HORSE MACKEREL – FROZEN SEA FISHING BAIT
Horse mackerel, also known as scad, is a firm fish bait with a tougher skin than many softer oily baits. It can be used whole, as fillets, strips or chunks, making it useful for everything from smaller shore baits to substantial bottom-fishing presentations.
Its combination of fish oils, scent and firm flesh makes it a good bait for bass, rays, huss, conger, dogfish and cod, as well as other predatory sea fish.
BASS
Cut a long, tapered strip from the flank, leaving the skin on. This gives you a streamlined bait with movement and good hook-holding ability.
For smaller strips, use a Wrigglers Chinu Hook. For a larger fillet or strip, step up to a Wrigglers Octopus Beak or Takumi Wide Gape Long Shank Hook.
A Running Ledger or Pulley Rig makes a good presentation.
RAYS & HUSS
This is where the firmer flesh of horse mackerel is particularly useful.
Use a larger fillet, chunk or section, either on its own or combined with squid. Fish it on a Pulley Pennel or Up & Over Rig.
For larger baits, use Wrigglers Octopus Beak Hooks, or Wrigglers Mutsu Circle / True Circle Hooks when fishing a circle-hook setup.
COD
Horse mackerel can be cut into strips or fillets for cod, particularly when you want a fish bait that will withstand casting better than a very soft bait.
A Pulley Rig with a Wrigglers Takumi Wide Gape Long Shank or Octopus Beak Hook gives a strong single-bait presentation.
For a longer fillet or bigger cocktail, move to a Pulley Pennel.
CONGER
Horse mackerel is also well suited to heavier fishing because it can be cut into substantial sections without immediately falling apart.
For big conger baits, use a heavy trace and appropriately rated components. Your Wrigglers Stainless O'Shaughnessy 10/0 or 12/0 Hooks come into play when the bait and target fish genuinely require that size of hook.
SMALLER STRIPS
Horse mackerel doesn't have to be used only as a big bait.
Smaller belly or flank strips can be fished on 2-Hook or 3-Hook Flapper Rigs for mixed-species fishing.
This is where Wrigglers Chinu Hooks and Aberdeen Hooks are the better match rather than automatically reaching for a large hook.
HORSE MACKEREL & SQUID
A particularly useful cocktail is horse mackerel and squid.
The horse mackerel provides the fish scent and oils, while squid adds even more toughness. It's a good combination when casting larger baits for cod, rays, huss and conger.
Bind it neatly with bait elastic, but leave the hook point and gape completely exposed.
HORSE MACKEREL OR MACKEREL?
They shouldn't have identical descriptions.
Regular mackerel is the classic high-oil, high-scent fish bait.
Horse mackerel has firmer flesh and tough skin, so one of its main advantages is producing a fish bait that can stay together well on the hook. That's particularly useful for hard casting, larger baits and longer fishing times.
MATCH THE WRIGGLERS HOOK TO THE BAIT
Small strips: Chinu or Aberdeen Hooks
Medium strips/fillets: Chinu or Octopus Beak Hooks
Longer fillets: Takumi Wide Gape Long Shank Hooks
Large ray/huss baits: Octopus Beak, Mutsu Circle or True Circle Hooks
Heavy conger baits: Stainless O'Shaughnessy 10/0 or 12/0 where appropriate
TOP TIP
Don't remove the skin. Cut through the flesh but leave the skin attached and put the hook through the tougher skin. It produces a much more secure bait, particularly when you're casting hard from the shore.
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