Thread: Artificial vs Live Bait

40 or 50 lb mono or fluoro for Spanish unless they are really aggressive, then 27 lb single strand wire. Wire always for king (about 40 lb most of the time unless there's a chew down).

Originally Posted by AJ316

So there are completely different tactics to catching Kings, Spanish and Cero mackerel? Do they also run at different times of the year? I'm hoping I can make it down once a month starting in march. I'll need to do some searching on the "what's biting when" section of this forum. Do any of you use a wire leader for the Macks or just floro or heavy mono and hope to not get cut off?

Yes. For kings, most guys fish small black swivel, a short length of 27-40# wire & a #2 or #4 2x or 3x treble, either snobbling cigar minnows or floating a live bait. Some guys throw big crankbaits too. No wire usually = cutoff with kings.

Spanish, lures consist of bubble/straw rigs, gotchas, jigs, spoons, etc.., normally using a 40-50# mono leader, sometimes you can get away with wire, but not always. Bait includes small cigar minnow, belly strips, finger mullet, live shrimp or small live LYs.

For kings, I throw more live bait than lures. For Spanish, just the opposite.


We don't get Cero, or at least I have never heard of one caught here.

Right on #r! I mixed this weekend! 6 for 6 on the greasers! 17-20 inchers!