Start to Finish

When prestige and tens of thousands of dollars in prize money are on the line, attention to detail is often what separates winners and losers. Read on and see how professional kingfish anglers make the most of each and every outing. No ‘fluff’ included!

The remnants of last night’s darkness were beginning to blend with the fiery iridescence of the coming day. Easterly winds were howling a steady 15 to 20 knots, and the calm seas on the beach belied the torturous conditions waiting just offshore. A ridge of high pressure that had moved into the area not two days ago was foremost in the minds of every team.

One group of tournament competitors with plans to make the long run south were gathering at the southernmost checkout just off Stump Pass in Englewood, while yet another group waited in waters off Sarasota. A quick “good luck” VHF transmission to fellow Naples anglers aboard team Wiltshire, and we secured our gear as we waited for the official sendoff.

Before the words “Go fish!” finished crackling across the designated frequency, the southern pack was off and running. As expected, the big triple engine boats pulled ahead, leaving the smaller vessels in their foamy wakes. Five minutes into the unofficial race, running just over 60 miles an hour, we broke hard right and headed southwest toward our ultimate destination a full 150 miles over the undulating horizon!

Not fifteen minutes into the run, the placid seas we found in the lee of the coast turned ugly and continued to grow larger as we headed farther offshore. With a sense of déjà vu, it wasn’t long until we were running in solid five to seven foot seas. Spray coming at us from all angles and with salt-encrusted ears and eyelids, we arrived at what we hoped would be our winning destination three-and-half exhausting hours later. After quickly reflecting on our sanity, we snapped into action. I jokingly looked at my teammates and said, “Only in a 36 Yellowfin.” One of them quickly responded, “Only an idiot!”   

Deploying our standard four bait spread, with two runners on top (one short & one long) and two staggered in the depths off Scotty electric downriggers, we settled in and waited for the bite we hoped would come. Slow trolling with just one of three motors idling, we were soon met with a tell-all rod bounce that signals the release of a downrigger clip.  The ultra-smooth “zing” of the Accurate quickly got everyone’s attention. Nearly 200 yards of line later, our fish sounded and began to display the fighting characteristics that only brutally strong amberjack possess. We tightened down the drag and did our best to quickly release the 50 pound fish. Just after settling back in, a true smoker skyrocketed through the prop wash, a full ten feet in the air with our bait visibly dangling from its jaws! If that isn’t enough to get the adrenal glands pumping, I don’t know what is.  Twenty minutes later, the beast hit the deck and would later pull the scale down toward the 40 pound mark. 

“…a true smoker skied in the prop wash,

a full ten feet in the air…”

With a long, horrible run ahead of us, we decided to pack it in and head for the weigh station. Arriving back in Sarasota with a few minutes to spare, we found ourselves atop the leader board for day one. Having subsidized the oil industry during a day that brought only a dozen fish to the scale, we opted to keep bruised bodies and battered boat in port on Sunday and instead visited Mote Marine and the Salty Dog for some knowledge, fun and libations. With just minutes remaining on day two, team Knot Me brought a trophy to the scales that knocked us down to a very respectable 2^nd Place. It is nail-biting competitions like these that keep our team - and all teams for that matter - coming back for more.

By the time you read this, the fall kingfish run off Southwest Florida should be in full swing. That means that “right now” is the time to hone your skills as well as ready your boat and gear, because not only is the bite on, but tournament season is just weeks away..

As any tournament kingfisherman will tell you, losing a money fish due to tackle or angler failure is simply unacceptable. When a real smoker strikes, everything has to go smoothly, especially your reel’s drag system. Having tested a number of the reels on the market, our team recently switched over to Accurate 870s which we top off with 500-plus yards of 20lb. test hi-vis monofilament topped off by a 20 ft. length of 30lb. test fluorocarbon. Other teams like last year’s SKA Angler Of The Year Ron Mitchell on Bandit, as well as Division 11 Class of 23 champion Andrew Gunn, also fish Accurates, whereas fellow Naples guide Vic Vasquez on Midnight Madness prefers Trinidad 30s. Regardless of which reel you choose to get the job done, it’s imperative to service your equipment prior to each season and make certain spools are filled with fresh line.

While which rod you fish is not as important as the reel, make it a point to check all guides for nicks or abrasions that could potentially damage the line. Though my team is partial to Chaos Rods, there are, in fact, a large number of excellent sticks on the market, especially those designed specifically for king mackerel fishing. 

“…losing a money fish due to tackle failure is simply unacceptable.” 

