieve, making tangles less likely when multiple mackerel hook-ups occur.

As the flies descend, it pays to slow them occasionally, just in case the school of mackerel is well up off the bottom, and to stop every metre or so for an experimental jiggle when guessing the flies are near where the fish are holding before continuing on down. At all times be vigilant for any sudden jerks or line-slackenings that might indicate biting/hooked fish. Then, when convinced you’re in ‘the zone’, just thirty or forty seconds should be enough to get a bite or a hooked fish if they’re present. So if nothing happens, drop down a little deeper, or wind up slightly, and repeat the process. Should the bottom be reached, spend a little extra time there — unless the fish-finder screams at you to concentrate higher up again.

The jiggling movements imparted to the flies will have a major impact on the number of fish you catch (or do not!). Most importantly, DON’T do the big rod upsweeps used by many fishers; instead, concentrate on producing a constant but erratic succession of short, sharp rod jerks while simultaneously sweeping the rod slowly around, first one way and then the other. Mentally picture what a small, frightened fish looks like when it swims, and try to imitate that action with your string of flies.

It’s also important to keep updated on the depth of the mackerel school(s) every thirty seconds or so; I suggest leaving one person in charge of calling out the fish-finder depths so the other angler(s) can adjust fly depth accordingly. For this reason, having a fish-finder that’s visible from the cockpit deck can prove very useful.

If the mackerel prove hard or impossible to hook, despite their apparent presence on the fish-finder, try replacing your flies with something smaller or different — or go in search of another school, as the fish on the sounder may be too small or simply not biting for some reason.

Sooner or later you’ll get bites. This often takes the form of a suddenly slackened line, the fish reacting to the weight of the sinker by pulling up against it. Start winding in immediately — but slowly, steadily, and with a reasonably light drag. Retrieving helps keep the flies taut so tangles are less likely, but still allows the fighting baitfish to drag the remaining flies around, often attracting more strikes in the process. As for the light drag, this further aids the flexible rod by reducing sudden bumps and bangs so that fewer fish rip off (you should avoid vigourous rod-pumping for similar reasons).

Once your hooked mackerel reach the surface, wind down to within a few inches of the rig’s joining swivel and smoothly lift the string over with the rod, before clasping the sinker with your free hand to control the bait string. This makes it easier for the ‘de-baiter’ (if lucky enough to have one) to remove the mackerel, or to help prevent them swinging into nearby buddies.

The other popular method used to catch mackerel during the day is by anchoring over, or near, foul affected by some current, and then berleying. If the water’s not too deep (less than five metres, say), it’s possible to berley from the surface, but otherwise use a weighted berley system tied to a length of cord, positioning the berley distributor so it’s a metre or two up from the bottom. The cord should be tied off somewhere further up the boat cockpit so you can drop your flies into the berley trail behind, and then be unlikely to tangle with it while fighting mackerel up afterwards. In both cases though, avoid berleying so strongly that the mackerel get quickly filled and move off, and be sure to present your flies at the same depth they’re feeding.

My favourite baits for mackerel are skipjack belly and squid. Skipjack belly is best, especially when fresh, because the flesh is oily and relatively firm here, and the skin’s white and shiny. Slim, bite-sized slivers are cut from this section with a knife. Otherwise, cut slender pieces from chunks of squid or parts of their tentacles – but keep in mind squid loses its flavour, so re-bait regularly.

Now arm each bait-fly hook with one of these strip or tentacle baits, hooking them at one end and taking care to leave plenty dangling free, as well as ensuring the point and barb of the hook remain well exposed.

While this is a bit of a hassle — particularly if re-baiting is needed every few minutes or so – the good news is that you no longer need to do any more jiggling. Indeed, moving the baited flies in anything other than the slowest of sweeps will prove unproductive. Instead, simply hold your flies where the mackerel seem to be holding and wait for bites. As soon as this happens, give a little strike and hopefully you’ll be hooked up.

The best area to place the baited flies is in the berley trail. However, if the mackerel don’t appear to be feeding very well, try lifting and dropping the berley distributor gently to produce more tidbits; they always feed with greater gusto afterwards, but, again, don’t overdo this or they become full.

Sometimes anglers will have priorities ahead of catching bait — such as nailing a big snapper or targeting kingfish — but would still like a few fresh baits if possible.

In such instances, a set of flies (either baited or ‘naked’) can be dropped down into the berley trail, the rod placed in a rod holder and then left to look after itself. As soon as the rod tip begins bouncing, the angler ‘downs tools’ for a moment to retrieve the baitfish, often converting it immediately afterwards into a fresh and tasty bait.

There are times, though, when all this is simply too clumsy: if you can see the mackerel up on the surface feeding, but they’re not interested in your offerings, try a single small hook tied to the end of some 4kg fluorocarbon or nylon, and weighted lightly 15cm away with a small split-shot or swivel. You want the bait – again, cut long and slim – to float down as naturally as possible amongst the berley scraps. As soon as a mackerel mouth engulfs it, a small strike should do the job.

For more on using jack mackerel for livebait check out the next article in the series here