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Editor's note: David A. Brown has a B.A. in journalism from the University of South Florida and you can see his work in Florida Sportsman, FLWOutdoors.com, Cabela's Outfitter Journal, TIDE, In-Fisherman, Louisiana Sportsman, The St. Petersburg Times and Saltwater Angler. He also ghost-wrote and published "Fish Smart — Catch More!" for Tampa's cable TV host Capt. Bill Miller (www.billmiller.com) and a couple more publishing projects will be docking soon. He operates a professional writing/marketing agency, Tight Line Communications.

Appetite and attitude, with the weapons to back it all up — that's a Spanish mackerel. Built for speed and born to bite, macks are common Gulf of Mexico catches in all but the depths of winter when most are tucked comfortably in the warm waters of the Florida Keys. However, fall finds massive aggregations of these fish staging around the passes and inlets from Tarpon Springs south to Charlotte Harbor.

A utilitarian species with sporting potential for anglers of all skill level, mackerel will be following schools of scaled sardines, threadfin herring and Spanish sardines as they work their way southward to warmer wintering grounds. Inlets and passes tend to attract passing bait schools, while outgoing tides flush even more chow through these food funnels.

Look for mackerel schools around central Gulf portals such as Clearwater Pass (Clearwater), John's Pass (Treasure Island), Pass-A-Grille (St. Petersburg Beach), Egmont Ship Channel (mouth of Tampa Bay), Big Pass (Sarasota), and Boca Grande Pass (mouth of Charlotte Harbor). Macks will ride the incoming tides into the bays and harbors, where they feed just fine. However, the falling tides round up loads of baitfish and squirt them through concentrated points.

Mackerel eat from the sand to the surface, but their main strategy is to round up a pod of baitfish, run them topside and then blast the helpless minnows when they run out of room. Surfacing bait schools dimple the water and from a distance, the activity looks like concentrated rain (hence the phrase "raining bait schools.") Waves of leaping baits and violent white water slashes mean the macks are attacking.

Top Tactics

My longtime friend Capt. Van Hubbard guides the Charlotte Harbor area, where mackerel have been a dependable standby for many years. Hubbard said the fall gatherings have already started, with recent days offering action so steady it was nearly a fish on every cast.

"We caught them on bait, jigs — you could have even fished bare gold hooks and caught them," Hubbard said.

Most anglers catch their macks with one of these methods:

Trolling: This is a good way to cover water and locate active fish, or target a promising area. Drag spoons, jigs or diving plugs at 3-4 knots, but slow down to idle speed for live baits. Reefs, rock piles and channel edges are good spots to target, as are surfacing bait schools.

About 18 inches of No. 2-3 wire leader helps repel the mackerel's formidable choppers, while also guarding against tail-whipping — the beating effect of a mack's rigid tail fins against your line. In clear water, macks can become leader-shy, so replace the wire with 30- to 40-pound fluorocarbon. Fluoro offers less bite resistance, but it's low-visibility makeup will get you more strikes from spooky fish. With live baits, you can increase your chances of preventing bite-offs by using long shank hooks.

Anchor & Chum: When you know where the mackerel are schooling, anchor uptide of the spot, hang a frozen chum block in a mesh bag from a stern cleat and drop small chunks of chopped baitfish into the current. The smell of fresh food will rally nearby fish and call in others from afar. Free line or float live baits into your chum slick and leave the rods in rod holders. Mackerel will hook themselves, so the rod holder strategy ensures a solid connection. When the rod stays bent, lift and wind.)

The same logic of leaders and long shank hooks applies here, as well.

Casting Artificials: Whether it's your primary presentation, or a secondary activity while anchored, fan casting spoons, jigs or Gotcha plugs around the boat will nab macks. Fly fishermen can enjoy their share of the fun, especially when the fish rise to the surface. Capt. Rick Grassett of Sarasota reports his clients catching mackerel on his signature Grassett's Snook Minnow fly, as well as Ultra Hair Clousers, Crease flies and Bubblehead poppers.

However you hook your mackerel, you can expect blistering runs and lots of frantic dashing and diving as your captive approaches the boat. Remember: mackerel teeth are just a sharp out of the water as they are in the water. Fingertips that venture too close to the surgical tools are subject to amputation. You'll need those fingers to wind in the next mackerel, so stay clear and stay safe.