SEEING SPOTS
Every year hundreds of anglers along the NSW north coast look forward to the spotted mackerel run. From South West Rocks to the Tweed the arrival of the “spots” is eagerly anticipated, and fishing reports are watched with keen interest.
Spots or as some call them “snook” along with Spanish mackerel, Queensland school mackerel (aka “doggies”), cobia, mackerel and long tail tuna ride the East Australian Current down the coast every summer. These fierce predators take up residence over the in-shore reefs making them a perfect target for the small boat operator.
Once they arrive the word spreads fast. Spots are schooling predators that prefer to hunt the reefs that occur in depths between 8-25m. These areas often sit less than a kilometre or two offshore and are well known to locals. Soon scores of anglers set out on most fishable mornings to bag a few. Weekends and public holidays can be busy on more accessible reefs with dozens of boats jockeying for position. Consequently, many locals prefer to fish mid-week. They argue the boat traffic puts the fish off, but the crowds at the ramp, the parking dramas and the numbers of anglers is also worth avoiding.
Spots are common along much of
