Season for the argument over Kingfish Tackle returns

Frank Sargeant

John Paiva shows a big King taken on Tampa Bay

ADVERTISEMENT

By FRANK SARGEANT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 19, 2009

As kingfish season returns, with it returns a dockside argument over what sort of tackle is appropriate to the king of mackerels.

The old salts tend to favor heavier gear, 30 to 40-pound mono, revolving spool reels and stout rods.

On the other side of the argument, light tackle experts like former SKA tournament champion Joe Bruce of Amelia Island prefer gear barely heavy enough to whip a largemouth bass. His lines test 12 pounds, his reels are tiny Ambassador baitcasters.

Both schools hold forth on the advantages of their ordinance.

When a kingfish takes off, he makes a big loop in the line and he pulls that behind him through the other fish in the school, the heavy-tackle experts point out. If the line isn't fairly stout and one of those fish just touches it when the hooked fish is running, it's going to break, thus the heavier line has the advantage.

Sportsmen who prefer to release most of the kings they catch also like the heavier gear, because a king that has to be played a long time rarely survives release. The stouter line and rod allows the fish to be pumped in promptly after the initial runs. The king can be controlled at boat side by grabbing the line, and the hook can often be flipped out without having to actually bring the fish aboard; a major plus because none of the slime coat is damaged.

Terminal gear with the heavier rigs is usually a double hook rig, a pair of 5/0's with the eye of one over the bend of the other. The first hook goes through the nose of the baitfish, the second dangles free. Leader wire is usually number 3 to number 4.

On the other side of the scale, Joe Bruce and other top tournament anglers are convinced that the lighter gear draws far more strikes because it allows a more natural motion of the bait, and is also harder for the kings to see.

"We do lose an occasional fish to our lighter gear," says Bruce, "but we get three times more strikes than we would with the heavier stuff so we come out ahead."

He said that particularly when the water is clear and calm, the lighter tackle is much more likely to fool the kings than is the heavier gear.

Bruce also likes the fact that the lighter lines forces the angler to exert very moderate drag on hooked fish.

"A lot of big kings are lost because the hooks are pulled out of them," he said. "With the lighter line and lighter drag, the hook stays put even if it's just stuck in the outside of the jaw."

Bruce likes number 1 or number 2 wire leader, a single nose hook in size 2/0, and a number 6 extra strong treble stinger hanging on four inches of wire near the tail of the bait.

Both the light tackle advocates and those who use heavier gear catch plenty of fish, so it's likely the arguments will never be settled--they'll return again next spring, when the fish come back.

Some good areas to try for kings at present include Egmont Channel, most of the popular wrecks including the Betty Rose, Ten Fathom, Rube Allyn and Blackthorn, and at the Clearwater hard-bottom and at the Dunedin Reef.

Most anglers gold-hook their baits near the reefs. Successful anglers are using chum, including a mix of ground baitfish, dog food and menhaden oil to bring the kings to the baits.

Slow trolling or fishing from an anchored boat has generally been most productive, but some fish are being caught by trolling spoons deep on planers or downriggers.

Visit Mastry's Bait and Tackle, 1700 Fourth Street South in St. Petersburg, for gear and further advice.##

Share this:

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT