May Mackerel at the Lizard
Kynance Cove: May dawn shoals are running with Joey mackerel
On the Lizard Peninsula the shoals turning off Kynance Cove and Cadgwith Cove are full of Joey mackerel in May, most fish 6–8 inches with the occasional better specimen showing. Dawn light and the flood tide bring the sharpest sport; the middle three hours of flood are the prime window and beaches or rocky gullies read differently but both produce steady action.
Where and when
Kennack Sands fishes best mid‑flood to high water when bait is pushed into the shallows and fat bass sit under the shoals. Mullion Cove's pier and harbour wall give simplest access and reliable harbour marks when sprats funnel through the broken ground. Slack water and the ebb are quieter; anglers head out before first light to meet the incoming tide.
Rig choices
Feathering rigs win early: bright, multi‑hook traces that mimic sandeels provoke fast surface takes from compact May schools. Retrieval should be lively and jerky to trigger strikes. If the shoal scatters or selects, switch to single‑hook small plugs or spoons and light‑troll to target individual fish under birds and swell lines.
Practical notes: cast beyond the breaker line where gulls and razorbills mark feeding, vary sink time to sweep layers, and keep braid or light mono responsive to quick knocks. Numbers build into June with the main surge later in summer; at first light feathers flash along the surfline and gulls peel away as the shoal turns.
Recommended: mini metal plugs