In the heat of a really hot bite, the last thing you want to do is lose valuable fishing time to tie rigs. During the off season, the above teams invest the time to pre-tie dozens of rigs. During a typical season, it isn’t uncommon to go through a hundred or more. The typical rig fished on the tournament kingfish circuit consists of a 12”- 18” section of wire connected via haywire twist to a tiny ball-bearing swivel on one end, and a single j-hook on the other. An additional section of wire is connected to the hook eye and run to a stinger hook of the treble variety. The length between hook and stinger varies according to size of bait. On Midnight Madness, for instance, they’ll use #5 - #7 wire connected to a 4/0 nose hook, followed by a 4/0 3X treble. There are literally dozens of variations, and rigs tend to vary quite a bit from team to team. Some boats prefer highly effective colored dusters or fish-attracting Turbo Rattlers, while others simply prefer to fish baits naked. Regardless of your preference, utilize only the sharpest, strongest, highest quality terminal tackle available. To make haywire twists easily and perfect each and every time, the EZ Twist tool by DuBro is the way to go. An excellent alternative is the Turbo Twister, an electronically powered haywire twist machine enabling you to tie perfect rigs from swivel to stinger in less than 60 seconds flat! 

Prior to an upcoming event, competitors begin collecting blue runners a couple of weeks out. Properly fed in a large circular bait pen, blue runners, often called “hardtails” will live for a long time in captivity. In my opinion, runners that have been penned and well fed seem friskier than freshly caught baits. A number of websites now market big bait pens, but one can be put together easily enough with a visit to a local hardware store. It’s also wise to keep in mind that friends, family members and charter groups with young children who don’t fish often really enjoy catching blue runners - they don’t need to know their catching bait. An alternative is purchasing bait. Though a bit pricey - sometimes up to $125 a dozen - it can save the day if runners are scarce or you simply don’t have the time to catch them yourself. Or as Ron Mitchell says, “Rather than spending a thousand dollars on gas to catch a dozen runners, I’ll buy ’em!” 

Traditionally, anglers targeting kingfish will work the beaches and outside the passes around bait pods, local wrecks or natural structures that are known to hold concentrations of forage. The really big fish, however, seem to be taken on the same spots each year. So once you’ve identified these productive big-fish areas, you, too, can consistently catch quality fish. Finding these spots can be difficult, though, and will require some reconnaissance. 

“Once you’ve identified those productive big-fish areas, you can consistently catch the big dogs.” 

One of the best ways to get in on the big-fish action is to consult with as many sources as possible. Ron Mitchell, last year’s SKA Angler of the Year, knows all about research. “I do a lot of homework,” he says. “I would go as far as asking a homeless guy if he knew where kingfish were being caught.”

While bums may not be your best source of highly-guarded kingfish intel, commercial fishermen, charter captains and local recreational anglers can all be great sources of information, as can the message board on The Kingfish Connection www.KingfishConnection.com. 

Many teams including Mitchell’s, Midnight Madness and Wiltshire Fishing Team network with other teams in order to stay on top of the action. Moreover, while competing in unfamiliar waters, pre-fishing an area prior to a tournament can certainly eliminate where not to fish and help you place “in-the- money.”

I do want to mention that one common mistake anglers often make while king mackerel fishing is having too much patience. If an area doesn’t produce in a reasonable period of time, relocate. Likewise, if you’re not having any luck but boats around you are scoring, or if you are seeing signs of life and are convinced that there are fish in the area, but you can’t seem to buy a bite, change up your presentation. If you are running naked baits, add a noisy Turbo Rattler which is extremely effective at attracting attention. If your downrigger baits aren’t getting hit, alter the depths. If blue runners aren’t producing, drop back a pair of ladyfish, ribbonfish, bluefish or even mullet. You get the idea.

One last reminder; during last year’s relatively mild winter, a large body of kingfish remained in local waters throughout the winter months. In fact, one of the hottest ‘bites’ I’ve ever experienced occurred in early February. On that momentous Sunday, we landed ten kingfish over 25 pounds, including one monster that pinned a 60 pound hand scale! So as 2007 fishing season comes to an end, keep your options open, don’t be afraid to explore, and you, too, should have no problem finding kingfish success! Good luck, good fishing, and I hope the above information helps keep you connected. Tight Lines!    

Know the law:

Current regulations allow two king mackerel per person, per day. Minimum size requirements are 24” to the fork. Unless headed for the tournament scale, or if you just love eating fish with a potentially high level of mercury, large king mackerel over 30 pounds should be released.  (Large ones tast great smoked)