Have you ever seen a thick kingfish skyrocket with a Spanish mackerel gripped firmly in its jaws? Usually these are big fish, 30 pounds and up, that may refuse to strike other trolled baits. They'll take you by surprise, exploding out of the water when you least expect it, ignoring traditional live baits in favor of a juicy, oily mackerel.

The treble-rigged Spanish mackerel bait addresses this kingly craving. For tournament anglers and weekenders alike, it's the proverbial ace-in-the-hole for boxing the biggest king of the season.

Using Spanish mackerel for bait is nothing new. However, rigging them with treble hooks, and getting the desired action while slow-trolling at idle speed is. Rigging a dead Spanish to swim at one knot is difficult. There is ingenuity in this rig, since the bait does not skip like a traditional mackerel rig used for billfish. Instead, when rigged correctly, the dead bait rises on its side, corrects the motion, turns upright and swims for 20 yards before repeating the exercise. It is even enticing to watch.

Buddy Barnes of team No Pressure, a top contender in the Southern Kingfish Association, rigs Spanish mackerel in this manner for light tackle beach fishing, where the biggest kings often crash the biggest baits.

The first step is obtaining Spanish mackerel (12-inch legal size, of course). Freshly caught Spanish are the ticket to success. Drop the mackerel into a seawater/ice solution immediately after unhooking. Letting the bait expire in the brine does two tasks. The skin toughening process begins, plus the eyes retain their natural shine.

The next step is gutting the Spanish. Use a sharp, short blade knife and cut a slit from the pelvic fins to the anal vent. After cleaning the body cavity, douse with salt and sew cavity shut with a bait needle and rigging thread or dental floss. With the needle, thread the floss through the pelvic end of the gill plates and sew shut. This step prevents the gills from flaring open when the bait is trolled.

The terminal rig is a variation of the traditional ribbonfish rig. Begin by attaching a No. 3 ball bearing swivel to a 4-foot length of No. 5 single-strand wire with a haywire twist. Use a haywire twist for all connections, and insist on ball bearing swivels. Next, thread a pearl or silver kingfish duster and SS bait nose spring onto the wire. Finish this length of leader with a No. 6, 4X strong treble hook. Do not break off the tag end of the haywire twist--leave a 3/4- to 1-inch pin, sort of like you'd do with a ballyhoo.

The Spanish treble rig utilizes two treble stinger hooks, each connected to the eye of the other with a haywire twist. The first stinger is a No. 2, 4X strong treble and the second stinger is a No. 4, 4X strong treble hook. Graduate to stouter, No. 7 wire for the stinger hooks, and put them in a series behind the lead, No. 6 hook. Allow approximately 5 inches between each hook. Notice the rig has three different hook sizes, small up front, big in the middle and medium at the end. Placing the trebles in this series seems to account for better hooksets.

Correct placement of the hooks in the bait is critical. Before rigging, bend the Spanish along the backbone to increase flexibility. Begin the rig 1/8 inch from the tip of the nose by pushing the pin from top to bottom, through the head. Twist the nose-cone bait spring onto the pin. Next, pin the leading No. 6 treble hook between the eyes. Be careful to leave enough slack so the bait does not change the point of pull. It is essential this bait is pulled through the water from the nose pin. Next, pin the No. 2 treble hook along the base of the dorsal fin. Again, leave a bit of slack. Place the final hook, a No. 4 treble, along the dorsal ridge, 5 inches behind the second hook.

To rig the chin weight, which is used as a keel to keep the bait tracking properly, lay an 18-inch piece of Monel rigging wire behind the head and pull the two ends around under the edge of the gill plates so they meet beneath the bait's chin. Push the two even strands through an egg sinker (1/2 to 1 ounce), pull it up tight under the chin, and wrap the tag ends around the pin and through the spring.

The finished product is impressive. The bronze hooks and coffee-colored, single-strand wire become almost invisible along the Spanish's dark back. Hold the bait vertical, by the leader wire, and check for pressure on the hooks. If the bait does not pull from the nose pin, it will spin. A treble-rigged Spanish imitating a helicopter is not likely to get a strike. Sometimes the hooks need to be repositioned for the bait to swim with the previously described motion.

Placement in the bait spread is paramount. A usual spread for slow-trolling kingfish includes live baits, normally pogies or blue runners, and ribbonfish. The treble-hook Spanish mack rig produces best fished close. Fished 20 to 30 feet back, on a flatline, the bait performs admirably. It also does well when trolled 10 feet below the surface from a downrigger clip.

The Spanish mack treble rig is not meant to replace live bait in your kingfish repertoire. Its best use is as another piece of magic in your bag of tricks, an attention-getter for true heavyweight kings.