How to Consistently Catch Monster King Mackerel

Big kings, mostly females, are almost a different species from school or “snake” kings of 5 to 15 pounds found in massive assemblages on both coasts of Florida. They’re fatter, more muscular and WAY more challenging to catch, both when it comes to fooling them and when it comes to getting them in the boat.

Kings are green-water fish, found mostly in water from 20 to 300 feet deep, though the larger ones do occasionally show up in catches 100 miles offshore in the Gulf. According to NOAA Fisheries, kings divide themselves into two distinct populations, one that travels from South Florida up the Atlantic coast, the other which limits its travels to the Gulf of Mexico. Both groups winter off southeast Florida and the Keys.

Where to Find ‘Em

The Promised Land for giant kings is the Florida Keys, where six of the current IGFA line class records are still held. Nearly all of the fly-rod tippet classes are also held by Keys anglers, but that’s mostly because there are more aficionados of saltwater fly fishing there than anywhere else on Earth.

Any way you slice it, if you want the king mackerel of a lifetime, the Keys are the place to go. But you might find a 40-pounder anywhere along either coast of Florida from April through October. It’s also notable that most of these records were set from January through March, the time when kings from both the Atlantic and the Gulf mix around the keys as they wait for the bait schools to start back north along their respective coasts.

An army travels on its stomach—find the bait and you’ll find the kingfish. They often travel in large schools of hundreds or even thousands of fish, and particularly with the schoolies of 8 to 12 pounds, where you catch one you may catch limits for everyone aboard. Jumbo kings—“smokers” as they are often called for their ability to make a reel smoke on their first lightning-fast run—are much more difficult to find, both because they are rarer, and also because they have different habits.

Smokers are generally defined as fish 20 pounds and up, though tournament winners are usually 40 pounds and up. The all-tackle IGFA record is 93 pounds even, caught off Puerto Rico in 1999. (A fish over 97 pounds was weighed in at Fort Lauderdale a few years back, but since the fish was caught on a stinger rig with a treble hook used in natural bait, it did not count as an IGFA record.)

They follow the schools of bait, which are primarily menhaden and mullet in the Atlantic. In the Gulf, there’s a mix of menhaden, cigar minnows, threadfins, mullet and other species—the kings eat them all, and also don’t hesitate to gulp down Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish and other larger species.

Catching the schoolies 8 to 12 pounds is a no brainer most of the time—toss out a Drone spoon, tow it at about 4 to 6 knots behind a No. 2 planer and reel in the fish. Great for kingfish steaks, not so good for winning tournament cash.

Tricks for Big Kings

The giant "smokers," on the other hand, are a real challenge—one that inspires big-money tournaments throughout the southeast. Jumbo kings are most often caught on large live baits, either drifted or slow-trolled at about walking speed. There’s an art to it, however, extending from the rigging to the way the fish are lured to the bait—and of course there’s knowing where the big ones travel.

Among the favored baits are durable swimmers like hardtails, small bluefish and Spanish (make sure they’re legal-sized, though), and large menhaden. Some even use 1- to 2-pound “bullet” bonito, AKA little tunny.

These are nearly always fished on a stinger rig. See the story below for details on how to make these up. Most tournament anglers prefer monofilament or fluorocarbon lines of 15- to 25-pound test for their running line, rather than braid, which they say does not have enough “give” and is likely to cause a fast-running fish to pull the relatively small hooks.

Drags are set very light, often only around 3 pounds, set on a scale for accuracy—again, the idea is to let the fish run free on that first scorching 40-mph run, which may cover more than 200 yards. Medium-power rods with relatively slow tips are preferred, typically 7 to 8 feet long, in both spinning or revolving spool gear. Seels need to hold at least 300 yards of the chosen line and have butter-smooth drags.

Structure that Holds Giant King Mackerel

Large kings hang where large baits are easy to find. Often, that’s around a wreck or reef, an oil rig or FAD, anywhere from a half-mile off the beach to 100 miles out. They can also be found around shrimp boats shoveling their by-catch over the side—the chum line draws them in.

But surprisingly, they also often come right into the larger inlets and passes, perhaps searching for Spanish mackerel and ladyfish that swarm there chasing glass minnows.

A common tactic is to fish the rip or color line that forms outside a pass on outgoing tides as the fresh water and debris from inside a bay or large river flows out into the saltier water off the beaches. There’s frequently an obvious line, with clear green saltwater on one side, murky or black fresh water on the other.

Smart anglers ease down the clear water side, which is where the kings strike most often. Baits are trolled anywhere from right in the prop wash to 200 feet back, moving just fast enough to allow them to swim steadily.

Sweeten the Wake

Some top skippers like to troll a repeat pattern and “sweeten” their route with a menhaden drip that slowly titers the pungent fish oil into their wake. On repeat passes, the lingering scent allegedly draws fish in.

The same is true with flipping bits of chopped menhaden or threadfin into the wake, or even a few live ones. A trolling pattern tracked on the boat’s GPS assures they cover the same route repeatedly, and often, a big fish crashes the party.

When a take occurs, there’s no doubt about it. Sometimes the fish “skyrockets” on the bait, coming up from below and grabbing it in a great arching leap that may cover 20 feet or more. From then on, things happen fast—several lightning bolt runs are always part of the battle.

One essential tool for whipping big kings on light tackle is a long-handled gaff—some anglers convert fiberglass surf rod blanks into 10 to 12 foot gaffs, allowing them to reach way out and snatch the fish as it battles hard to avoid coming near the boat. Once the fish comes over the side, it’s smart for everybody to stay clear of the business end until the fish is subdued—the teeth are like razor-edged scissors, and can cut to the bone in a heartbeat.

Best Spots for XXL Kings

Anywhere a large, deep pass flows out of a broad brackish bay, there are likely to be big king mackerel prowling in the prime months. The passes at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor (Boca Grande) and Tampa Bay (Egmont Channel and Southwest Channel) are famed spots for big kings. So is the “hard bottom” off Clearwater Pass.

Swinging around to the panhandle, St. Andrews, Dunedin and Pensacola Pass all move lots of water and bait seaward, and this produces big kings May through early October. The many artificial reefs in the area are also great spots throughout warm weather. So are the huge piers at Panama City Beach, Okaloosa Island, Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach—you can catch a monster at these without a boat!

In northeast Florida, both the mouth of the St. Johns and the St. Mary’s rivers offer great king mackerel fishing in summer. Some big ones also come off St. Augustine Inlet.

And in fall and winter, the waters from Palm Beach southward teem with kings of all sizes, including some trophies mixed in with sailfish running along the edge of the deep reefs all the way down to the Dry Tortugas. Kings from both the Atlantic and Gulf mix here in winter, so the area is supercharged with fish.

Stinger Rigs for Kings

The stinger rig makes it a lot more likely you’ll convert strikes into king mackerel steaks. It’s made up of number 4 to number 6 dark wire—a must due to the razor-like teeth of kings.

A size 2/0 to 3/0 live bait hook goes in the nose of the bait, and a size 4 to 6, 4X-strong treble is hung about 6 to 8 inches back on a second length of wire. On larger baits a second treble is sometimes added farther aft. All are secured with the haywire twist. Click here for a quick guide.

The trebles are sometimes left to dangle free along the flanks of the bait, sometimes skin-hooked behind the dorsal. About 12 to 18 inches of leader wire runs to a swivel, which attaches to the running line.

Pro kingfish tournament anglers are convinced that kings are put off by heavy leaders and lines, and some fish gear as light as 12-pound-test, which makes for exciting moments when a 40-pounder takes off on that first smoking run. For weekend anglers, heavier gear makes sense—20 pound test braid is a good compromise between fishability and the power needed to land a fish before a shark eats half of it.

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