This is the time of the year when we are all anxiously awaiting the kingfish run. Thanksgiving is the time frame that the big kings come in and the fishing really starts to heat up as our temperatures cool. Commercial kingfishing season starts up as well, so let’s give the guys doing their “circles” a little bit of room. Plenty of kings to go around. The bait has been sketchy to say the least. One day has been one throw of the net and the next day has been a struggle. If you cannot get bunker, try a box of cigar minnows and troll those. Skirts in a few colors help make the baits look a little better. Be sure to use a good swivel while doing this. Spinning minnows can mess your line up pretty good, a swivel will help straighten it out. If you want to stick around the beach there has been acres of glass minnows where you will find Spanish mackerel, jacks, blues and even redfish and snook. You really have to match the hatch so to speak on this. If they’re feeding on mullet then use live mullet. If they’re on the glass minnows then use small Clark spoons, tiny buck tails or those Tsunami lures that are thin and shiny.
Mahi should be seen more frequently near the 160-foot depths. There have also been some decent weed lines out there and if you can find that “yellow brick road” you will do just fine. I like to use small islander lures and small chuggers. You can tip them with strip baits (bonita) or ballyhoo. I have noticed that if you use smaller baits the hookups have increased.
