The Ultimate Mackerel Rod
Mackerel fishing equipment always seems to be an afterthought for most New England fishermen. We save our pennies to buy the best quality equipment we can afford and tend to spend on our target species, like striped bass or tuna. Compared to that gear, bait rods get no love. Most people use whatever they have lying around in the basement, a repurposed freshwater rod, or cheap off-the-shelf combos. These most definitely do work, but I found myself in quite a pickle about six years ago when I had to replace a set of mackerel rods for my charter business.
Dan decided to string two full sabiki’s together when our Uncle Chris started talking smack! Having a strong backbone is paramount when choosing a rod for mackerel.
At the time, I had a great set of off-the-shelf mackerel rods. I had matching six-foot Ugly Stik spinning rods with the perfect blend of softness not to pull hooks and toughness to swing a full string of horse mackerel into the boat. They had served me well since high school through my first few years as a guide. Unfortunately, mackerel rods on a Merrimack River charter boat get beat to hell over time, and we were due for a fresh set. Guides started chipping, the reel seat glue failed, and the entire set was cosmetically trashed. Well, bad timing on my part because Ugly Stik had just discontinued the model I was using and totally revamped their new lineup. I did not like the new models as they were too heavy, too bulky, and I couldn't find a blank with similar action to what I previously had.
So the search began. I spent a lot of time researching rods online and at the tackle shops. As I was looking around, I thought deeply about the characteristics I would want in the perfect mackerel rod for a charter boat. Here is what I came up with:
Fiberglass Blank - Fiberglass is the definition of old school in the fishing world. The blank tends to be heavier than their composite or graphite counterparts but more durable. The softness in the bend (known as the "action" of the rod. For mackerel rods, look for slow or medium action) reduces the risk of pulling the hooks out as you lift the mackerel onto the boat. Also, these blanks do not break. They are tough, can be high-sticked with no issues, and I don't feel bad when they get thrown around the boat when the bite is hot.
6'6 or shorter - Usually, I have 4 - 5 people jigging for mackerel. I found the shorter rods are easier to manage on the boat. Since we do not need to cast far or accurately, a longer rod in this case is not advantageous.
Sabiki Storage - I use dedicated mackerel rods on my boat, keep the sabikis on, and change every couple of days. I looked into sabiki rods (The kind where you can reel a sabiki up into the hollow blank) but they are too one dimensional for me, too long, and too cumbersome. So, how can I store a sabiki without a tangled mess? With my older ugly sticks, I just use to hook the jig into the foam handle, but it makes the rod look terrible.
Inexpensive - I was shooting for $50 or less because there is no real tactical advantage to a more expensive rod when mackerel fishing. Plus with all the banging around that happens, I’d hate to snap a $200 Temple Fork Outfitters type of rod.
As my quest continued, I couldn't find anything that hit those parameters. I could not find one rod that I liked that had the perfect action, lightweight, and ergonomics that I had sought after. The dream of a unique hook holder system was looking more and more to be just that, a dream.
It became clear that it would be necessary to build my rods to get what I wanted. I also came up with a simple idea that would tremendously benefit sabiki storage.
I settled on a blank made by Rainshadow. As a matter of fact, most of my rod builds are on Rainshadow blanks. It is a solid fiberglass blank model number .385"X.105"X78". It is rated for 12 - 20 pound line, has a medium action, and weighs 7 oz (still pretty heavy overall, but not for a fiberglass rod). I decided to go with metal framed guides to keep the overall cost down. I use mono and light drag on my mackerel reels, so I am not concerned about friction or heat build-up. However, I do use a regular tip-top with a ceramic ring for a little extra toughness and protection.
The metal ring guide offers a cheap alternative to ring guides. Using mono mainline and not having to cast, allow us to use less expensive options with no drop in functionality.
What got me excited was thinking about how I was planning to store the sabikis! I planned to use a split-style rear grip that the freshwater bass guys were doing at the time. The split-grip was essential to the overall design. It elongated the usable surface of the blank. It allowed me to wrap a drop-shot style hook keeper towards the end of my rod butt, effectively giving the rod another 15 inches or so of usable space to anchor the sabiki. Now using nearly the entire rod length, I could stretch my sabiki down the blank to an easy resting place without it swinging around dangerously. There is nothing worse than getting sabiki hooks stuck all over your clothes and your skin!
The split rear grip
Close up of the drop-shot hook holder.
Hook your standing lines together so they don’t get caught on anything or anyone!
A bead before your swivel/clip protects your tip top guide and doesn’t allow one to reel the sabiki through the guides.
I just finished building a fresh set exactly how I made them years ago. These rods have proven extremely tough, easy to store, lightweight, and super cheap. Once you own the rod building equipment, the overall cost per rod is about $40 with a couple of hours' build time. Rod building is a fun hobby, and starting with mackerel rods is great because they do not need to be perfect.
Looking at the factors of off-the-shelf rods compared to what you can create for less money and some time, to me, is a no-brainer. These rods’ ability to store the sabiki and have the perfect action and weight make my mackerel fishing more efficient and enjoyable. Plus, it's always fun fishing with the gear you made yourself! Check out the video overview below!
Capt. Mike also builds his mackerel rods like this now. Since he is a much cleaner rod builder than I am, he will be writing an upcoming blog on building a mackerel rod from scratch in our Member's Only section. It will also include a components build sheet with measurements!
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