Spotted Mackerel
Pelagic / Reef edgeA fast, spotted, schooling mackerel of WA's tropical north — smaller and quicker than the Spanish, with rows of bronze spots along silver flanks. Forms big, fast-moving surface schools over reefs and along current lines from the Gascoyne to the Kimberley. A blistering light-tackle target on metals and a fine eating fish when handled well.
Overview
Spotted mackerel (Scomberomorus munroi) are the speed merchants of WA's tropical mackerel scene — smaller than Spanish mackerel, faster, and marked with rows of bronze-to-grey spots along bright silver sides. They form large, fast-moving schools that work bait over reefs, shoals and current lines from the Gascoyne north through the Pilbara and into the Kimberley, frequently busting up on the surface in spectacular fashion. They're a brilliant light-tackle target: cast a metal into a feeding school and hold on for a blistering first run. They're also good eating when bled and iced promptly. Spotted mackerel are often found alongside shark and grey mackerel, school mackerel and tuna in the same productive water.
Identification
Spotties, spotty mackerel
The confusion here is with the other spotted mackerels. Spotted mackerel carry rows of small, distinct bronze-to-grey spots on bright silver flanks, and a first dorsal fin that is black across most of its length — the black dorsal is the quickest field mark. School mackerel are similar but larger-spotted, with the black confined to the front of the dorsal. 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 big eye and a double lateral line and no spots at all.
How to Catch
Whole gar or pilchard on a wire-trace gang, slimy mackerel, live yakka, fish strip baits
Chrome slugs and small metals (Halco Twisty 20–40g), small minnows and skirts trolled fast, slow-pitch jigs, small stickbaits
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.
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.
Year-round in the tropical north, peaking in the warmer months; summer in the north-west 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.
Up to 1m and 10kg, commonly 1.5–4kg
Year-round (Pilbara/Kimberley); summer in the north-west
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.
Diet & Habitat
Spotted mackerel are surface and mid-water hunters of small schooling baitfish — hardyheads, whitebait, small pilchard and anchovy — chasing in packs that herd bait into a ball and slash through it. They work reef edges, shoals, headlands, shallow banks and the current lines where bait concentrates, usually in the upper water column, and they move constantly. In WA that means the tropical north: the Ningaloo and Exmouth grounds, the Mackerel and Montebello Islands, the Dampier Archipelago and the Pilbara reefs, and on into the Kimberley, with the north-west best through the warmer months. You find them by watching birds and surface commotion, not by anchoring.
WA Size & Bag Limits
| Minimum size | 50 cm |
|---|---|
| Bag limit | 3 — within the large pelagic finfish mixed bag |
| Counts toward | Counts within the statewide large pelagic finfish mixed daily bag of 3, shared with the other mackerels, mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna and cobia. |
Spotted mackerel (Scomberomorus munroi): minimum size 500mm, within the statewide large pelagic finfish mixed daily bag of 3 (shared with other mackerels, mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna and cobia).
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.
Perth Tips
Tantabiddi, the Mackerel and Montebello Islands, and the Pilbara reefs produce spotted mackerel in season, often in mixed mackerel schools. Run a short wire trace and downsize your metals — spotted mackerel love a small, fast lure. Bleed instantly. When a school comes up, cast fast and make the most of it; they don't stay on top for long.