Skyrockets of a Different Sort

The straight up scoop on slaying Space Coast smokers

Any time SKA events are held from St. Augustine to Ft. Pierce, highly competitive teams make the long run to Port Canaveral waters in search of that winning fish. Their long journeys usually pay off big as royal size kingfish regularly roam these parts, and with a little local know-how, you, too, can get in on the blistering action.

Access to Space Coast kingfish is really a cinch. There are many public boat ramps in the Port Canaveral area for visiting anglers with trailerable boats- including those at End Park and Freddie Patrick Park. There are also three marinas in Port Canaveral which provide both wet and dry storage. Of course, there are also many charter boat skippers who would be more than happy to show visitors the ropes.

Where to find Space Coast Smokers

With so much productive water to explore, exactly where to fish is often the biggest challenge facing both local and visiting fishermen. While smoker kings may pop up just about anywhere, there are really three main areas offshore of Canaveral which been constant producers, and all three are definitely worthy of your investigation. To the north is Chris Benson Reef (N28 41.380 W80 25.630) which is approximately a 24 mile run from the Port Canaveral sea buoys. The next is 8A Reef (N28 28.990 W80 20.170), which is only a 15 mile run. The third location worthy of your efforts are the Pelican Flats (N28 18.472 W80 15.600). At a heading of 110 degrees, run for nearly 20 miles, and you’re there. These three relatively broad stretches always hold bait- and almost always hold big kings.

As a back up plan, the Pines (N27 58.700 W80 20.800), close to 30 miles south of the port off Melbourne Beach, is an area that has also been a consistent producer of sizzling kingfish action. Even though it’s a fairly long run, when the kings are visiting the Pines and are in the feeding mode, the long trip will be well worth the ride.

To sweeten the pot even further, all of these locations, including the many wrecks from 8A Reef to the Pelican Flats, hold a bonus catch. Cobia pop up often enough to make the tough fighting bronze bombers a real possibility. I don’t think I have ever met a king mack’ angler who would frown upon an agreeable cobia, and for good reason. These fish are super tasty.

Slaying Canaveral’s largest kings

As far as the act of fishing goes, our primary method of approach for enticing the largest kings in the area is slow trolling big live pogies (menhaden). Here off the Space Coast, slow trolling means VERY slow trolling. The boat should be moving just fast enough to maintain steerage, and to keep the pogies from seeking shelter under the boat. The West Basin in Port Canaveral continues to be a reliable source for those pogies, as well as inside the mouth of the main channel. When the bait stacks up along the beaches, they can also easily be caught in ten to twenty feet of water just outside the break. A 10ft. cast net with 1 5/8th inch mesh works best.

During the winter months when pogies are scarce, slow trolling dead Spanish sardines adorned with a duster skirt is a fairly reliable replacement. I prefer dusters from Cape Fear Outfitters in a variety of colors, with crystal flash, red/black, and red/white, all favorites.

Blue runners are equally effective. I don’t think there is a single king mackerel that would turn down a properly presented ‘runner. Heck, let’s be honest. Catching blue runners for bait is kind of fun in its own way. However, the real excitement begins when a smoker king hones in on your terrified baitfish. Again, as with pogies, blue runners should be trolled very slowly. Cigar minnows caught around the channel markers also make effective kingfish offerings, and when they’re around, goggle-eyes are equally reliable for attracting the attention you’re looking for. Ribbonfish round out the variety of great baits to use. This long slender-like baitfish can be purchased at several tackle shops in the port and are always part of a tournament anglers’ arsenal. They do have a down side, though, as ribbonfish, like everything else, have greatly increased in price. They used to be $2.00 each, but now they fetch upwards of $5.00 to $7.00 a piece. At this price, they should be treated very gently when storing and rigging. Try to avoid removing any of that beautiful shine which kingfish love so much.

I prefer #3 or #4 single strand coffee colored wire for my kingfish rigs. Kingfish prefer clean water with good visibility, and any wire heavier in diameter may very well be visible, and could deter a strike. We have caught fish to 50lbs on #4 wire, and just last week we landed a 38lb. smoker caught on #3.

