School Mackerel
(Cybium Queenslandicus)
 |
Common Names
Spotted Mackerel, School Mackerel, Spotted Spanish Mackerel, Queensland School Mackerel, Japanese Spotted Mackerel, Schooly, Spotty, Snook
Description
School Mackerel are medium size members of the Mackerel family, and have a similar body shape to that of the Spanish mackerel. They are, however, characterised by spots or small blotches instead of the vertical stripes. Their colouration is purplish-blue to blue-green on the back and silver on their belly, and overlaid with spots.
Size
Spotted and School Mackerel more commonly caught weigh between 1.5-6.0 kilos.
Habitat
School Mackerel are a pelagic fish of tropical and sub-tropical inshore waters; they travel south with summer and autumn (fall) currents. They enter bays, harbours, sometimes estuaries. They are normally found over broken reef grounds near shore, swimming mainly around the surface and mid-water areas. They are a schooling fish, though the larger ones will travel in smaller schools.
As mentioned before, they swim between the surface and mid-water, feeding on squid and small fish.
I love to catch Mackerel on lures, such as metal slugs, spoons, minnows, poppers; but if you want to use bait, use pilchards, garfish, strips of fish or live herring on gang-hooks, size 2/0-5/0 with no sinker, and3.0-15.0 kilo fishing line.
I think that School Mackerel are the best of all the Mackerel. I just throw mine in the B.B.Q. with some stuffing in them. What more can I say!
New South Wales: Bag Limit = 5
Feeding
Fishing Technique
Eating
Legal Size & Bag Limit
Western Australia: Size Limit for Spotted Mackerel = 50cm, Bag Limit = 4
Queensland: Size Limit for School Mackerel = 50cm, Bag Limit = 30
