"Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime"
Kingfish are known for thrilling first runs with drag screaming off the reel. But many anglers struggle to catch them becuase they aren't targetting them correctly. Kingfish deserve as much as respect as a mahi and if you target them wisely, you will find your fish box with your limit in no time.
What You'll Need:
#4 or #5 Wire Leader
4/0 Circle Hook
Live Bait of Choice
The most important aspect to catching fish, is to fish where the fish are and fishing for kingfish is no exception. In South Florida you want to work the 3rd reef and outside from 80ft to 150ft of depth. This will put you in prime location for kingfish.
Determine your drift direction and speed before putting lines out.
I like to put out 3 flat lines and one deep line with about 6oz or 8oz lead. Remember fish are not always feeding on the surface, so be sure to work the water column.
If you are fishing circle hooks, be sure to drop back to the kingfish before coming tight.
Do several drifts until you figure out where the bites are. Then start focusing on that specific depth.
While catching kingfish, you will also have the opportunity at catchin sailfish, tuna, mahi, wahoo and more!
As far the meat quality, it is highly debatable. Some love and some not so much. One thing for sure is that kingfish make a great fish dip as well as smoked fish.
Tight Lines
Captain Mike