5 'Fairly Simple' Tips for Catching the Biggest King Mackerel

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Catching big king mackerel is a specialized pursuit and it takes many seasons to master the intricacies of boating fish of 20 pounds and up consistently—but the basics are fairly simple.

A quick look at the biology: Kings are migratory “coastal pelagics,” spending the winters in waters off south Florida and the Keys, summers in the northern Gulf as well as up the Atlantic Coast to Cape Hatteras and beyond. Biologists tell us there are two distinct migratory groups, but the Atlantic and Gulf fish mix in the south Florida wintering areas.

They start heading back north in spring, following the vast bait schools that are more or less following the 68-degree temperature curve. A slow spring warm-up means many weeks of prime king fishing along both Florida coasts, while a rapid rise in water temperature may send the fish scooting northward much sooner.

While catching school kings of 5 to 10 pounds is simply a matter of finding the masses of fish and pulling a spoon in front of them, catching the big “smokers” (which will literally make a reel appear to smoke as they zip line off the spool) usually takes some doing. The 40-pounders are 20 years old or more, they are scarce, and they are often more cautious than the young and foolish schoolies.

Every expert king chaser has their secrets, but the basics are well known.

Go Where the Smokers Are

First, go where the biggest kings—all females—are likely to be. Not surprisingly, a lot of the IGFA line-class record kings have come from the Florida Keys from December through March, the time when both migratory groups mix there. Two 75-pounders, the largest caught on sporting tackle in U.S. waters, came from there. The all-tackle IGFA mark still stands at 93-0, from the waters off Puerto Rico in 1999.

Nearly all the flyrod tippet records also come from the Keys in winter, though that’s probably because the area is a magnet for saltwater flyrodders looking for records. (Incidentally, if you want to hold an IGFA record, go catch a king mackerel on 130-pound tackle and enter it asap—both the men’s and women’s records are vacant as this is written. So are nearly all of the junior records in various line classes.)

Big kings show up anywhere from inside major passes like Boca Grande, Egmont and the mouth of the St. Johns River all the way out to the continental shelf at depths of around 250 feet. Where ever baitfish temporarily stop and congregate for a while is a kingfish magnet—wrecks, artificial reefs, ledges and hard-bottom areas. Experts like Captain Rick Gross of Anna Maria often catch whoppers almost within shouting distance of the Gulf beaches when the bait runs are on, and giants are regularly caught between the Sunshine Skyway and Egmont Key.

Be On Time

Second, be there at the right time. In spring, that means looking for water temperature of 68 degrees or higher. In general, other than keeping an eye on your boat’s water temperature readout, you know it’s kingfish time when you see lots of pelicans and seabirds heading offshore at dawn to feed on bait.

Satellite mapping programs like Sirius XM, Roff’s and Hilton now offer very precise temperature break data, so pinpointing an area where the break goes from 65 to 68 can put you on the cutting edge of king mackerel migrations. Anywhere out to the edge of the continental shelf has potential for XL kings, particularly where a temperature break passes over a wreck or ledge.

Tournament-winning kings are frequently caught in or just outside major passes like those at the mouth of the St. Mary’s and the St. John’s rivers in northeast Florida and at Tampa Bay’s Egmont and Southwest passes as well as at Charlotte Harbor’s Boca Grande.

And they are most often caught on a strong outgoing tide. There will be a clear color break line between the dark water coming out of the bay or river and the green water of the ocean, and often a string of floating weeds and debris. Be at one of these prime spots on a good moon tide outflow and it may happen fast. (The bite is usually on the green water side of the break.)

The Right Baits

Third, offer the right bait—nearly always a frisky live baitfish. Live mullet a foot or larger and big menhaden are the favorites because they’re usually easy to get, but a 15-inch or larger ladyfish or bluefish is a better bet if you want only a giant king.

Also, it may pay to sweeten things up with a menhaden drip as you very slowly troll (about 2 mph) a repeat pattern, and also to dribble a chum of shrimp, chopped menhaden and menhaden oil over the side. (Not too much, though, or you’ll soon be catching sharks instead of king mackerel.) Drifting slowly with live bait over a wreck or reef also produces big fish.

The Right Tackle

Fourth, have the right tackle. This doesn’t necessarily equate to heavy gear—frequent king mackerel tournament winners use lines testing just 15 pounds on the theory that lighter gear draws more bites from big fish. Both baitcasters and spinning reels are fine, but they need to hold at least 300 yards of line, just in case—really big king will sometimes smoke 200 yards of line on the first run. (Light drag, remember—about 20-25 percent of break strength, max.)

If you’re a casual king fisher, 30- to 40-pound-gear will mean fewer lost fish—particularly where there are sharks around. In level wind reels, the Daiwa Saltist and Penn Squall II are among many good conventional reels, with smooth drag, high retrieve ratio and adequate line capacity.

The usual kingfish rig, made with number 6 dark copper wire, is an octopus style 4/0 hook in the nose of the bait and a 3 x strong size 4 to 6 treble in the tail. If you’re using baits larger than 15”, a third stinger further back will help with hookups.

Sometimes kings still cut these big baits in half without getting hooked—but don’t reel up when this happens. Let the remains sink and sometimes the fish will come back and gulp it down.

A stout swivel at the eye completes the rig. The wire to the first hook is typically made short, 6 to 8 inches, to produce minimal interference with the natural swimming motion of the bait. The swivel should have a bit more strength than the wire. Gamakatsu’s size 6 swivels are listed at 80 pound test—a good choice.

Get It in the Boat

Fifth, be ready to boat that tournament winner. Be sure the crew knows their duties: who will handle the rod, who will clear the other lines, who will stay at the helm until the other gear is cleared and who will handle the gaff. No yelling, no hysteria needed.

Your standard 4-foot gaff is not good here—a specialty gaff 8-10’ long with a light fiberglass or carbon fiber shaft gives you a lot better shot at getting the fish because they often freak out at boatside. The gap is typically 2 to 3 inches. Stick the fish by putting the hook over the back and pulling it into the shoulder just aft of the head, rather than trying to come up from below.

And make sure everybody gets out of the way when you swing the fish aboard—a big kingfish has a mouthful of razors that will cut anything they touch, including the legs and feet of the crew. Best bet is to drop the fish directly into a big fish box and close the lid until it expires, then worry about getting the hooks out and icing the fish down.

When all comes together, catching a monster king is a great team accomplishment—but it rarely comes without patience, planning and the right equipment.

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