Does the McDonald's straw trick really work for Spanish mackerel?

Yes. The bright red and yellow colors of McDonald's straws mimic the flash and silhouette of small baitfish. When threaded onto sabiki hooks and retrieved quickly, the straw pieces flutter and flash in the water, triggering the aggressive feeding instinct of Spanish mackerel. It is a well-known technique among pier anglers along the Gulf Coast and Southeast Atlantic.

What size hooks should I use for Spanish mackerel?

Use size 6 to size 2 gold sabiki hooks for Spanish mackerel. Gold hooks work best because they add additional flash. Standard sabiki rigs with six hooks work well, but some anglers prefer custom-tied rigs with only 3-4 hooks to reduce tangles on the pier.

The McDonald's Straw Trick for Spanish Mackerel

An old timer on the Navarre Beach Pier in Florida taught me this one, and I thought he was messing with me. "Go to McDonald's, grab a handful of straws, and cut 'em into one-inch pieces." I laughed. He wasn't laughing. Thirty minutes later, he had a cooler full of Spanish mackerel, and I had zero. I've been using the straw trick ever since.

The McDonald's straw hack is one of those pier fishing secrets that sounds too dumb to work — until you try it. It costs nothing, takes two minutes to set up, and catches Spanish mackerel as well as (sometimes better than) expensive artificial lures. Here's exactly how to do it, why it works, and when to use it.

Why McDonald's Straws Work

Spanish mackerel are aggressive, visual predators. They chase schools of small baitfish — glass minnows, silversides, bay anchovies — that are typically 1-2 inches long, silvery, and move in fast, erratic bursts. A one-inch piece of bright red or yellow straw, threaded onto a gold sabiki hook and retrieved quickly through the water, mimics exactly that: a small, flashy, fast-moving baitfish.

The red and yellow colors of McDonald's straws are perfect because they create contrast against the blue-green water. The straw material is slightly translucent, so it catches and refracts light as it moves — creating the same flash effect as a small baitfish turning on its side. Add in the erratic action of a fast retrieve, and it triggers the mackerel's chase instinct hard.

What You Need

McDonald's straws — the classic red-and-yellow striped ones are ideal. Grab 5-10 straws next time you're through the drive-thru. Sonic, Wendy's, and any other bright-colored fast food straws work too.
Sabiki rig — gold hook sabiki rigs, size 6-2. Gold hooks add flash. You can find these at any pier bait shop or grab a multi-pack on Amazon.
Light spinning rod — 7-foot medium-light to medium action. You need enough flex to cast the light sabiki rig and enough backbone to handle a running mackerel. A solid spinning combo under $50 is all you need.
10-15lb monofilament or braid — mono is more forgiving and easier to manage with sabiki rigs. If you use braid, add a 20lb fluorocarbon leader — mackerel have sharp teeth and keen eyesight.
1-2oz weight — clip a small bank sinker to the bottom of the sabiki rig for casting distance.
Scissors — for cutting straws on the pier.

Step-by-Step: The Straw Trick

Cut the straws. Snip McDonald's straws into 1-inch pieces. You want roughly one piece per hook on your sabiki rig — usually 6 hooks means 6 straw pieces.
Thread onto hooks. Slide one straw piece onto each sabiki hook, pushing it up past the barb so it sits on the shank. The straw should spin freely — don't jam it on tight.
Add the weight. Clip your 1-2oz sinker to the snap at the bottom of the sabiki rig.
Cast out. Cast the rig as far as you can off the pier. Let it sink for 2-3 seconds — mackerel often feed in the top 10 feet of the water column.
Fast retrieve with jerks. This is the key. Reel fast with sharp, erratic rod tip twitches every 2-3 cranks. You're mimicking a school of panicked baitfish. Slow retrieves do not work for mackerel — they want speed.
Set the hook. When a mackerel hits, you'll know. They slam it. Keep reeling — they hook themselves on sabiki rigs. Don't stop reeling until the fish is at the pier.

Best Times and Places

Spanish mackerel are most active early morning (first light to 9am) and late afternoon (4pm to sunset). That's when bait schools are most visible near piers, and mackerel are feeding aggressively. If you see birds diving or bait jumping at the surface — that's your signal. Get a straw rig in the water immediately.

The best piers for this technique are along the Florida Gulf Coast (Navarre, Pensacola, Okaloosa Island, Fort Walton), the Carolinas (Kure Beach, Jennette's, Seaview), and the Gulf Coast (Gulf State Pier in Alabama, Galveston piers in Texas). Any pier where Spanish mackerel run — this trick works.

Variations That Also Work

The McDonald's straw is the classic, but pier anglers have experimented with all kinds of straws and gotten results:

Sonic straws — the bright red Sonic straws are thicker and slightly more durable. Some anglers swear they last longer.
Wendy's straws — red with white stripes. The white adds a different flash pattern.
Colored craft straws — pink, chartreuse, and orange craft straws from the dollar store work just as well. Chartreuse is especially effective in murky water.
Mylar tinsel — if you can't find straws, small pieces of Christmas tinsel on sabiki hooks produce the same flash effect.

Pro Tips from Pier Regulars

✓ Double up on busy days. Thread two straw pieces on each hook (different colors) for extra flash. Red + yellow is the classic combo.
✓ Bring a wire leader for kings. If king mackerel are around, they'll hit your straw rig too — and bite through mono instantly. Have a wire leader (Our Pick on Amazon) ready to swap on.
✓ Watch the bait schools. When you see bait jumping or swirling near the surface, that's mackerel pushing them up. Cast into the edge of the bait school — not the middle.
✓ Replace straws often. After a few fish, the straws get torn and lose their flash. Swap them out every 3-4 fish for best results.
✓ Ice your catch immediately. Spanish mackerel are oily fish that spoil fast in the heat. Bring a cooler (Our Pick on Amazon) with ice and bleed the fish as soon as you land them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the McDonald's straw trick really work?

Yes. It's a proven technique used by pier anglers from Pensacola to the Outer Banks. The red and yellow straw pieces mimic small baitfish when retrieved quickly on sabiki hooks. It won't replace live bait in every situation, but when mackerel are schooling and feeding aggressively, it's often the fastest way to fill a cooler.

What size hooks for Spanish mackerel?

Size 6 to size 2 gold sabiki hooks work best. Gold adds flash, which mackerel respond to. Standard sabiki rigs from the bait shop work fine — just make sure the hooks are sharp and the rig is fresh (old rigs get rusty and brittle).

When is Spanish mackerel season?

Spanish mackerel season runs from late April through October along the Southeast coast and Gulf of Mexico. Peak fishing is June through September. In South Florida, they can be caught year-round as the schools overwinter in warm waters.

Next time you're at the drive-thru, grab a handful of extra straws. Your fishing buddies will laugh at you — right up until you start pulling in mackerel while they're still rigging up their $15 lures. The best things in pier fishing are free.

The McDonald's Straw Trick: How to Catch Spanish Mackerel from Any Pier