There are several methods to lure and catch King mackerel, including straight trolling at seven to ten knots. You can deploy a variety of baits, but popular baits that bring plenty of fish are Spoons, Halco, and Clark.
What is the best speed to troll for king mackerel?
When trolling for kings with live bait, the best trolling speed is between 1-3 knots. Bumping the boat into and out of gear is a common technique for accomplishing this. Straight trolling at seven to ten knots is one strategy of attracting and catching King mackerel.
What do you catch king mackerel with?
Silvery live baits such pilchards, threadfin herring, menhaden, mullet and blue runners are preferable to dead baits, according to virtually all top tournament anglers. However, live bait is not always easily obtained, so these same anglers also bring frozen baits such as cigar minnows, ribbonfish and Spanish mackerel.
What depth do you troll for mackerel?
Most opt to troll at around 5-6Kts and run a selection of colours to see what is hot on a particular day.
What size hooks for king mackerel?
A hook size between four and one-tenth of an inch is recommended, along with a small amount of bright or dark dressing (yellow, silver, red, black, and dark green are all very effective). This is the best option for imitating the tiny sandeels that mackerel frequently snack on, and it is also the most affordable.
How do you slow troll for king mackerel?
Try slow trolling around the bait for 15 or 20 minutes. If this doesn’t work, go to the next plan. The Canaveral buoy line provides structure for both baitfish and predators. Slow trolling up one side and down the other of this line, or try zig-zagging across it (stay out of the way of large vessels).
Do king mackerels bite at night?
Kings like to hang out on natural bottom, reefs, wrecks, edges and FADS. Kings hang out in any area that hold bait fish. Kings bite throughout the day; exceptions to this are full moon times.
What lures to use for kingfish?
The most effective for larger kingfish have been the Nomad Stick bait and popper range. The Nomad Riptide has amazing action and a reputable lure for a large range of pelagics. Sinking hard bodies are the go to when fish are not feeding or pushing bait to the surface.
What should I troll for kingfish?
The most effective lures for kingfish tend to be those that wobble or wiggle instead of spinning. This narrows the field down to bibbed and bibless minnows, lead-headed rubber/plastic-tailed jigs, and specially designed and weighted lure-bait combinations such as Bait-o-matics.
What do king mackerel eat?
King mackerel are carnivores, feeding on fish, squid, and shrimp. They’re voracious feeders and have been observed leaping out of the water in pursuit of prey. Juvenile and larger pelagic fish feed on smaller king mackerel. Bottlenose dolphins and large fish, such as sharks and tunas, feed on adult king mackerel.
What size planer do I need for king mackerel?
Planers used for Kingfish start with a size one and go to size four. The number of the planer dictates a 10 foot increment, and so a number one would dive ten feet and a number two would dive twenty feet, etc. The leader of choice is 80lb monofilament leader. Kingfish are caught every year with these baits.
What is the best tide to catch mackerel?
spring high tide
The best tide for mackerel fishing is a spring high tide. These are tides when the difference between high water and low water is at its greatest, and the flow of water is strongest. Big tides push bait fish closer into shore and mackerel follow them in.
How fast do you trawl for mackerel?
As for a trolling speed, I would recommend around 4-6 knots, however, if you are finding fish on your sounder and not getting strikes, speeding up to 8 knots can be very effective.
What pound leader is mackerel?
Fluorocarbon leaders that range from 25 to 50 pound test line have become common for Spanish mackerel fishing. Because most Spanish mackerel will be in the 2 to 3 pound range, you will most likely only need 8 to 12 pound test line as your main line, which is why the leader is so important.
How fast should you troll for kingfish?
When targeting kingfish, we always troll a little bit slower than usual. For many species, 6-8 knots is fine. For kings, 3-5 knots seems to be the sweet spot.
What size hooks for kingfish?
Hook sizes are typically 7/0 to 12/0, depending on bait size. Livebait patterns are perfect for livebaiting, but any strong short-shank hook, including circle hooks, is fine. Overhead or good quality spinning reels with the line capacity and drag performance to handle kingfish can be used.
What water temperature do king mackerel like?
68- to 73-degree
Deep or shallow, they’ll seek out 68- to 73-degree temperatures where they are comfortable. Watch the water temperature charts, and fish by them. Find the right temperature and an abundance of baitfish, and putting out a spread of baits will tell you quickly if there are king mackerel around.
Do king mackerel fight hard?
When the mackerel spots their prey they attack head-on and hard. They’re quick and aggressive. This makes for a fun and challenging catch.
Do mackerel feed in the dark?
A few species do not generally feed in the dark and they include wrasse, plaice, mullet and mackerel, although there are exceptions. Calm, clear nights are generally more productive than when the sea is rough and coloured because the fish often feed much closer to shore in daylight in such conditions.
Does light attract mackerel?
Some fish, such as mackerel and octopus, are susceptible to glare, because the bait they eat is small creatures that are phototaxis to low light such as moonlight and lights.
What is the best size reel for kingfish?
Spinning reels from medium to large 4000-10000 are suitable for catching snapper and kingfish. A medium 4000 size reel is great for inshore lure fishing, while a large 10000 size spinning reel is better suited to fishing with bait for bigger kingfish and northern species like red emperor and coral trout.
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