The 10 Best Spanish Mackerel Lures (Yes, They Work!)

Spanish mackerel are fast and powerful fish that are known for their aggressive reaction strikes. They are often found in inshore and nearshore waters, making them excellent gamefish to target from land or a small boat.

Spanish mackerel will readily bite a variety of lures, but are attracted by fast, bright, and flashy lures that draw a lot of attention.

Afterall, they are fast-swimming predators! Here are 10 of the best Spanish Mackerel lures that are sure to get a bite.

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Table of Contents

• Got-Cha Plug
• X-Rap 
• Crystal Minnow
• Glass Minnow
• Clarkspoon
• Crippled Herring
• Skitter Walk
• Krocodile Spoon
• Jerk Shadz
• Deadly Dick
• Final Thoughts

Got-Cha Plug

Got-Cha Plugs are a type of staple surf fishing lure that has worked for over 100 years. 

They consist of a lead head with a metal tube-shaped body. Gotcha Plugs come in a variety of sizes, colors, and configurations to fit any fishing conditions.

With a heavy and aerodynamic design, these lures are able to be cast far out to where the fish are feeding.

On their own, these lures have little action. The secret is in how you work the lure. Cast out your Got-Cha Plug and let it sink to the desired depth, then retrieve it at a steady pace as you twitch the rod tip in variable intervals.

This method of retrieval gives the lure an erratic side-to-side twitch that entices fish in for a reaction bite.

Try mixing up the retrieve when the fish are finicky by giving it a tighter twitch or jigging it vertically in the water column.

I recommend the silver and gold colored Got-Cha Plugs for Spanish mackerel as they are attracted to shiny lures and the added flash draws fish in from farther away, especially if water conditions are murkier than usual.

These work great from shore but are especially effective from piers because of how well they present vertically.

See also: Tips And Tricks When Trolling For Spanish Mackerel.

X-Rap

The Rapala X-Rap is a slash bait with an aggressive wobble and a side-to-side tracking action. It’s great for when the Spanish mackerel are excitable and want a lively meal.

X-Raps come in a range of sizes and diving depths. I would recommend the original X-Rap XR08 and XR10 as these sizes mimic the natural forage of Spanish mackerel. Choose a color that best mimics the baitfish in your area.

To fish the X-Rap, retrieve it quickly and give it large twitches and jerks to produce the slashing action. Pausing it occasionally is helpful to trigger finicky fish into biting.

Crystal Minnow

The Yo-Zuri Crystal minnow is a shallow diving jerk bait with a tight wobble and weights on the inside that rattles to draw in fish with sound as well as visual presentation. 

It can be fished with a traditional twitch, twitch, pause technique, but when fishing for Spanish Mackerel I prefer to reel fast and let the lure do all the action. The high speed and rapid wobble draw the fish in and activate their predatory instincts to attack.

I would recommend the 3 ½ inch size in one of the 3D models to give the lure extra flash to trigger bites. 

This lure is great for fish feeding high in the water column in clear or murky conditions.

Glass Minnow

Tsunami Glass Minnows are a classic lure for catching Spanish mackerel from the pier. They consist of a long weighted jig head with shiny mylar skirts trailing behind.

You can cast and retrieve or vertically jig them. Change your style depending on the location of the fish in the water column.

Bounce the Glass Minnow around at variable intervals in order to trigger bites. When jigged, the reflective skirts shimmer and sway to mimic a fleeing baitfish.

Use these lures in clear water conditions for the best results.

Clarkspoon

Original Clarkspoons are another tried and true classic for catching Spanish mackerel. They are effective when trolling, from the pier, or in the surf.

The Clarkspoon is just a thin diamond-shaped piece of metal with a bead, a swivel, and a single J hook. These lures are simple but amazingly effective.

When casting, just retrieve at a medium pace to let the lure flutter around. This will allow the metal to glint in the sunlight and catch the eye of any hungry Spanish mackerel.

When trolling, attack these lures to a planer to keep them under the surface and tow them at around 6 knots.

Crippled Herring

The Luhr-Jensen Crippled Herring is a metal jig that can be fished in a variety of ways from a straight retrieve to a dead stick flutter.

These lures just consist of a flat, baitfish-shaped piece of metal with a line tie on one end and a single hook on the other end. They come in many colors and weights to fit any water condition. 

My preferred way to fish these for Spanish mackerel is to cast from the bank as far as you can and burn it back in at the quickest speed that will still allow it to swim under the surface. 

When fished this way the Crippled Herring has a slight wobble that reflects light off its metallic finish to imitate a struggling fish.

Flashy lures such as this can work great when Spanish mackerel are running along their natural range!

Skitter Walk

The Rapala Skitter Walk is a topwater spook-style lure that is great for any topwater-feeding saltwater species. 

This lure consists of a floating, oblong-shaped body with rattles and a zig-zagging action. To make this lure “walk the dog” reel it in at a steady speed and rhythmically twitch your rod tip to bring the head of the lure toward the center of its path. 

This retrieval style takes some practice in order to get the timing right, but once you have it down it is super effective for topwater Spanish mackerel.

Use these lures during lowlight conditions for maximum effectiveness.

Krocodile Spoon

The Luhr-Jensen Krocodile Spoon is among the most versatile spoons for any saltwater application. 

These spoons are just a concave, rounded strip of metal with a large treble hook on the back.

They come in a variety of colors and weights. I prefer silver when fishing for Spanish mackerel. You should choose your weight based on your water depth and current conditions. 

I like to cast these out and retrieve them at a medium speed to give the spoon a fluttery wobble that scatters lots of light into the surrounding water.

If you see a school of feeding mackerel, drop this spoon in the middle and let it flutter down to imitate a wounded baitfish sinking.

Jerk Shadz

While soft plastics might not hold up to Spanish mackerel’s teeth as well as spoons and plugs, they are still greatly effective at attracting bites. 

The Z-Man Jerk Shadz is a fluke-style soft jerk bait with an especially durable makeup compared to other soft plastic baits. It consists of a narrow body that tapers down to a forked tail.

I like to fish these on a ⅛ -⅜ oz jig head by casting out, letting it sink for a few seconds, then retrieving at a medium-fast pace while twitching the rod tip side to side. This gives the lure an erratic dashing motion that triggers the bite reflex.

You may also like: Are Spanish Mackerel Good To Eat? Well, It Depends…

Deadly Dick

The Deadly Dick spoon is a long and thin spoon with a swivel and a single treble. They often have different colored decals and eye spots. I would recommend the number 1 or 2 depending on the setup you are using to cast it.

These spoons are great for casting extremely far when the fish are feeding away from shore. Sling a Deadly Dick out and rip it back in to get Spanish Mackerel fired up and ready to strike. 

This retrieval will cause the lure to spin and gleam to imitate the twitches of a baitfish.

Since these spoons have such a thin profile, they are best used on clear days so the fish can key in on them more easily.

Final Thoughts

If I had to pick one lure from this list, it would be the Got-Cha Plug. I’m a sucker for old-fashioned lures that stand the test of time, and the Got-Cha plug is just that.

Plus, they are fun to cast and fish because of the nonstop action- reel it fast, slow, pop the rod tip, jerk it side to side, etc.

Anyway, go dig through your tackle box and find something shiny and rattly or check out these links to get hooked up on your next fishing trip!