Essential Tackle & Terminal Gear

Start out with a tiny 30lb Spro swivel. I believe Spro manufactures the smallest profile swivel for that pound test, and I haven’t had one fail yet. I like to use an 18-24 inch length of wire connected to the swivel with a haywire twist. The opposite end is armed with a #4 treble-hook. Twist on a short length of wire- about six inches will do- to a #6 treble hook. This one, of course, is the all important stinger hook. The length of the “stinger wire” between the first and second treble hook varies depending on the size of bait being used, so it is wise to make up various kingfish leaders and store them separately. Most importantly, all hooks must be 4X strength. Searching for giant kings is not the time or the place for bargain basement terminal gear. If your hooks aren’t up to the job, there’s no reason to even leave the dock. Any decent size kingfish is capable of straightening a weak hook before swimming off on its merry way. You may opt to place a single hook, like an Owner 2/0 or 3/0 as the front hook, but stay with a treble for the stinger.

For equipment, quality reels capable of holding 350 - 400 yards of mono are the norm. I prefer 20lb line with 30ft of 30lb fluorocarbon top-shot. The flouro is tied directly to the wire rig using an Albright knot. The main objective here is to have the smallest possible profile with the least amount of weak points. Since most of the kingfishing in this area is done on the troll, I believe monofilament over braid is the way to go. When a king strikes and screams off on its first scorching run, the stretch in mono helps prevent hooks from ripping out. Braid doesn’t have this “give” to it.

When dragging ribbonfish, the pros prefer a chartreuse or red leadhead jig with a #3/0 hook, and then they go about the business of staggering three #6 trebles about four inches apart. We impale the hooks in the ribbonfish, alternating sides with a little slack between each hook. This allows the bait to wiggle freely as its trolled. My recommendation is trolling ribbonfish off downrigger or planers about 40 or 50 feet below the surface. Pogies and sardines on the other hand, should be staggered in close, mid-way back, and way, way back.

Regardless which bait they smash, Canaveral kings will typically make two blistering runs after they feel the sting of the hook. The initial run on the strike is often so fast that the angler usually just holds on and hopes nothing gives way. Once the fish is worked close to the boat, it will usually make another solid run before starting to tire out. Remember, keep pressure on the fish at all times, and retrieve every bit of line when the opportunity presents itself. As the weakened fish approaches the boat, move in for a shot with a long handled gaff.

Hooked up closer to home

Not all productive kingfish spots are an hour or more boat ride away. Typically, a morning’s worth of kingfishing begins with catching bait in the port, or along the beach as we touched on earlier. With a live well full of pogies, visiting boaters only have to run out to Buoy 7 and 8 to locate fairly consistent action. While investigating this area, make a few passes across the channel. This is also a good time to watch the depth finder for bait pods, either hovering directly over the bottom, or suspended in the midst of the water column. When the bait shows up, be ready, because the kings will be there, too. If you can’t find what you are looking for, work out to the next set of buoys, 5 and 6. Keep a watchful eye, because the kings hanging out in this area are notorious for skyrocketing and can reach astronomical heights of more than ten feet. Now, that’s a treat to see!

From there, another good place to look is out front of the Cocoa Beach Pier. Make your way out to the 30ft. depths and start slow-trolling south. Again, keep a watchful eye on your bottom machine. Mark GPS locations which appear promising so you can return for further investigation. Down the beach about two miles is another local landmark called the Steeple. It’s actually a church steeple that was recently renovated after being blown off during a hurricane a couple of years back. The Steeple is located at 8th street south and S. Orlando Ave. The next stop is out in front of Patrick Air Force Base, south of the Steeple. Working parallel to the beaches in depths from 30 - 45 feet will usually produce strikes. You may not find the real big boys here, but the area is still very worthy of your time.

This late in the summer, the near shore waters of the Space Coast are alive with large schools of bait. This bait activity brings in all types of predators from sharks to large tarpon exceeding 130 lbs. Of course, smoker kings follow the bait, too. Since many anglers target kingfish in the 20 lb to 40 lb range in as little as twenty feet just outside the break, it’s quite common for one of those big tarpon we just talked about to hit your bait. Now, you have a real fight on your hands. A 100 lb tarpon hooked on a relatively fragile king rig may take more than an hour to successfully catch and release. Because the fish is hooked on relatively tiny treble hooks, you can’t know for certain how well the fish is really hooked, so the extended battle can be quite lengthy, and its ending is always uncertain.

Of course, I could go on forever, but space limitations force me to come to a close. All I ask is that when you visit the Space Coast looking for kings, remember the above tips. They work for me, they work for the pros, and they will work for you, too. For up-to-the minute details, visiting anglers can swing by the cleaning table in front of Sunrise Marina, and drill successful anglers on where the hot bite has been located. I am sure someone will be more than happy to fill you in.