As summer fades and cooler water begins pushing south along the East Coast, one of the most exciting migrations of the year is about to get underway. King mackerel are on the move, and October can be prime time for chasing them.
Known as kingfish or “smokers” to anglers, king mackerel are built for speed. They are powerful predators that spend much of their time chasing baitfish along the coast, and their seasonal movements are closely tied to water temperature and food availability. NOAA Fisheries says kings prefer water warmer than about 68 degrees and migrate north during the summer before heading south for the winter.
For East Coast anglers, that southbound migration is what makes fall so special.
North Carolina’s Division of Marine Fisheries notes that king mackerel move inshore along beaches and near the mouths of inlets and rivers during the summer and fall. The fish follow concentrations of bait such as menhaden, mullet, threadfin herring and sardines, and feeding kings can sometimes be spotted skyrocketing through schools of bait on the surface.
That makes October a great month to start watching the water.
From North Carolina and South Carolina through Georgia and Florida, kingfish can show up anywhere from nearshore structure and artificial reefs to the edges of bait schools farther offshore. A moving body of bait is often a better clue than simply fishing a particular piece of bottom structure.
Trolling remains one of the most popular ways to target them. Live bait such as menhaden, cigar minnows and other locally available baitfish can be deadly, while dead ribbonfish and artificial lures also have their place in the fall kingfish arsenal.
And when a big king decides to eat, things can get exciting in a hurry.
The fall migration also brings tournament anglers out in force. King mackerel support a substantial recreational fishery and are a favorite target in tournaments throughout the Southeast.
For anglers planning October trips, the key is to follow the bait and watch the water temperature. Kings migrate south as conditions change, so the fish that are showing up off one area early in the month may be considerably farther south later in the season.
The good news is that the migration stretches along a huge portion of the Atlantic coast.
And somewhere between the beaches of the Carolinas and the waters of Florida, the next big smoker is already on the move.
October is coming. The kings are coming with it.
