All about kingfish

[plugcrazy]

Who crushed the kingfish this year in the late summer? I did ok and noticed I did better on cloudy days. Wanted to know if anyone else had success on sunny days?

[DarkSkies]

1. Southern Kingfish....
These are prized fish in Southern waters, known also as King mackerel, or Smokers!!! when they're big and smoke your drag. World record 90lbs, these fish give you a run for your money!







2. There are also the Northern kingfish, smaller fish that come north as far as NJ and NY in the summer. Smaller fish, nonetheless they provide great table fare and are a good target for a Dad to take his kids fishing for.

Post up anything you want to about kingfish, facts, figures, pics, videos, anything at all you feel like throwing up here.

If whatever you quoted comes from a published or copyrighted source, please add the link. Thanks.

[VSdreams]

This is a pretty informative article, written by a lady named Sue Foster.

Drifting Easy by Sue Foster

"I heard they're catching kingfish in the surf. What are they and how do you catch them?"

Kingfish, also called sea mullet or whiting are small shore fishes that are caught in the surf during the summer
months. Though these fish rarely reach two pounds, or get much over 12 inches in length, they are big fighters and are
very good to eat. There is no size or creel limit on kingfish (as of this time). These fish usually run in schools. If
there's one, there is usually more.

Kingfish are long and slim, have a small down-turned mouth with a little barbell under their chins. They are slightly
grayish in color with faint bars running vertically across the body. (Sometimes this is more noticeable than at other
times.) They are firm and slightly rough to the touch. They hit hard when they bite.


"How do you catch them?"

They main thing you have to remember is that kingfish have little mouths. They run close to shore feeding on crabs,
clams, worms, or anything the shore break uncovers. You need to use a small hook in the size #4 to #8 size range to
catch kingfish. A high-low set up (top and bottom type rig) with two snelled hooks with small surf floats is the general
set-up. Some people fish without the surf floats. If you skip the floats, use spinner hooks for added attraction and
keep your bait moving slightly across the bottom floor so the crabs do not steal your bait.

"Can't you buy kingfish rigs already made up?"

Absolutely. Sea Striker brand has one with two Styrofoam floats made on a monofilament rig with #6 long shank hooks
that is very, very popular. (It is also good for trout.) Sea Striker also makes one with gold wide gap hooks. Some
tackle stores tie their own kingfish rigs using plastic coated cork balls made by "Little Corky." These little balls are
imported all the way in from Washington State! These rigs are good when the crabs are troublesome. Crabs cannot chew the
plastic coated balls up.

"What kind of bait should we use?"

The very best bait for kingfish is the most expensive bait around. Bloodworms. Thread a little piece of the worm onto
the hook. It is not necessary to let any of the worm hang off the hook. In fact, I like to use combination bait. Once I
have a piece of bloodworm threaded on the hook I cut a small triangle of squid or a small strip of mullet or fresh spot
and let it dangle off the end of the hook. This will also make an excellent sea trout bait.

Night crawler can be substituted for bloodworm. If it washes out (turns white) simply take off the bait and put another
one on.


"Do we have to use worm to catch kingfish?"

No. Any kind of cut bait such as the squid, spot, mackerel or mullet will work. Just keep your baits on the small side.
If you use mullet fillet, (or any other kind of fillet) be sure to knock the scales off first. I think kingfish prefer a
little fillet of finger mullet over the other cut baits. They will also take peeler crab or soft crab in a heart beat
also! Sometimes they will take a live sand flea caught close to shore as well. (Look for the soft ones and cast them
easy!)


"What is the technique for catching kingfish?"


Fishing for kingfish is very simple. Cast out with just enough weight to hold the bottom. Let it sit for a couple
minutes, and then very, very slowly, bring it back in towards the shore. If you use a slightly lighter sinker, you can
let the wave action pick up your sinker and you can reel in the slack as it bumps back in towards shore. Kingfish seem
to like bait slightly on the move. They can also surprise you, and be quite close in sometimes.


If you don't get a bite in one spot, walk down the beach a few yards and cast in another area. Look for rips, holes,
sloughs, and an outer bar, or quick drop off close to shore.
Look for sand fleas or baby clams digging back into the sand. (This is what kingfish feed on.)

