Spanish mackerel is a delicious fish found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. They are fast, beautiful, scrappy, and violent feeders. They attack lures, fight hard, and fly away with haste.
The best spanish mackerel lures imitate the action of the baitfish these ferocious fish prey on. Choosing the right fishing lure is crucial to avoid wasting countless hours chasing these fish with little success.
Our top pick is the Rapala X-Rap Saltwater Fishing Lure for its versatility and “wounded minnow” action.
Not only is it one of the best and most effective fishing lures for catching spanish mackerel. It is also the go-to lure for many anglers looking to catch a variety of other fish.
Of course, there are heaps of options available, so in this guide, we’ve shared seven of the best spanish mackerel lures to have in your tackle box.
Best Spanish Mackerel Lures – Reviews & Buying Guide
1. Rapala X-Rap Saltwater Fishing Lures
Product Overview
The Rapala X-Rap starts as one of the best spanish mackerel lures on this list.
This lure has a diving lip that enables it to sink deep into the water. Featuring exceptional versatility, you can impart various fish-catching activities with just a single retrieve.
This lure casts pretty fast as a bullet, making it great for long yet precise casts. The fuselage boasts lateral lines, and prominent scales capture the fish in a flashlight like a beacon.
Plus, the lure mimics the appearance of smaller fish like sardines, herring, and glass minnows which spanish mackerel love. This makes it very effective in catching spanish mackerel.
They are also available in many colors. White is a top color, followed closely by olive. But, you should consider a color that matches the water and area foliage you are fishing.
Whether you’re planning to use it for casting or trolling, the Rapala X-Rap works very effectively. It’s also an excellent choice for sport fishing with the use of spinning tackle.
Pros
- Textured translucent body makes its appearance very attractive to spanish mackerel
- It has a great “wounded-minnow” action that predatory fish like spanish mackerel love
- It can be cast or trolled, providing great versatility
- Durable VMC Perma steel hooks provide reliability
Cons
- Struggled to find any really….
2. Nomad Design DTX Minnow Floating Lures
Product Overview
The DTX Minnow Floating lure is an excellent trolling lure. You can use it to catch spanish mackerel, bonito, yellowtail, and many other fish species.
It features a solid and durable design that guarantees many years of excellent performance and it’s pretty easy to use. Just remove from the box and you are good to go.
Moreover, this lure comes as a revolution in trolling minnows. It has remarkable technologies such as the Hydrospeed belly eye, Gorilla Through Wire, and the Nomad Autotone for incredible performance and driving speed.
If you face challenges with getting this lure to the desired depth, it doesn’t mean that’s the end of the road. Instead, you can connect it using a wire and troll it at about 19 knots. The DTX Minnow Floating Lure also works best for offshore trolling.
Pros
- Hydrospeed belly eye is made to offer faster-trolling speeds
- Autotone design provides you access to the optimum water depth
- Comes in two different sizes and up to 19 colors to choose from
- Reliable construction
Cons
- A bit costly
3. Clarkspoon Trolling Spoon Lures
Product Overview
When it comes to fishing spanish mackerel, the Clarkspoon trolling spoons are famous for many anglers. They are long and slender with a tight wiggle design to allow for easy usage.
You can troll them at faster speeds of about 10 knots or even higher. These lures are incredibly light, but this doesn’t limit their ability. That’s because you can use them together with the trolling planers and weights to help you get the lures to desired water depths and columns.
They can also work well for light tackle trolling. If you want to get better action from this lure, you can use a long leader. Clarkspoon trolling spoons are available in lots of different sizes to fit the local forage perfectly.
Pros
- Reasonably priced to suit anglers operating on tighter budgets
- Boasts incredibly durable stainless steel hooks to withstand saltwater use
- Very versatile as they are commonly used to catch bluefish, bonita, strippers, spanish mackerel, and many other species
Cons
- You should use them with trolling weights and planers to get the best results
4. Bass Assassin Sea Shad Baits
Product Overview
Bass Assassin Sea Shad Baits are also one of the best lures for catching spanish mackerel. They feature a soft plastic bait design that attracts nearly all saltwater species, including the spanish mackerel.
These mackerel lures are super easy to use. For instance, you can use it for blind casting while drifting the flats and passes even if you are fishing for other fish species.
They’re also practical for casting into fish schools.
Furthermore, these lures are pretty economical to use. Since spanish mackerels are aggressive feeders, they may sometimes tear up the grub on the first bite.
However, you can replace the Bass Assassin’s shad tail with ease. And if the entire jig gets destroyed, replacing it is very easy and costs less.
They come in bright colors that make them attractive to spanish mackerel. Chartreuse, glow, red, and gold shiner are one of the favorite colors to use. You’re also free to use a quarter, half-ounce, or even larger jigs, depending on the depth of waters you’re fishing in.
Pros
- Unique flat belly design mimics the forage
- Boasts a solid yet short body for durability and increases efficiency
- A paddle tail initiates action, thus appealing to various fish species
- It has a P-enzyme formula that attracts fish
- Offered at affordable prices
Cons
- You must buy the jig head separately
5. Gotcha Lures
Product Overview
This is a renowned and very productive lure for spanish mackerel fishing. Gotcha lure is a typical bait used along the east coast where piers and surf anglers use it extensively.
They often cast a mile, enjoy lots of flashes, and then get a perfect hook-up rate even when you use terrible hooks.
Gotcha lures are affordably priced to fit anglers operating on fixed budgets. It is also effortless to use. Just cast the lure out, let it sink, and retrieve it back as fast as possible with aggressive jerks.
In most cases, the Gotcha lure will flash as it rolls to attract fish like spanish mackerel. If you want to get better results, you may cast it into breaking fish. It’s exceptionally designed to attract and catch spanish mackerel and does it perfectly.
Pros
- Low price point
- Available in chrome finish which is great for attracting spanish mackerel
- Great for long and accurate casts
- An impressive hook-up rate assures great results
Cons
- Colored stickers sometimes come off easily
6. Hoochie Squid Skirt Lures
Product Overview
Hoochie Squid Skirts are another excellent lure for catching various fish species such as spanish mackerel. They are one of the best, most effective, and very productive saltwater trolling lures you can find out there. With this impressive bait, you can catch fish from salmon and mackerel to marlin, halibut, and dorado.
These squids are replaceable. This means that no worries about your bait being beaten by the aggressive spanish mackerel. The Hoochie Squids often troll in water with an irresistible dance below the waves. As a result, they create a lifelike swimming action to attract big fish like mackerel.
They’re excellent lures you can use to target any size of fish species, whether tuna, sailfish, or kingfish, or many more. Interestingly, they feature a soft plastic body and huge glowing eyes, attach to the hooks and lures easily to attract fish.
Pros
- Available in multiple colors to suit different fishing conditions
- Soft body design and glowing eyes easily attract fish
- Economical to use as they are cheap and replaceable
Cons
- Skirts tends to be less durable
7. Sanhu Diamond Jigs
Product Overview
Diamond Jigs have for many years been the favorite lure for saltwater fishing. Their sleek, hydrodynamic design offers remarkable versatility. So, they are universally effective for nearly all types of deepwater jigging, trolling, or casting applications.
Whether you cast them, troll them, or bounce them off, these lures work well.
They are great for catching fish like mackerel, bluefish, codfish, and striped bass. They have top-quality treble hook and triple-chrome plating. These make it flash while trolling in the clear water to entice fish like the spanish mackerel to take a bite.
They have a lightweight design and are great for trolling and casting. Regardless of your fishing area, the Sanhu Diamond Jigs guarantee you the best results. Plus, they are excellent for use on a surf or boat where they get jigged or cast vertically and then retrieved easily.
Pros
- Lightweight, affordable, and easy to use
- Soft body design and glowing eyes easily attract fish
- Economical to use as they are cheap and replaceable
Cons
- Only available in chrome color
What to look for when buying spanish mackerel lures?
The main thing to consider is the feeding habits of spanish mackerel. Spanish mackerels are predatory creatures. They are one of the fastest-moving species of fish and they often engage in a fierce and aggressive fight for food.
They boast large eyes and depend mainly on sight for hunting. Mackerel tend to strike and bite a lure without doing a lot of inspection. They even race against each other and will always grab and start playing with any item at first sight.
So you should consider lures with bright colors or a shiny appearance to capture the spanish mackerel’s attention at first sight. Don’t waste your money and time looking for scented lures, as they won’t have much influence on catching spanish mackerel. To learn more about all the different types of lures that are available check out our other article: Different Types of Fishing Lures Explained.
Other than that, consider the lure’s ability to cover more extensive amounts of water. A mackerel lure that’s a bit heavy and has an aerodynamic design can be an ideal option. Such characteristics will enable you to cast over vast distances and even fish at greater depths.
For a more in-depth look at how to catch spanish mackerel check out our other article: Mackerel Fishing Tips: How to Catch Spanish Mackerel.
Conclusion
Choosing a spanish mackerel lure might seem easy until you discover the overwhelming number of options available when searching online.
Of the products reviewed above, the Rapala X-Rap Saltwater Fishing Lure stands out as the best option. It boasts everything that attracts spanish mackerel and other types of fish.
You’ll find it in multiple bright colors and styles that copy the small forage like glass minnows, herring, and sardines. All of these are spanish mackerel’s favorite food.
In this article, we’ve discussed the 7 best spanish mackerel lures for catching this aggressive fish species. Regardless of the option you choose from this list, you should be getting more strikes and catching more fish in no time.
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