Gotcha for mackerals

Christian Durham · Pro Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 35 Location: Tampa

What is the best method for fishing gotcha lures for mackeral? What kind of leader / terminal tackle and how is it rigged? Do you jig it on the bottom, or nearer the surface?
_________________
Please teach me, O great fishing gods!
e-mail ---- christiandurham@hotmail.com

pucky · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:02 pm Post subject:

right now the mackerel schools are so thick you cant fish it wrong!

just cast it, let it sink for a couple seconds and reel it in at any speed but slow and jig it along the way. i prefer the 1oz. gotcha because i can work it as fast as i want and not worry about it coming to the surface too fast.

as for rigging, i use about an 18" leader of 30# flourocarbon tied uni-to-uni to the mainline. it gets pretty frayed up after about 10 fish so i trim it and retie fairly often. i dont think the fish are picky about the leader... ive trimmed it down to 4inches of leader and they still bite. i use 50# power pro (i know its overkill but i like cranking them in fast) and sometimes i even have to trim that as well.

i think the biggest key to fishing the gotcha is the loopknot:
http://www.capmel.com/loop_knot.htm

IMO it makes the HUGEST difference. Second would be color. a white body definately outfishes any other color.

i lose about 1 or 2 gotchas each trip though so im looking into steel leader. maybe someone can chime in on that subject.

Christian Durham · Pro Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 35 Location: Tampa

Thanks!
_________________
Please teach me, O great fishing gods!
e-mail ---- christiandurham@hotmail.com

Chris · Pro Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 36 Location: Germany

everyone says you tend to get less bites when you use a steel leader.
I don't really if know if that's true since it's easy said but hard to proove. After loosing so and so many gotchas on Mono to sharp teeth I started using a 10" steel leader and kept catching.

SNOOKER · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject:

Gotchas work good almost anyway you use them i have caught tarpon, lizardfish, a lady fish that broke my metal leader, and many mackeral.

SNOOKER

christopherpoisson · Newbie Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 5

what about using the gotcha at night? is that ok?

Filletnrelease · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:32 pm Post subject:

About the only thing I have had any luck with at night with a Gotcha is, believe it or not, Silver Trout with an occasional Speck in there. Jig it closer to the bottom than you would for Macks, in other words you don't reel it back as fast as you can like with Macks. I use Chrome and Red and White with Red. Of course if there is a Lady Fish or Jack lurking there on it. My night time Mack fishing has never been much with an occasional stray. If your fishing the NSP fish the low water or flats area closer to the toll booth. I have also had some luck up by the bait house. The larger 14" or so silvers should be running soon if not already. Hope this helps, fish on, tight lines and full coolers to ya.
Capt'n Jack

christopherpoisson · Newbie Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 5

awesome thanks... what kind of line setup and bait should i use at night then?

Filletnrelease · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject:

Chris, the norm for me is usually Grouper fishing at night, but on the occasion that I do target those fish with a gotcha I tie on about 3 feet of 40lb fluorocarbon leader with a swivel, no weight except the gotcha. I generally use a 5/8 oz. Gotcha, and with my 30lb Power Pro on my 400 series shimano I can cast it a long ways. If that is slow than I will tie on a 1/0 or 2/0 long shank J hook and try greenbacks with the tide. I have even used shrimp occasionally, but those I usually will float out to minimize the bait loss to those little piranha pin fish. Also try jiggin' with a silly willy or doc's, sometimes the flounder will go for this as well. Tip the jig with a piece of shrimp and bounce it off the bottom on your return. Thing is with fishing is finding out what's biting an what there biting on, so keep trying different things.

SNOOKER · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2007 9:07 pm Post subject:

Gotcha's aren't as good at night. Atleast if your fishing for mackeral. I caught all of my tarpon at night on gotchas. I haven't caught one in the daylight yet with the gotcha.

Filletnrelease · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:52 pm Post subject:

I was out at the SSP weekend before last, and between Flipper and the wind, I gave up on the Grouper. Started to leave, made a u-turn at the bait house and stopped about 300-400 feet down heading out and decided to fling a gotcha just for the heck of it. Put on a 7/8 oz. Gold and Red. First cast Mack on, kinda small and went back. Next two hours straight almost a fish a cast. Kept 8 for the smoker all close to 20". Must of caught 40 or so. Last hurrah and I caught it. Sometimes you gotta get lucky.

Cookinman · Expert Joined: 28 Dec 2007 Posts: 192

Filletnrelease · Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:24 am Post subject:

Dino Mack, thats a good one. I guess at that size worrying about King or Mack don't really matter. A 25" or so is a good size over here.

Cookinman · Expert Joined: 28 Dec 2007 Posts: 192

Filletnrelease · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:43 am Post subject:

Cookin, now I see where your screen name derived from. Looks good, watch out Emeril. Nice pics too. Thats about the average size of the Macks that's been running here too. Good luck on the contest.
Jack