by Capt. Tom Bailas
Spring is here and I have been patiently awaiting the water temperatures to warm up. The baitfish will be moving through in mass quantities. Along with the bait, the Spanish and king mackerels will soon be following behind. This month I am going to give some advice: “How to consistently catch smokers kings”.
The target areas for king fish are as follows: structures, wrecks, live hard bottom and ledges. First thing needed is a baitwell full of live cigar minnows, blue runners or Spanish sardines. Most artificial reefs or wrecks will hold a bunch of bait. Anchor up and put a chum bag out and sabiki as many baits as possible. The tackle needed will be 20 lb. spinning gear or a conventional. For my rigging, I like to tie a Bimini twist tied with a surgeon’s knot to a 40lb mono leader or cable rig. Big king fish will cut through thin wire, so I use a minimum of 40lb wire. You will want to set your drag light, as kings have soft mouths and make lightning fast runs.
The methods I use is to either stay anchored up and fish free-lining live baits as you bottom fish or the most effective way is to slow troll live baits at an average speed of 1.5 – 2 miles per hour. You can also use a downrigger while you troll as well. King fish move very fast and some days you can catch them in 30’ of water and other days you will have to go out to about 50’ to find them. There are no fences out there, so you never know what might bite your lines. Do not be surprised to catch maybe a black fin tuna, cobia, shark, amberjack or an occasional sailfish.
Remember to always follow the state and federal regulations, as they change frequently when quotas are met. You should take only what you need, to ensure the fishing for future generations to come.
Good luck ad I hope the article will help you catch more king fish this season!
Happy fishing!
Captain Tom Bailas
Or Facebook @TNTFISHINGCHARTERSVENICE
941-587-2028