THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

By and large, scad or horse mackerel as
they are also known, are open water fish
which move into coastal areas during
the warmer middle months before
pushing back out as deep as two
hundred and fifty fathoms during the
depths of winter.
between the bottom and the lower pelagic layers.
More often than not they will remain
some way offshore over the medium to
deep water boat marks, even during the
summer, at depths varying between
fifteen and fifty fathoms, where they
can be found feeding anywhere
Distribution of their principle food fishes such as juvenile herring, pilchard, sprats, and small free
swimming cuttlefishes or squids determines the level at which they feed. Once found, deliberately or
otherwise, they are usually far from demanding fish to catch, especially from a boat.
Jigged feathers, baited feathers, small rubber eels drawn slowly from the bottom to the top, and various
paternostered baits will all pick up scad if they are present. Even live sandeels drifted over offshore
banks for turbot and bass will be taken. In fact, banks are a very good place to fish if scad are what you
want, as when bottom feeding, sandy areas are particularly well favoured.
In angling terms, they are also a bit on an enigma. On the one hand, like a lot of people, I seem to catch
them reasonably regularly, but on the other, I never ever seem to catch a lot, and rarely if ever more
than the odd one usually followed by some degree of drought, despite them being described as a
shoaling species, something I have never found them to be.
Not only that, I've either caught them myself or have seen them caught here, there, and everywhere
around the country, and on all sorts of baits and tactics. So once again, no discernible pattern.
For me they simply pop up from time either on feathers, especially when fished baited from the boat,
or when float fishing from rocks, piers, or harbour walls for other stuff, particularly if there are lights
shinning on to the water at night to attract them.
If not, and you suspect they might be about and fancy giving shore fishing for them a try, then you will
need to search for the correct feeding depth starting close to the bottom and working up.
It might also be an idea to retrieve slowly with pauses using float tackle causing the bait to lift as well
as travel back towards to your advantage in the hope of grabbing one’s attention.
GREATER AMBERJACK Seriola dumerili
Bucket List status – result outside of home waters
Some of my physically most painful angling encounters with fish have come from greater amberjacks.
Huge things not far short of a hundred pounds taken off the Florida coast, where it was every drop a
fish on both small live-baits and jigged lures, and where if one came off, within seconds there would be
another lined up to take its place, so absolutely no respite.
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