This fish can scorch a reel, too
If you read my column with any regularity, you know I have a somewhat manic obsession with a fish called wahoo. They are capable of reaching speeds around 60 mph, have a mouth lined top and bottom with razor sharp teeth and, if I had to psychoanalyze their temperament, simply put, they are an ornery fish with a nasty attitude. The only reason more of you have never had the opportunity to tangle with one of these speedsters is because they roam way offshore closer to the Gulf Stream and out of reach of boats less than around 30 feet in length.
But did you know we have another fish that can scorch a reel, has just as many teeth as a wahoo and sports an equally savage attitude yet can be caught as close in as just beyond the surf line? It’s true, and if you haven’t guessed its name by now, I am describing a king mackerel.
A silver bullet for sure, kingfish are an absolute hoot to catch, but only if you are rigged with the thought that one might be around. A reel with three-year-old line plus rusty hooks and no wire leader might last five seconds at most if a king hits. Ranging from just a few pounds on up to the 40- to 50-pound range, even a small king can be a handful.
Large kingfish over 35 pounds are generally called “smoker kings” — and for good reason. They can get going so fast that the reel can actually begin to smoke. I have snagged big kings that I was unable to stop. It’s a sickening feeling to watch helplessly as they take a fully loaded reel and make it look like a kid’s first Zebco as they run off 300 yards of line, ending with a loud snap as they reach the knot used to tie the line to the center spindle. What a fish!
Before the cobia craze hit, kings were king around these parts. Most fishing tournaments were king tournaments and some, like the Arthur Smith King Mackerel Tournament at Little River, S.C., might have more than 500 boats entered. Techniques for catching them went from trolling with drone spoons or a Sea Witch with a ballyhoo attached to bump trolling with live baits. Bump trolling is exactly like it sounds. Live baits staggered to cover various water depths from the surface down to the bottom were trolled using the boat throttles bumped in and out of gear only as fast so the baits stay straight behind the boat. Another technique involves anchoring up and chumming like crazy with live baits staggered in the water column. A variation on that method is to also toss out a handful of live baits ever so often into the chum slick that can really fire up any king in the area.
Tackle used varies, but I like to use a combination of medium spinning rods and open face Shimano TLD 20’s loaded with 20- to 30-pound test line. On the business end, I attach about a two-foot section of either 60-pound braided wire (or straight wire) using either #4 or #6 extra strong treble hooks on one end and a black swivel on the opposite end. To get baits to various depths, I add a three-foot length of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader to the wire leader that is then attached to the main line with a swivel. Using different size egg sinkers, depending on the depth you want to reach, these slide on the main line. Heavier weighted baits stay close to the boat and as the weights diminish in size the further back they go. Weightless baits should be out the furthest.
Live baits are a matter of choice, but by far the most popular choice around here are menhaden, or as we call them — pogies. The best time to catch pogies with a cast net is first thing in the morning. Diving pelicans will guide you to the schools. Cast nets made for shrimp won’t work, so make sure you get a heavier net made for pogies or mullet. The line on the net should be at least 15 to 20 feet long. Other fish will work — like mullet, croakers, small bluefish even small Spanish mackerel. If throwing a cast net is too much for you, try the old school method using #3 Drone spoons and or ballyhoo. To get spoons or ballyhoo down, use a #3 planer with a 10-foot piece of 30- to 40-pound mono leader before the short wire leader and spoon.
Where to go for kings? Any of our artificial reefs, the Port Royal or Savannah shipping channels or anywhere you see bait pods, Spanish mackerel tearing up the surface or white birds diving. It might take a bit of trial and error to get it righ,t but once you catch one you’ll be hooked. It’s as close to catching a wahoo as you can get, especially when you look back and see a king 10 feet in the air with your bait in its mouth. Fish on!
This story was originally published June 3, 2017 at 5:50 PM with the headline "This fish can scorch a reel, too."