Mackerel are toothy critters so it’s wise to make and use a wire trace, especially when fishing for mackerel with trolled lures.
You can buy them already made, but I prefer to make my own using single strand stainless steel wire, the haywire twist and barrel rolls.
With trolling lures costing upward of $30, you certainly don’t want to lose them getting bitten off through your mono!
The bought ones also generally have the big cheap shiny swivels – and this creates a risk of getting bitten off by another member of the school while you’re fighting your hooked fish.
Plus in this video below, around the 3.25 mark, I’m going to share a neat trick to remove the tag without creating a nasty sharp spike to cut yourself on.
It only takes a minute to make your own wire trace when fishing for mackerel and when you get a great fish to the boat, you’ll be glad you did.
For more offshore fishing tips, click the links below for some of our previous posts;
Fishing tips for giant trevally (GT’s)
Catching mackerel using metal slices
Get your terminal tackle right with the wind on leader system
Sounder interpretation presentation
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