King Mackerel season

[kingpin]

This is a fantasic fighting and great tasting fish that is caught different ways.
What artificial produces, and if you use natural, what do you use and have fast and what depth do you troll for them?

[clt_capt]

Drone spoon - w/pink holo tape
Depth is dependent on water depth

[blueoceaneyez]

For us:

Frozen: cigar minnows on a pirate plug so it doesn't spin.

Live: cigar minnows, threadfins, blue runners (bigger the better, lol) - nose hook & 2 stingers

Artificials: Yozuri deep divers

Typical spread: 1 long, 1 short, 2 on downriggers & sometimes 1 down the center

I LOVE Kingfishing!!

[Nauti Natured]

Live menhaden, stinger rig, occasionally a skirt.

[BTH284]

15-20 lb test mono for running line on the reel. 3-6 lbs of drag. Tld 15's and baitrunner 4500's. Top shot 18 feet 20 lb flouro. Tie that to 24"-30" #3 or #4 coffee stainless. Haywire twisted to (2) 4x #4 trebles (space between the hooks depends on bait size.)

I always use live bait. Blues, spots, croakers, grey trout etc. A smoker king will inhale a pinfish as well. I just use a pair of scissors to cut off the spines. Pinnies will pull all day long without dying. My favorite baits for kings are threadfins(LY's greenbacks) or menhaden. Speed is just in fwd gear to move ahead. If I have to go with the current or swell I will bump in and out of gear. This is especially true with blue fish.They are mighty tuff opponents but turn into pansies with a hook in their back.

Another thing I like to do is use the HIVIS mono on my reels. With live bait speed, you can cross lines very easily with friskie baits. I NEVER let the HIVIS touch the water only the flouro. But, the easy to see color will help you avoid tangles. Also, I like to keep all my baits pretty close to one another to simulate a school of fish. I don't like using skirts to go over the baits. But alot of people do and do very well with them.

When you mark bait on the scope. Stay tight to it.

[Robja]

Live menhaden. On down rigger we often run a ribbonfish or a live blue. As far as spread we have one long on outrigger and on one about 15yds shorter on other outrigger. then one about 1/2 way and a short line in propwash. BTW they arent that good tasting unless you marinate them for a while.