Savage strikes and blazing runs are synonymous with “smoker” kings, the 30-plus-pounders that wreak havoc on schooling baitfish during the fall. (Photo by David A. Brown)
October 29, 2024
By David A. Brown
If there’s one thing that’ll make or break a road trip, it’s the snacks. That seems to also hold true for king mackerel (aka kingfish or simply kings), seasonal travelers with mighty big appetites.
With spawning well behind them, kings along the Atlantic Coast focus on fueling up for their journey down to their South Florida wintering grounds. Along the way, anglers from North Carolina’s Outer Banks to Northeast Florida can capitalize on the hot bite that ensues as fish—including some weighing 30 to 50 pounds or more (known as “smokers”)—arrive in droves, and quite hungry, during the year’s final quarter.
“It’s just the unknown of when it’s going to happen—the anticipation,” says Southern Kingfish Association (SKA) pro Mark Henderson. “Trolling for king mackerel can be long days with hours of boredom interrupted by sudden excitement that’s hard to find anywhere else."
When you bring a gaffed kingfish over the gunwale, take it straight to the fish box or cooler and make sure everyone onboard stays away from its razor-sharp teeth. (Photo by David A. Brown) BIG MACK ATTACKS King mackerel are the second-largest member of the mackerel family found in the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. They strike with unbridled fury, using their astounding speed to chase down prey and their sharp teeth to kill or maim it before circling back to consume the spoils of their hunt.
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Anglers are often treated to spectacular jumps from kings skyrocketing some 20 feet beyond the surface during a reckless attack. Hook one and the fish will immediately turn on the afterburners, thinning your spool in just seconds.
“All of a sudden, it goes from zero to 1,000 miles an hour. The adrenaline rush just can’t be recreated,” says Henderson.
Lively blue runners, aka hardtails, make superb baits for big kings and can be caught on tiny jigs or large Sabiki rigs near many sunken structures and reefs. (Photo by David A. Brown) TARHEEL STATE START The fall king bite is nothing short of spectacular in North Carolina’s waters. The fish start showing up in October, and the action with the big smokers peaks from early November to mid-December.
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Henderson points to the east side of Cape Lookout Shoals, Drum Inlet, Ocracoke and Cape Hatteras as historically productive areas. The key, he says, is to find hard-bottom spots (reefs, ledges and the many wrecks along the Carolina coast) in depths of 40 to about 90 feet with ample forage for the kings.
Baitfish flushing out of the big sounds is a major attraction, so fish often stage outside inlets and patrol adjacent beaches.
“A lot of times, pogies [menhaden] school along the beaches from Cape Lookout all the way down to Wrightsville Beach and Southport. The big kings get in there and start gorging on them,” Henderson says. “In the fall, you can catch a lot of big fish right along the beach in 10 to 25 feet of water, and sometimes right behind the breakers, so don’t hesitate to deploy a spread just a short hop from the sand. When the bait is in close and the kings follow, anglers even hook ’em from the piers with slider rigs.”
OTHER FRUITFUL AREAS In South Carolina, tournament pro and charter captain Robert Olsen (knotatworkfishing.com ) says most hard-bottom sites in the aforementioned depth range offer consistent opportunities during fall, as long as they hold baitfish. Water clarity and temperature breaks clue him in to the prime areas.
In Georgia, anglers typically have longer runs to consistent kingfish grounds due to the coastline’s inward swing (the Georgia Bight). But tournament angler Doug Watters keys on artificial reefs in 50 to 75 feet, the Navy Towers in 90 to 120 feet and the Snapper Banks with acres of high relief in water as deep as 180 feet.
“You can fish the river channels, but I’ve had better luck out deep and firmly believe that there are more big fish deeper,” says Watters. Northeast Florida also experiences king mackerel runs during fall, and Capt. Ron Mitchell, an SKA hall-of-famer, has enjoyed his share. Some of his best catches have come from spots like Elton Bottom about 43 miles off Jacksonville’s Mayport Inlet, The Red Tops off Ponte Vedra and The Captain’s House.
“When you find a big pod of pogies, bluefish or Spanish mackerel, there will be kings there,” Mitchell says. “If there’s a big pod of bait just 10 feet off the beach, I’m all over it. Especially when there are Spanish mackerel.”
Avid kingfish anglers use two downriggers to incorporate a pair of mid-water baits in their trolling spreads. (Photo by David A. Brown) BEST BAITS When live-baiting with Spanish mackerel, Mitchell clarifies that he’ll catch one and put it right back out, usually fishing just one at a time because they don’t last long in a livewell. He notes that tuna tubes (upright chambers that keep continuous water flow washing over live mackerel and small bonito) will keep the baits frisky and ready for action, but they aren’t popular among hardcore kingfish anglers.
Henderson says North Carolina folks start most of their kingfish work by netting those plump pogies (aka fatbacks), but he’ll also fish live bluefish and dead ribbonfish (caught during the summer months, brined and frozen).
Pogies also fit the bill in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, but live blue runners (hardtails), bluefish, threadfin herring and mullet are other top bait choices, and most anglers first deploy an assortment to dial in the fish’s daily preference.
King seekers dress some of their baits with skirts (aka dusters) made of flashy Mylar strands or colored beads and slipped onto the leader before adding the hooks. This is particularly helpful when sporty seas obscure visibility.
Trolling lures like the MirrOlure Deep 25+ Diver 111MR, Yo-Zuri 3D Magnum deep divers or L. B. Huntington Original Drone Spoons will connect you with plenty of juvenile kings, but you’re not going to fool many 30-pound-plus smokers if you’re not using live baits.
“Beginners can also troll rigged ballyhoo and catch kingfish, but they should use wire leaders instead of the more common mono,” says Olsen.
PROVEN PRESENTATIONS While lures can handle a peppy pace, live baits demand only enough speed to create a convincing and efficient spread. Watters resorts to “bump trolling,” keeping RPMs low and shifting one of his twin motors in and out of gear to minimize speed.
“For blue runners and bluefish, 1.5 to 2 miles per hour is ideal. For pogies, 1 to 1.5. I just try to keep the baits moving naturally in one direction. You don’t want to look back and see them dragging, gulping or waking,” says Watters.
If the wind and sea conditions force you to move faster than you’d like, use a drift sock to slow you down. Or, in a pinch, drill a few holes in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket, tie its handle to a length of rope, drop it overboard and use that to moderate your speed.
Henderson says the standard tournament spread incorporates two downriggers, staggered flat lines to port and starboard, a long “shotgun” line with a large bait and another big bait about 10 feet behind the motors.
“Your boat is the biggest teaser you have,” Henderson adds. “Kings will see the activity from your prop, then they’ll spot that big bait in close and target it.”
In Mitchell’s opinion, controlled depth is also a must. Deep baits often catch some of your bigger kings, and sometimes one of these lines piques the interest of a fish that then looks up and sees a broader selection tracking above.
“I won’t leave the dock without my Cannon downriggers, otherwise I could only cover about 10 percent of the water column,” Mitchell says.
Olsen agrees. He usually runs one of his downrigger baits a third of the way down from the surface and the other about two thirds down. One will be a ribbonfish and the other a live baitfish. If either gets more attention, he doubles up on the more popular bait.
“I like to troll across a hard-bottom spot from different directions, making a star pattern,” says Olsen. “On a ledge, I zig-zag in and out until I find what the fish want. I give every spot 30 minutes. If I don’t get a bite, I move on.”
FIGHT PLAN While kingfish tournament anglers typically finesse their way through a delicate dance with a big fish, Olsen advises recreational kingfishers to tighten the drag and get that fish in the boat fast to minimize mishaps.
Henderson agrees and offers an alternative to cranking in a king from a dead boat.
“We prefer to run down the fish with the boat, taking up line during the process,” he says. “The less time that king is in the water, the fewer bad things can happen. For instance, the swivel creates a little bubble trail, and we’ve had mackerel bite it and break off [a hooked fish].”
Kings will take at least two good runs, and they often embark on boatside shenanigans, like suddenly surging under the bow. Just stay calm, keep the rod tip bent, and let the helmsman point the boat toward the fish. Take up line when you can, but never while a fish is running.
Once a hooked king comes boatside, gaff it quickly—preferably near the head for greater control—and always from behind the line in case the fish makes a last-minute dash. Then, bring it over the gunwale and take it straight to the cooler or fish box to prevent dangerous encounters with the fish’s formidable chompers.
WIRED FOR SUCCESS A king mackerel’s razor-sharp teeth call for bite-proof leaders. Alex Suescun photo; Peter Sucheski illustration King mackerel are notorious for severing mono and fluorocarbon and slicing off a bait’s rear with surgical precision. That’s why experienced anglers run 3- to 6-foot wire leaders that incorporate one or more stinger hooks.
Note: If using a larger bait, like a bluefish or Spanish mackerel, another short trace of cable or wire with a treble hook may be added to avoid missing fish due to short strikes. When using a ribbonfish, replace the leading single hook or treble with a narrow lead-head jig (pushing its hook through the bait’s bottom jaw and out at the nose to anchor the dead ribbonfish for trolling) and add a third trace of cable or wire with another treble to cover the ribbonfish’s entire length.
This article was featured in the October 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .