Can someone suggest what is needed to jig for macks, and how, and also how to properly store them in a freezer.

Thanks in advance, looking to cut down on the cost of buying macks for bait this season, especially with gas prices so high.

Use a Japanese sabaki rig and some diamond jig in a big weight if you are fishing off the boat while trolling very slowly. Use a small diamond aeromically (not jeros, look for one with a split ring and tube on it). Make sure they are flashy. You can add a strip of squid on it. And use a mackerel rig from Miane or in ur store.

Killed them in the fall with the above setup. I was pulling up 5 at a time, took me about 20 minutes to get a half bucket.

it took me two hours to get 12 with flyrod, cheferson!:eek:

Killed them in the fall with the above setup. I was pulling up 5 at a time, took me about 20 minutes to get a half bucket.

This is one thread that I can consider myself an expert. At least the catching part. I fill my feezers every May and then sell some to the local shop. I fish off Marshfield,Scituate Cohasset.

There is not funner fishing than a maceral massecre especially when you have the young kids with you, constant action for them.

Of course this year I'm working so my best freind gets to fill my freezer for me fall fishin. Thanks.

Those Sabiki's mentioned earlier are great for the tinkers but won't last long if your into the honkin size macs.

What to use:

Make your own rigs. Either 4 or 3 hooks plus the jig at the bottom. Use 2/o or 3/o Mustad Limerick hooks. Get some small colored vinyl 3/16". I like white, green, flo red, yellow and black.
Make the whole rig about 4 feet long with about 10 to 12" between hooks. Now for the diamond jig at the bottom. I use either a 3 oz or 6 oz mold from Do-it. 6oz for the windy days. But lately have been using the 6's more. They seem to get down quicker and hook more fish. Many people think this is too big, but hey really it isn't.

As for the line. I have tried using braid and it works but if you get a tangle your scre#$@d. Dropper loop method so you can loose 1 hook and not the whole rig.

If the macs are spotty and finikey we use 20# mono. On those massacre days we up it to 30 or 40... the rigs last longer. But believe me one this one. Go with the lighter line when they are spotty. On more than one occasion I have asked boats next to me how they did. "we got 20" ... while I had a couple totes. They were using to store bought heavy duty rigs. It also helps to do a little chumming next to the boat to hold the fish in one spot.

I use at least 350# of macs a year and it saves you alot. You can buy a 10cu ft freezer at Home Depot for 125 bucks. You'll make that back the first year.

And don't be afraid to go live lining with the big,big macs. The big bass love em. Don't tell anyone. Hell even bass just a few inches bigger then the mac will at least try to eat it.

Now you got me all pumped up to fish.

I don't do anything special like brine to freeze. The only important tip for freezing you have to do is not freeze too many in the same frezer at one time. Because it will take days for the ones in the middle to freeze. The bellies will fall apart on you later. Hint...put a layer of mac bags, then a couple layers of corrugated cardboard, this helps with air circulation in the freezer...freezing quiker.

Mike the FISHINGFREAK had some good tips on brining not too long ago. Do a search.

That's about it, my fingering are burning up. Hope this helps.

Jon

Macs the easiest fish to catch with hook/line. Last fall was incredible, most macs in these waters I have ever seen. Sabiki work well but I prefer a single diamond jig or a light-weight crippled herring that will wobble/float down, when macs are abundant, you can catch'em quicker with a single hook.
Another sure fire way--- use a small hook and a small strip of mackerel or herring.

Good luck.



Spin

Go to K-mart or Wally world and get a mackerel rig and some large freezer bags (the size you will need to place 3 mackerel into). The mackerel rig has small red, yellow and white plastic teasers and buy a 4 ounce jig and attach it to the bottom of the rig. Now, hop in your boat and head out to known mackerel location. Put rig with jig on fishing pole, lower into water and catch mackerel. When sufficient fish are captured, stop fishing, return home, place 3 fish into freezer bags until entire catch is "bagged". Place bagged fish into freezer.

Usually around this time of year, good schools of mackerel can be found in Cape Cod bay. Try going out of Barnstable harbor or the east end of the canal. There might be some off of Plymouth also.

You guys, as usual, rock for dropping tips.

I'll definitely be implementing some of your suggestions....

Are the macks in town yet?

There's big macs in at Newport off the mouth of the harbor as of Saturday morning - I would guess they're in at the GI Causeway, if you wanna fight (literally) the crowds. :rolleyes:

Are there any macks out there by the east end of the canal? Since we are moored inside the west end in Onset...

I know that when I go out of Plumb Island the will go for anything that is shiny. most bait shops have mac rigs. Usually dont have to go too deep for them either (10-20 feet) when they are schooling you can catch them three at a time.

Originally posted by jugstah
Are there any macks out there by the east end of the canal? Since we are moored inside the west end in Onset...

Why don't you take an exploratory trip there and let us all know how you made out?
You could also try jigging for cod on an east tide. A cod or 2 might be caught as well as some mac's.

Yup, weather permitting, we'll be giving it a shot this weekend.

Will let you all know how we make out, if we go out this weekend towards the east end...

Mack jig w/ 3 4/0 in silver and 3 to 5 oz diamond on the end, conventional set up and your golden.