Looking for a fun and challenging fishing experience? Try targeting kingfish! These fish can be found in many coastal areas, and are known for putting up a fight. In this article, we’ll provide some tips on how to catch kingfish. We’ll also discuss some of the best baits and lures to use. So, if you’re ready to tackle these exciting fish, keep reading!
Where To Find Them?
Kingfish falls into the category of large pelagic species that inhabit in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. They are often found along the high seas, and they have no measuring scale because they belong to a category of deep water species.
The Yellowtail King (Seriola lalandi ) usually inhabits all bays and estuaries in an area, usually there are hot spots or areas where you will catch more fish than others. Kingfish thrives in inshore waters along reefs and rocky bottoms. They also inhabit both open water and coastal areas near deep channels throughout the year. Their food source is small fish, squid and crustaceans which use their speed to catch them. The best way to find these is to study the map closely and look for little coves with a lot of Kingfish on your depth sounder. The natural instinct when we want to know where something is hiding is to follow the food. Fish for example will follow the flow of nutrients or plankton which is why you’ll often find them where currents converge and feeder creeks flow into the ocean.
When Is The Best Time To Catch Kingfish?
Many anglers don’t give a lot of thought to the best time for kingfish. The most popular times are typically considered to be during spawning and winter, but there is another approach that might have some value – one based on water temperature.
In short, from October through March, kingfish tend to prefer waters with temperatures from 68 to 77 degrees. So, if you want to catch kingfish during these times, be sure your bait is in the right temperature zone.
From April through September, they tend to prefer warmer waters ranging from 70 to 82 degrees, so be sure your baits are in this zone when fishing for them at these times.
To summarize, the cooler water times seem to be a great time for kingfish, and that is from October through March. So, if you’re going after them during this period, put your bait in the cooler zone.
How To Catch Kingfish?
Fishing for kingfish is very popular in Australia. Kingfish are great sport fish and because of this, people often want to know what kind of equipment they need for the task.
While there are many ways to catch these powerful fish, here’s an overview of how you can choose the right rod when fishing for kingfish.
Rod
Choosing the best fishing rod for kingfish (and other species) can be a bit daunting simply because of its sheer size and weight. A good quality kingfish rod needs to be able to deal with the weight of a large fish and also strong winds. The last thing you want is for your line and leader to snap and lose your catch, especially when it’s a big one.
Many anglers make the mistake of choosing a rod too light for kingfish, only to find out they need another one for subsequent fishing trips. This is why buying your first kingfish rod can be expensive because most likely you’ll have to buy two or three before you get that perfect fit.
To find the perfect rod for kingfish follows these steps:
Choose a high-end brand. Rods from Shimano, Daiwa and Quantum are good choices. They range from mid to high price range, but they’re durable and reliable. Rod length is important as well, look for a minimum of 9’8″ (3 m) long rods. Longer rods will be more sensitive and generally tougher against large kingfish, or in heavy winds. A medium-heavy or heavy action rod is best because they are durable, strong and flexible enough to handle tough fish. For maximum strength make sure the rod is made from graphite fiberglass, which reduces the chance of breakage when casting big lures for kingfish. Kingfish are usually caught when the weather is rough, so make sure you choose a rod with quality construction and components like stainless steel guides, titanium coating or double leg guides that reduce pressure on the line to avoid broken lines caused by corrosion.
Reel
Choosing a fishing reel for kingfish is not an easy thing to do. I know you have done your research, read about how important it was to get a good quality reel that will last, and the importance of not choosing just any kind of equipment. But despite all this, there’s still going to be a problem with getting the right one.
Different types of kingfish require different kinds of equipment. For example, if you are planning to capture long kingfish, then you need something that is lighter in weight and sensitive enough to detect minute bites. Meanwhile, for short kingfish or those that are found at the bottom of the sea, you should get something with good braking mechanism and powerful drag.
You might also want to consider getting a versatile and durable spinning reel that can be used for different kinds of fishing, such as black marlin fishing . The reason is that you will eventually run out of budget or simply get tired of changing reels all the time.
The same goes with baitcasting, but if you’re only going to buy one, get a good quality spinning reel. They are easier and lighter to use compared with baitcasting reels.
Line
You should choose your fishing line carefully. Kingfish have tough scales designed to protect them from sharp teeth and they can also be abrasive to fishing lines, so you need to use a high-quality line. The best types are low stretch lines made of fluorocarbon, which have superior abrasion resistance compared with nylon. Fluorocarbon also sinks faster in the water so your leader remains closer to the bottom where kingfish are likely to strike.
Bait
For those who are new in this fishing activity, it is highly recommended that you stay away from using live bait for these fish because most of the time, they come up with their mouths wide open ready to swallow anything that comes into their sight that looks.
So in order to catch kingfish, you must become familiar with the fact that they are very attracted by lures or artificial baits simulating smaller fishes or squid (calamari). The best time for fishing these huge fish is at night when their sense of sight is less effective.
Conclusion
Kingfish are some of the most fun to catch. You can use your own bait or they will bite on shrimp, squid, crab and even small pieces of octopus (octopi?). They’re an excellent eating fish as well- similar in taste to red snapper but with a firmer texture. If you want to learn how to catch kingfish yourself, we have all the information here for you!
