King Mackerel Fishing

King Mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla)

Description: Elongated body is greenish above but mostly silver with no markings, except in juveniles, In which some have spots.

Size: School fish range from 5 to 20 pounds; 50 pounders are quite common, Potential size is from 75 pounds to 90 pounds. Florida and worlds record is 90 pounds.

Food Value: Fish is very rich and oily, preferred method of cooking is smoking or broiled.

Game Qualities:  Kings are super fast and very fun at any size.

Tackle & Bait: Large variety of tackle may be used, from spinning to open face. Preferred pound test line is 30-40 pounds. Popular techniques include: free lining, using spoons, and jigs.

King Mackerel

If your idea of spectacular fishing action includes explosive strikes, and drag smoking runs, it's time to give live-baiting for king fish a try. King Mackerel are one of the most supercharged fighters cruising  Florida's near shore waters, and their drag burning runs will get any angler's heart racing. A basic live bait set up consists of a spinning or conventional, 20-30lb. class rod with a light to medium tip, if fishing from a pier your tackle should be a little stouter, you must be able to keep them off of near by structure. Reels can be spinners or conventional, but should hold at least 250 yards of 20lb. monofilament. The best rig for free lining for King Mackerel is called a stinger rig and this consists of a light wire with a main hook and another trailer hook, usually a treble hook. You can purchase stinger rigs at your local tackle store for about $3-$4 dollars each. Your best bet would be to familiarize your self with what is called the haywire twist and you can create this yourself, Click here for more information on creating the Haywire twist.

King Mackerel are naturally attracted to ledges, because they normally have bait near, this is one reason if you are local, I would suggest visiting the Skyway piers, and the reason for this is there is a 50 ft deep shipping channel that tend to hold King Mackerel, especially in the early spring and late fall. Not to mention the piers are leading right out into the Gulf of Mexico, if using the proper techniques King Mackerel can easily be landed from the piers.

My favorite rig for King Mackerel fishing from a pier is using what is called a balloon float. One of the most versatile and easily carried floats is an ordinary toy balloon. This rig consists of a balloon, a barrel swivel, a leader and hook. What makes this rig a great choice for King Mackerel is the balloon can hold the larger baits at the surface easily and you can adjust the balloon for the bait size. Just be sure when you tie the balloon to your main line that you tie it tightly so when the balloon breaks it does not become liter in the water.