Donna Gowen fights a smoker king off Miami while the rest of the crew looks on.

It's best to look for winter kings from Dade County south to Key West or the Dry Tortugas. As spring rolls in, the fish work their way north, one group moving into the Gulf of Mexico and up the west coast of the state and the other working north along the Atlantic seaboard. Scientists believe there are at least two migratory groups of king mackerel, both wintering from Cape Canaveral to Key West, and then going their separate ways once warmer temperatures prevail.

Kings also possess a keen sense of smell. Examine the face of a king mackerel closely, and you'll realize how prominently the nostrils stand out. You can fish for years and not notice that fish have nostrils, but indeed, despite the fact that fish breathe by moving oxygenated water across their gills, they still have noses. You don't have to want to be a millionaire or burn up a lifeline to be able to conclude that the nostrils are there to get the scoop on the stink.

No one knows how extensive that olfactory sense might be, but it's plain as the nose on your face that kings can find oily baitfish with enough consistency to merit a keen attraction to something fishy. As baitfish are consumed, their bodies release oil into the water column, often creating a slick. Once a king crosses that slick, it's just a short swim upcurrent to the chow line.

That's why you'll see I.V. bags and meat grinders on the stern of a boat belonging to a tournament kingfisherman. Get a good oil slick going, add a few tidbits and a half-dozen livies, and something is going to die. Odds are, it'll be at the mercy of a slashing kingfish.

Of all the king's superior senses, sight is the most formidable. These fish use keen vision to determine what lives and dies and what eats pie. Anglers know it's the one sense that will make or break a strike. Long wire leaders are a necessity to combat the fish's dental armature, but use more than a foot of No. 3 or No. 4 copper colored wire, and some days it won't mean a thing, cause it can't fool a king.

Hooks are another feature that a kingfish will eyeball in the split second it determines whether to strike or take a hike. Some anglers favor a 2/0 or 4/0 single hook as the lead hook, while others opt for an extra strong treble.

The tendency for a kingfish to tail-strike a bait calls for a second stinger hook, one small enough to go unnoticed alongside the rear of the bait. If a king decides to terrorize your bait with the slash and dash, odds are good the stinger is going to catch some skin in the mouth or on the outside of the fish's face. That's where the use of light line and a loose drag comes into play. Use the standard bluewater outfit and drag settings, and a skin-hooked king will rip loose quicker than you can say, "Fish On! Look at that mother run!" But, drop down to 15- or 20-pound line, and three pounds of drag, and you'll be screaming louder than the reel.

Now when it comes to king cuisine, it's rather obvious that if it has fins, it's a potential snack, Spanish mackerel included. One of the largest kingfish I've ever seen was a 53-poundeer that ate a live lookdown. I've seen some big ones that fell for croakers, shrimp and even a small weakfish. But given the choice, the herring, jack and mullet families probably top the menu, with a side order of ribbonfish thrown in for good measure.

The common denominators for these bait species are a high body oil content and an instinctual need to travel in schools. Put enough food in one area, and something is going to come by and ring the dinner bell. Concentrate that food source for months at a time, and the chow line is sure to be long, and if the water temperature remains constant, the kingfish bite might be continuous.

Food supplies vary throughout the state, as do the kingfish bites. Northeast Florida kings will summer on the beachfront pogie schools, while the larger loner kings ravage the artificial reefs. Farther south, the summer threadfin and Spanish sardine schools in 20 to 50 feet of water draw the smokers, and the natural reefs and bars lure the schoolies.

The sewer outflows off Dade County are outstanding areas to offer up a pilchard or jumbo shrimp, and once you head south, the fish work the reef lines from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas for ballyhoo and jumbo blue runners.

West coast anglers target their largest kingfish in the shipping channels, along inlet tidelines and on the natural and artificial reefs. Move up to Clearwater, and just about any stretch of hard bottom that holds bait will draw the ire of a marauding king.

Panhandle kings are notorious for following the bait schools, be they offshore in 100 feet of water or in along the 30- or 40-foot ledges. They like to shadow the Spanish mackerel schools near shore, feeding on their smaller cousins.

Each area has its own natural kingfish attractions, be they a dirty-water color change just outside an inlet or a dog-leg reef or bar with adjacent dropoff. What really determines where the kingfish like to roam are food, water temperatures and structure.

Kingfish might not possess the table qualities of a dolphin or wahoo, but their power and pop have made them an offshore and nearshore Florida favorite. Catch a small king and put it on the grill, and you've got a darn good meal. Land a big king and send it to the smoker, and you've got snacks and dip for a week, and a fishing story that may last a lifetime.