Miss Judy Charters
Captain Judy Helmey
"Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!"
124 Palmetto Drive
Savannah, Georgia 31410
912 897 4921 or 912 897 3460 fax
www.missjudycharters.com
May 14, 2007
Saltwater Fishing Report
How to get your best chance at catching a big King?
Part one
Now that's a question that can be answered in many ways. The best answer that I can give is "being in the right biting place at the right time!" However, for serious fishermen that's not the information that they are looking for! So I will start this article out with some facts that can be used in order to get your best shot at that "trophy King Mackerel!"
Firstly, I would like to add that a lot of the large kings that I landed over the years, which weighted it at over 40 pounds, were caught on the strangest baits. As you know I am a charter boat captain and I get a lot of chances to fish baits that some fishermen wouldn't even care to use. With that being said, "sometimes it helps to throw something different at them!" I cut my teeth on "cigar fish" as the best bait used in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. When our fishing trips never exceeded over 10 miles from shore we caught some of the biggest king fish I have ever seen. All fish were caught while fishing a live bottom area called the Black Fish Banks. This was the base area that we fished. When it was too rough to run at 10 knots to this 10 miles offshore location we fished close, which means the Savannah River Channel. This area really held a big king fish's interest. The weather had to be hot, Spanish mackerel had to be present, and also those flipping schools of menhaden.
The "cigar fish" bait that I am talking about is actually what is called "reef runner" at this time. Another name and the one that is used by the Marine Fisheries of Georgia is "inshore lizardfish." Please don't confuse this with "cigar minnows, which is also a great bait when targeting king fish. However, there are two different types of live bait. Cigar fish are basically bottom dwellers, which I know I have you scratching your head with that one. Now I am going to give you my theory on why "cigar fish" made/make great king mackerel baits. Even though this bait normally stays on the bottom it's has a very aggressive attitude. The fact of the matter is that a cigar fish will leap and hit a 6 to 8 knots trolled Drone spoon. Normally the spoon is half the length of the fish attacking it. Bringing me back to the reason I think a king fish is interested in the first place. When this bait leaps to attack it's intended meal, the king fish, which isn't a bottom feeder, takes advantage of it's aerial type performance.
The good and the bad news about the surely forgotten cigar fish AKA lizard fish. They don't do too well in captivity. There could be several reasons for this fish to be so delicate. I think it has same thing to do with containment. The way I look at it and due to the fact that king mackerel like them here's a suggestion: when you catch one stop and use it for bait. There is another thing that I need to share with you. They don't rigged up well meaning when you lip hook them they die too quickly. However, locating the main hook one inch behind the dorsal and letting the small stinger lay free near the tail section is a good idea. I can also suggest using your lightest tackle. The least pressure this fish feels the more action you are going to got out of them.
Back in the old days we didn't have miniature type treble or live bait hooks. At least I never saw any in Daddy's "king Edwards cigar tackle box!" My point being is that we caught lots of king mackerel while using this fish as bait. However, it was hooked up as live bait and it survived beautifully with the hook placed behind the dorsal fin. Once again back in the old days, when you caught a cigar fish it was almost a guarantee that you would hook up a king as soon as you put your bait in the water!