Kingfishing…. You’re doing it wrong. I know that sounds cocky or even a bit on the dickhead side of the spectrum, but hear me out. Everybody wants to catch the biggest fish possible, the catch of a lifetime, a real trophy. Well, big smoker kingfish are a ton of fun to catch, and very easy as well. And everyone has an opinion on the best way to go about it. You are about to read mine. First I am going to tell you a little story to help illustrate my technique.
I was around 12 or 13 and my family was fishing off palm beach. We were aboard the BIG D, a corporate sportfish owned by the Max Davis company. I think the captain was named Turbo or something like that. On the way out the inlet we get a dozen goggle eyes. We are cruising in style. I remember there was a photo album aboard that had all these pics of women in thongs fighting fish all over the transom of the BIG D. I mean, it is the 80s and Captain Turbo is at the helm. What else would you expect?
So we post up in like 100 feet. I can see the beach, which is really cool. There are commercial kingfish boats trolling everywhere. There are sporties rolling by in every conceivable direction. And freaking go fast speedboats sporting thongs galore, which is really cool. We are drifting and the mate grabs a rod and hands it to me.
I have a 3/0 Daiwa star drag in my hand on a Star rod. Like 30 or 40 pound mono, a swivel, 18 inches of 60# wire, and a 8/0 Mustad O’shaunnessay hook that has been bent offset. Really simple, low-tech, ready to go. The mate ass hooks a goggle eye and plops it overboard, tells me to free spool it.
So there I am freespooling a $12 baitfish, watching commercial guys sling slob mackerels over the transom, and speedboats full of woman roaring about aimlessly….. When the goggle eye starts to really freak out.
This little Scad is seriously trying to escape something and I am very ready. I am feeding some line out and waiting, when I see a little fish charging across the surface about fifty feet behind the transom. It was my goggle eye, did not realize that at the moment. Well this guy is making a serious little head wake, when 20 feet behind it a massive tooth missile shoots from the depths. Its arcing trajectory is aimed directly at the little head wake. The little head wake disappeared in the missiles maw, and soon my line came slicing through the water in hot pursuit. I locked up and it pretty much emptied that little 3/0 Daiwa. A few minutes later, a 70 pound kingfish had its tail hanging out the side of the cooler.
So what am I getting at? This… Was the boat slow-trolling? Was I rigged up with a stinger rig? Was my 20 pound line rigged with a bimini and a topshot? Did I have a duster in front of my bait on a downrigger with glittery attractant smeared on my baitfish?
Nope, none of that. I had a wire leader, a hook, a baitfish (an expensive one!) Less is more. Especially with the big fish. They are smart and want something that looks natural. Slow trolling makes the live bait act weird, like it is being pulled around on a string. Which is what is happening. Stinger rigs are made to catch Snakes. Schoolies. You want to catch the big slimers? Why would you use a rig that is designed to catch the babies because they short strike the bait on the ass end? Big Kingfish will completely inhale a four pound bait. And hook themselves really well in the process.
What I am getting at, is, when I am targeting trophy kings there is a certain protocol. The boat is anchored or drifting. I have a fairly heavy outfit with a smooth drag and a lot of line rigged with a short wire leader and one single Treble/ J hook/ Circle. I nose or ass hook the biggest friskiest bait I have available and chuck it in the water. If a smoker is around it does not take long. Oh, and sometimes I live chum or chunk… but only if necessary. I like to keep things simple.