"What kind of sinker should I use?"

Normally I use a hurricane type sinker for surf. But for catching kingfish, I like to use a regular pyramid sinker so
it bounces back in with the waves easily. If the day is very calm, I may even switch over to a 3 or 4-ounce bank sinker.

"What kind of rod and reel do I need?"

Since kingfish don't get much over a pound and feed in close, all you need is an 8 to 9 foot medium weight rod and reel
spooled with 10 to 15 pound test. (The lighter the line, the further you can cast. The lighter the outfit, the more
sensitivity you will have to feel the bites and enjoy the fight!) If you are a beginner, any of the pre-mounted 8 or 9-
foot Silstar, Okuma, or Quantum combos you find in tackle stores is fine for kingfish in the surf. You can even use
your fresh water equipment from home on a very calm day. (Just be careful not to get your reel in the sand.)

If you are a veteran surf fisherman, an 8 ½ foot St. Croix, 9 foot Tica (lighter model), 10 ½ foot Tica, 9 foot Okuma,
8 or 9 foot Sea Striker Beachrunner, 8 or 9 foot Daiwa Sealine X, matched with a reel such as a Shimano 3500 Baitrunner,
Okuma Inspira 50, or Shimano Stradic 6000 filled with monofilament and topped with 200 yards of Power Pro 20 # or 30#
(6# and 8# diameter) would be ideal.

Once you hook a kingfish, watch out! Sometimes you will get a "bang" of a hit and then your line may go slack. Reel
in quick. Kingfish tend to run right straight towards the beach! Use your drag when catching kingfish so you don't lose
them in the wash, especially if you are using the Power Pro. If you are fishing in an area with a quick drop-off such as
3-R's, keep tension on your fish but don't pull on your fish too hard when the wave action is receding. Wait until the
next wave comes in and then pull in your fish as the wave thrusts forward. More fish are lost right in the wash then at
any other time!


"When is the best tide to fish for kingfish?"


I have found that the kingfish will bite on the incoming tide the best. (The time between low and high tide.) As the
tide gets higher they will come closer and closer in to feed. As the tide starts to go out, they will go further and
further out. (This is when you need to cast out as far as you can.) If you are fishing in an area like Assateague with
a slough that runs down the entire beach, cast towards that outer bar and then bring in slow. Wear your Polarized
sunglasses and look for clean water coming through the outer bar. Cast in that direction.

Kingfish are great to eat. Simply scale the fish, fillet, and pan fry. Some people like to "dress" their fish whole.
That's fine too. Then panfry it whole. The meat is pure white, mild, and delicate.

Great sport. great eating. good fishing.

http://www.oysterbaytackle.com/drifting03kingfish.asp

[DarkSkies]

Time to think about kingfish. They were even up in NY Bight for awhile, a friend phoned in some reports.

They seem to have disappeared this week. They should be back with the warm water. They seem to like clear water the best. Catch em up!

[captnemo]

You can also catch them with little pieces of fish bites or gulp trimmed down to fit the hook. Worms are probably the best bait from the surf, although it pays to experiment with the other 2 when things are slow.

[williehookem]

They got one today at orient. The earliest in the season I can ever remember them catching one.

[seamonkey]

I was thinking about how the kingfish move north along the jersey coast. It seems croakers are more adaptible and move greater distances. for example the kingfish are pretty thick here in cape may but I have not read of a lot being caught beyond lbi. The croakers seem to be all over. Does any one know if the kingfish are sticking south because the water is warmer or is it something else?

[porgy75]

Hey guys I was going to go down to ocean city this week and wanted to know if they are catching any croakers or kingfish at the jersey shore yet. thanks for any help.

[robmedina]

Hey guys I was going to go down to ocean city this week and wanted to know if they are catching any croakers or kingfish at the jersey shore yet. thanks for any help.

I heard the croakers were in.

[baitstealer]

My bud in brigantine got one yesterday on bloods. Maybe we will start catching them up here too.

[stripercrazy]

Nice info thanks for sharing.