# King Fish



## minerva216 (Dec 17, 2012)

I am new to King fishing around here so I have a few questions.

1. If you troll dead cigar minnows what duster rig colors seem to work best?

2. Is it common to have luck to have success just off the second sand bar?

3. Do they hang around here until November?

I am not a tournament fisherman so don't think I am trying to pull one over on you. I am military and moved here from NC. Its me and my 6 year old son who I am trying to turn onto trolling.

Thanks for the help guys


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## KingMe!!! (Apr 25, 2008)

*Kings.*

Color tends to vary but your on the right track. Different colors work different days. I always try and troll near channel markers and over structure. Slow trolling plugs work as well. Also look into rigging spoons behind number 2 and 3 planners. These techniques should keep you more than busy with the kings. By the way. What does your screen name mean.


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## minerva216 (Dec 17, 2012)

Funny you ask, Minerva is the name of my boat. Minerva was the roman goddess of wisdom, arts , crafts, medicine, defense and magic. I know crazy name but my wife bought me the boat so I let her name it. The 217 comes from the model number of my boat.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I've been King trolling for about 8 years now. So I'm no expert, but I have found what works for us. When we first went out, we SLAYED em. We got back to the marina and were told we were doing it WAY wrong! So we tried the right way and caught NOTHING, several times. Went back to the "wrong" way and have been slaying em since.

Right way = cigar minnow trolled at 1-3knots at about 50-100 yards back.
Wrong way = Northern Mackerel trolled at 6-8knts about 30-60 yards back. Troll as fast as you can and still keep the bait in the water.

We have NEVER caught one on a cigar minnow, but everyone else has. Point is, dont be afraid to bend or break some rules (not laws, haha) to find what works. Duster colors and size tends to vary from day to day and week to week. We find that we have the best success on three colors. Gold mylar, a silvery pink opaque white, and one that I invented myself. I hand tied them on a fly tying vise. I used some old duster heads and used some mylar from some marti gras decorations. It was shimmery green on one side and purple on the other. They ended up looking like that car paint that changes color from green to purple to copper. They work really well, but the saltwater deteriorated them badly. If they touched the water, they were only good for a day to two and would bleach out.

If what you are using isn't working, speed up, and/or slow down. If still not working change bait size. If still not working, change dusters.

ALL of the biggest Kings that I have ever caught were from freelining a Ruby Red over a reef or structure. You can live troll them too, but you have to go REAL slow or they will flip on their side. If your bait is on it's side or spinning, NOTHING will hit it. Make sure your baits run true!


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

*King Mackerel*

We've caught most of our really big ones offshore anchored and drifting over structure (in the fall) with live bait AND frozen bait (mostly cigar minnows). 
Most of the ones we've caught trolling were smaller, and were'nt the targeted species.
Like it has been said, don't be afraid to try something different or new....
:thumbup:


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## fishdoc (Apr 1, 2014)

On a slower day I'll also troll one of the rainbow tree rigs with a spoon at the end. Usually catch more Spanish on it, but if your son is six he'll be just as excited and better eating. Self explanatory I've had the most luck over structure. Particularly over the 3 barges as its very large area of structure near shore and the pass.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

I only king fish one way and that is live baiting. Not because you can't catch them other ways, but because live baiting them is so much fun. Watching a king come 6 feet out of the water with your bait in his mouth is absolutely awesome. I use various dusters but my two favorite colors are pearl and black/purple. I usually run my black/purple on the surface lines and the pearl on the downrigger. I also like red/black. As for trolling behind the sandbar, sometimes they are there and you can catch a few and sometimes you will be spinning your wheels. I really like trolling areas of live bottom and there are also a few artificial wrecks I like to troll around. Both hold fish and usually if you find one there are more. For me, I'll give an area about 20 minutes and if they aren't biting I move on. I have also had good success around the C buoy in Destin and the buoy line in Pensacola pass, particularly when the seas are rough. There are a few fish still around in November it really just depends on the water temp and weather as to how many are still here.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I agree with the 20 minute plan. We will usually line up a couple or three reefs that are a mile or less total apart. We'll troll up and down that line, then move on. We usuall get hit right of. Usually before we can get a second line out. We throw the bait in the water and put the boat in gear with the spool open. When we get the line distance we want, we lock the spool and BAM!!! If nothing withing 5-10 mins, change speed. If nothing within 15-20, move on.


