Best ways, set up to catch mackerel off a pier?

Question

fishing hooks, jig, line set up

Answer 1

Cast a ling of feathers and retrieve at various speeds and depths. Beware that you may end up with 5 or 6 at a time.

Answer 2

Assuming you're asking about the small (foot-long or so) Pacific mackerel, or similar fish elsewhere:

Rig with a multi-hook rig like the Sabiki (link below), with about a 2-ounce sinker, and cast or drop it off the pier. Try various depths, working it up and down in short jerks, and the mackerel (if they're around) will bite onto it. If the fish are hungry, you might get several at a time. If the bite's slow, sometimes putting a piece of cut bait (anchovy, squid, even a chunk of mackerel) on one or two of the hooks will help. For mackerel you don't need heavy line, anything from 8 to 20 pound test will do.