I would also agree with Paul too, fish light and you will have a great time. I would have to say that Mackerel, Pollack and Wrasse can be great sport when fished on light gear. Pound for pound more fight in them than Codling and I would class all of them as "real fish" too, whatever a real fish is lol.
We all know that there are the mindless idiots that go out each year and catch loads of Mackerel, leaving them all day on the piers to go off in the sun, catching far more than anyone with a tiny bit of common sense would do and quite often just leaving them when they go home. Lets not go tarring everyone that likes to go out fishing for Mackerel with the same brush though, It's something I have enjoyed since I first started fishing and hopefully something I will manage to do again this year. Nothing nicer on a hot day than to stand on a pier and attempt catch a few, much better than being at work or being sat in front of the bloody television lol.
You can sometimes fish all day with a spinner and for some strange reason not get a touch, stick some feathers on and instantly get a take. When I go I always take both, if the lures don't work I will cut some feathers in two and try them. I usually go with just two as on a light rod you wouldn't get them out of the water if you got a full house lol. I still think though that float fishing for any of the afor mentioned fish with a float has to be one of the most exciting ways of fishing, especially if you are closer to the water
I also have a couple of telescopic rods and if you hook a Mackerel on one of them then you have to play the fish for a while before you can land it as the rods are not strong enough to bully the fish to the shore, that is also great fun and it also gives the fish more of a fighting chance too.
Jim.