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## SushiKing (Jul 19, 2013)

sniperpeeps said:


> I only king fish one way and that is live baiting. Not because you can't catch them other ways, but because live baiting them is so much fun. Watching a king come 6 feet out of the water with your bait in his mouth is absolutely awesome. I use various dusters but my two favorite colors are pearl and black/purple. I usually run my black/purple on the surface lines and the pearl on the downrigger. I also like red/black. As for trolling behind the sandbar, sometimes they are there and you can catch a few and sometimes you will be spinning your wheels. I really like trolling areas of live bottom and there are also a few artificial wrecks I like to troll around. Both hold fish and usually if you find one there are more. For me, I'll give an area about 20 minutes and if they aren't biting I move on. I have also had good success around the C buoy in Destin and the buoy line in Pensacola pass, particularly when the seas are rough. There are a few fish still around in November it really just depends on the water temp and weather as to how many are still here.


Sounds like a blast! 
So you troll with dusters over your live bait? Live cigar minnows I assume? I've only seen frozen around here now that I think about it..


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## SushiKing (Jul 19, 2013)

sniperpeeps said:


> I only king fish one way and that is live baiting. Not because you can't catch them other ways, but because live baiting them is so much fun. Watching a king come 6 feet out of the water with your bait in his mouth is absolutely awesome. I use various dusters but my two favorite colors are pearl and black/purple. I usually run my black/purple on the surface lines and the pearl on the downrigger. I also like red/black. As for trolling behind the sandbar, sometimes they are there and you can catch a few and sometimes you will be spinning your wheels. I really like trolling areas of live bottom and there are also a few artificial wrecks I like to troll around. Both hold fish and usually if you find one there are more. For me, I'll give an area about 20 minutes and if they aren't biting I move on. I have also had good success around the C buoy in Destin and the buoy line in Pensacola pass, particularly when the seas are rough. There are a few fish still around in November it really just depends on the water temp and weather as to how many are still here.


Sorry but what do you mean by 'live bottom'?


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

SushiKing said:


> Sounds like a blast!
> So you troll with dusters over your live bait? Live cigar minnows I assume? I've only seen frozen around here now that I think about it..


Yes I use dusters over my bait. I run about 2' of wire to an owner live bait J hook to a single stinger treble hook. I use whatever live bait I can find, I like cigs and speedos because they are streamlined and don't twist as much. I don't use swivels so twisting can be a problem with some baits if you pull them to fast, particularly threadfins. Hard tails are awesome, I have even caught some big old kings on big rubys. If it swims a king will eat it. A sabiki rig is your best friend for king fishing, you can get all the live bait you need.

Live bottom means exactly that. Live=active growth an coral bottom such as a coral reef. Main thing is kings follow the bait. Find a bait source and generally you will find the kings.


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## SushiKing (Jul 19, 2013)

sniperpeeps said:


> Yes I use dusters over my bait. I run about 2' of wire to an owner live bait J hook to a single stinger treble hook. I use whatever live bait I can find, I like cigs and speedos because they are streamlined and don't twist as much. I don't use swivels so twisting can be a problem with some baits if you pull them to fast, particularly threadfins. Hard tails are awesome, I have even caught some big old kings on big rubys. If it swims a king will eat it. A sabiki rig is your best friend for king fishing, you can get all the live bait you need.
> 
> Live bottom means exactly that. Live=active growth an coral bottom such as a coral reef. Main thing is kings follow the bait. Find a bait source and generally you will find the kings.


That's great stuff, thanks. Why don't you use swivels? Sorry to follow up your elaborate answer with another question! I will be checking your availability when my buddies are ready to pony up for a deep sea trip this summer!


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

SushiKing said:


> That's great stuff, thanks. Why don't you use swivels? Sorry to follow up your elaborate answer with another question! I will be checking your availability when my buddies are ready to pony up for a deep sea trip this summer!


I don't use swivels just out of preference and ease of tying the rig. I rig 90% of my king rigs on the boat so the easiest thing for me to do is just tie the wire leader straight into my flouro leader and get it in the water.


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

I like the pink dusters with a frozen cigar daisy chained to it.
I also like the green.
But I use and possess all the colors. I use typically what I pull out of my fishing bag. 
They are great baits. 
When I drift over wrecks and reefs, I ALWAYS have a duster rigged behind the boat as we drift. It typically always catches the big fish of the day. I put the rod on the top of the ttop and drift, when we drive to get back on the reef, it trolls. Great all around Versatel bait. Everything from snapper to amberjack on a drift, to mahi while I'm trolling for kings. Get a few different colors, but if I had to choose, it would be the irridesent pink duster. 
Good luck.........you will catch fish with a duster. no doubt


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

The duster is nothing more than an eye catcher . They bite the cig that's on the hook


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## Smitty81 (Sep 19, 2012)

Troll some Rapala magnums in yellow or dolphin color. We catch a lot of kings and these work when baits don't. They work for big and small kings. I got a 35 lb king last year on one of these.


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