Where and when to catch Spotted Mackerel in Queensland: the QLD season, the spots in our guide that hold them, and where to find QLD's current size and possession limits.
QLD limits for Spotted Mackerel are set by Fisheries Queensland and change from time to time, so we link them rather than copy them.
Check Fisheries Queensland's limits before you fish.
Western Australian limits don't apply in Queensland.
Whole gar or pilchard on a wire-trace gang, slimy mackerel, live yakka, fish strip baits
Lures
Chrome slugs and small metals (Halco Twisty 20–40g), small minnows and skirts trolled fast, slow-pitch jigs, small stickbaits
Rigs
A light wire bite trace prevents the inevitable bite-offs — 30–40lb single-strand or coated wire, short, to a single hook or small stinger, under a 40–50lb mono leader for casting. Spotted mackerel are line-shy at times, so keep the wire short and the leader as light as you can get away with. Medium-light spin gear is ideal.
Technique
Sight-cast small metals and stickbaits into surface-busting schools with a fast retrieve — the faster the better. The strike is instant and the run is searing, so set a sensible drag. When nothing's showing, troll small skirts and minnows along reef edges and current lines to locate schools. Spotted mackerel respond to a fast, flashy presentation; downsize your metal if they're following but not committing.
Best Time
Peaking in the warmer months when warm water and bait concentrate. Tide changes and current lines fire the schools up. Early morning and late afternoon are the standout windows; bright midday sun pushes them deeper.
Identification
Also known asSpotties, spotty mackerel
The confusion here is with the other spotted mackerels. Spotted mackerel carry several rows of small, rather indistinct grey spots on bright silver flanks, and a first dorsal fin that is completely black, with no white patch — the all-black dorsal is the quickest field mark. School mackerel carry larger greyish-bronze blotches, and their black first dorsal has a white patch towards the back. A juvenile Spanish mackerel has wavy vertical bars rather than round spots and grows far larger. Grey mackerel are plainer and more uniformly grey. Shark mackerel, sharing the same water, has a double lateral line and no spots at all.
Size & Growth
Spotted mackerel are the smallest of the tropical mackerels you'd deliberately target here — commonly 1.5–4kg and 50–75cm. A good one is over 5kg; the species reaches about a metre and 10kg, and a fish at that end is rare enough to be talked about. They grow fast and mature young, which is what lets them form the big, fast-moving schools they're known for. Don't rig heavy hoping for a big one — a 3kg spotted mackerel on light spin gear is a far better fight than the same fish on Spanish gear, and lighter line also draws more strikes from a wary school.
Eating Quality
Good eating when bled and iced the moment it's landed — firm, moderately oily fillets, pink-grey raw and pale once cooked, that grill, barbecue and smoke well and stand up to bold flavours. As with all mackerels the flesh oxidises fast in tropical heat, so prompt bleeding and icing isn't optional; a fish left in the sun for an hour is a noticeably worse feed. Mid-sized fish are the pick for the table, being cleaner-flavoured, while larger northern fish carry a small ciguatera risk. Cut it into thick steaks rather than thin fillets and stop short of well done — it dries out quickly. Smoking is the best use for a surplus; portioned and vacuum-sealed it freezes acceptably for a month or two before the oil starts to tell.