The Scelfo Rig for Spanish mackerel

Photo by John Flores

The author’s partner, Danny Womack, does battle with a Spanish mackerel.

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“They’re fun to catch, but it starts getting expensive if you don’t have the right rig to use,” says Marty Scelfo.

The 9-inch vinyl-coated wire leaders we caught our Spanish mackerel on worked well, but were battered and worn after limited use. Though we never lost a fish, what was left over never went back in the tackle box, and was discarded following my trip with Womack.

Scelfo suggests using 45-pound-test Berkley Big Game Steelon nylon-coated wire. Additionally, a sure-fire Spanish mackerel bait to tie to the Berkley wire is a clark spoon with a stainless steel hook.

By taking a short 1-1/2 to 2-inch long piece of white skin from the underbelly of speckled trout to add a little wiggle, Scelfo says you’ll pretty much get tired of catching them.

“Another secret is no swivel on the line,” Scelfo shared. “What’s going to happen is, they’re going to hit the swivel and not the bait. You can use a black swivel or something, but don’t put anything shiny.

“A lot of guys will say, ‘I’m fishing two baits at a time,’ and all of a sudden they’ve lost everything. Spanish mackerel sees that shiny swivel and hit it and not the bait, cutting the line above. They’re fun to catch, but it starts getting expensive if you don’t have the right rig to use.”

Editor’s note: This article is part of the Mack Attack feature in the July issue of Louisiana Sportsman. Digital editions can be downloaded right to your computer or smartphone.

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