With the onset of warmer weather anglers have started to pull their rods and reels out of the closet and turned their face toward the Gulf.

If they fish close to shore or off the State Pier one of the first fish they are going to hookup with is the Spanish mackerel.

Tuna family

The Spanish mackerel (Scomberomerus maculatus) is a member of the tuna family (Scombridae) along with the king mackerel, tuna and bonitos.

Spanish mackerels have long been a popular sport and commercial fish along the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Like Cobia they are one of the first fish to arrive off our coast in the spring from the southern Gulf of Mexico.

In the Gulf Spanish migrate up along the west coast of Florida and arrive off of Alabama in March and early April. Spanish mackerel also live in the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, from the Gulf of Maine to the Yucatan Peninsula.

They travel in small to large schools and prefer shallow shelf waters to the deep Gulf. Spanish mackerels are even known to move into estuaries and coves every now and then.

You can easily identify a Spanish from a king mackerel by their flatly arching lateral line as opposed to the king mackerel’s sharp dip between the pectoral and second dorsal fin. Spanish also have yellowish spots on their sides most of the time but not always. It’s the lateral line that gives them away.

Several spawns

Spanish spawn several times during the spring and summer months in near shores waters. In the summer and fall, small juvenile Spanish can be found in large numbers off the barrier islands and entrances to estuaries. This fish is a predator noted for its fondness for anchovies and menhaden.

For those of you who would play the hunter remember, the lions are never far from the zebras.

So, if you know where their prey is you'll find what you seek. Look for schools of baitfish, fish jumping out of the water and water surface areas that look like they're covered with oil.

The Spanish commercial harvest is taken primarily with gill nets and is closely regulated by the conservation departments of all the Gulf states in conjunction with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Commercial

harvest

According to NMFS statistics, the commercial harvest of Spanish in the Gulf for the years 1999 through 2009 was 14.7 million pounds valued at $8.1 million to the fishermen. Alabama landed seven million pounds valued at $4.3 million with Florida landing the lion’s share of Spanish at 7.6 million pounds for the same period worth $3.7 million. Recreational anglers in the Gulf harvested 3.1 millions pounds during the same time period.

Recreational anglers use silver spoons, jerk jiggers and live bait to catch these fish. Spanish are best when eaten fresh. They're an oily fish and don't freeze very well. Most people like them on the grill with lemon butter and garlic sauce. If you're interested in finding out more about Spanish mackerel, type the name into your favorite web browser.

Think Global – Act Local!

Dr. “Skip” Lazauski's television show “Eco-Bites”, can now be seen on youtube.com. To reach Dr. Lazauski for questions and comments, send emails to IchiOrca@yahoo.com. For more information, see his website, www.drskiponline.com.