By Ed Snyder/Outdoors

Bolivar Peninsula, TX.

Quiet and peaceful one minute then rowdy with violent the next! This explains the temperament and aggressive nature when angling for a silvery, torpedo shaped species of fish called Spanish Mackerel. These critters sport razor sharp teeth which can slice through bait fish and body parts like a scalpel slicing through butter.

Once, after catching and handling an undersized delinquent, I didn’t even feel the critter slash out at me, only seeing blood dripping from my hand after releasing it. These toothy denizens will hit your lure at 1,000 miles an hour, stripping out line almost as fast, and trash your tackle mucho gusto. But, this is why sport anglers like hooking up with them.

Low tech gear for high tech action, the Spanish mackerel, or Smack for short, doesn’t take high tech fishing gear to catch but it does take an experienced angler to land it. A fairly good rod and reel will work as long as you know how to us it. My choice are bait cast reels of at least 5 ball bearings matched with a 7′ medium light saltwater rod.  Good quality reel gears are a plus as cheaper plastic ones result in melt downs or stripping. A quality drag system does well when fighting these torpedo like fish.

However, above all else you’ll need a steel leader. These aggressive sport fish come with a set of razor, and I MEAN RAZOR sharp teeth that will slash through anything.  I’ve even had them, at times, bite through steel leaders. My largest Spanish mackerel was a six pound specimen which taught me one heck of an lesson!

Once, while wade fishing High Islands Blacks Pier area for speckled trout, the fishing action suddenly ceased. Seconds later the surface around me suddenly exploded into a mixed frenzy of leaping bunker shad and loud popping sounds of feeding fish. Casting a spoon into this melee, which reminded me of cannibalistic piranha on a rampage, resulted in my rod almost jerked from my hands. Spooling out over 150 yards of 15 lb test mono as the fish streaked off for the horizon. After gaining some control re-spooling most of the lost line, I managed to land the marauding critter, but only after a wild thirty minute fight to subdue it. The 6lb Smack had fought like a 35lb Jack Crevaile, and I wasn’t rigged with a steel leader. I had caught that toothy critter in the corner of its mouth. I had been very lucky indeed!

Every year, in the waters of the upper Texas Coast, an invasion of Spanish mackerel occurs. Wearing silvery coats with golden spots, these sea-born visitors roam our beachfront waters throughout the summer and early fall months.

Spanish mackerel is a a much smaller cousin of the king mackerel.  King mackeral is a much larger game fish throughout the Gulf.  Spanish mackerel sport all the aggressive nature of its larger cousin, the king fish, but only in a smaller package.

One of the best things about Spanish mackerel is their abundance. Surf waders, jetty fishermen and anglers in small boats can all enjoy the often rapid-fire action of a school of marauding Smacks. Action often occurs on a clear incoming tide when they can be seen chasing small bait fish. They also make regular runs along the jetties and fishing piers that stretch out into the Gulf and deep water bays.

Since they typically feed on small bait fish, artificial lures, such as silver spoons and hard plastic baits are deadly on them, but ONLY if tied with the protection of stainless steel leaders. Fly anglers can do well when rigging with a thin piano wire leader tied to small spoons. But, fly anglers beware! The Smacks are lightning fast and will test your fly fishing skills to the max! It’s almost impossible to reel a lure too fast as to out run the Smack when they’re on a feeding spree. The  best method is to retrieve your lure at medium fast speeds, jerking your rod-tip sporadically to give the impression of an injured bait fish. When the Smack hit,  you don’t have to set the hook.  They’ll usually hit so hard, they hook themselves.

Often swimming in large schools, anglers who hook up with them usually catch a lot while the action lasts. Beware, this is not every day fishing as each Smackerel will test your skills and your equipment. After each hook up check your line for kinks or frays since the Smack will often attack your line. A small kink or fray will cause a break off. If the line is kinked or frayed, re-tie before recasting.

Smacks are notorious for their quick, scorching runs that will wreck a weak drag system spelling immediate doom for your reel. The average medium light fishing stick will find itself straining from the furious runs of these silvery torpedoes. Steady pressure and a smooth drag are the only way to gain the upper hand when trying to land one.

Conventional fishing tackle should be 10 -to- 12 pound mono – or its equivalent diameter braided line. Since Smacks are usually found in the surf, it is more practical for fly rod anglers to use an intermediate as opposed to a floating line. Remember, their speed is not the only thing that sets these fish apart. Their sharp teeth alerts caution when handling these incredible sport fish.

Their speed, stamina, sharp gill plates and teeth make Spanish mackerel difficult to hand land while waist deep in the ruff of the surf. Having a net handy is not always the answer. The most effective way to handle these toothy critters is tail-grabbing. Unlike specks and reds, a Smacks tail is stiff with a bony, non slippery tail. Once the fish is within grabbing distance, grasp the forked tail to help control it and either place it in a Do-net (fish holder) or release it.  Smacks are a blood fish and will draw feeding ottention from sharks, so putting it on a stringer is a NO-NO.  The best way to keep Smacks is to immediately stow on ice to keep them fresh.  Be sure to cut around the tail to let them bleed out.

Being excellent fighters, Smackerel are also prime table fare. Texas is generous with their creel limit of 15 fish at 14-inch minimum, so, if you’re looking for a feast for family and friends, these critters can provide that feast for you.

Ways to Cook Spanish Mackerel

Sushi Style:  Spanish mackerel is one of the tastiest, and healthiest fish and is perfect for sushi lovers. It is considered best when plump and has a mild oily texture. Spanish mackerel is usually accompanied with fresh grated ginger, and sliced scallions to bring out the sweetness while counteracting its rather rich oils to leave a light aftertaste on the palate. Citrus soy sauce is frequently used with spanish mackerel.

New Orleans style: Spanish mackerel is a member of the same family as tuna. Its populations in the Gulf are substantial. And much like Charlie Tuna, Spanish mackerel has good taste. You can cook mackerel in all the usual ways. It’s quite good fried whether  broiled or grilled. Sauces with big flavors of their own are natural companions, because the flavor of mackerel stands up to them. Serve with your own cajun or New Orleans style sauce to provide that exotic homegrown flavor.

In being that mackerel is oily they are an ideal entree when smoked. Just use your favorite smoked fish method and recipe. Makes for a great mackerel paste that can be added to other menus. My enjoyment of smoked mackerel occurred while visiting a Florida smoke house. They served an awesome mixture of smoked mackerel and mullet paste (tuna like salad) w/crackers and served with an ice cold mug of beer. This was really tasty.

But my personal favorite is to filet the mackerel, cut the red meat out and soak filets in buttermilk for one hour. Place filets on paper towels, pat dry, and lightly season with Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning. Then, in a nonstick skillet add a table spoon of virgin olive oil. When the skillet is smoking hot place filets in skillet and quickly brown on both sides (about 3 minutes each side) remove when golden brown and plate on a bed of wilted lettuce or dirty rice. Serve with a chilled wine or beer and enjoy the flavor of the sea.

I always look forward to these spanish mackerel runs in the summer both for the fight and the table fare. The big smack attacks are happening right now, so go-gettum!!