# Kingfish rigging advice



## digger37 (Jul 16, 2009)

I am going to try catching some kings this next week down around the Sea Grove and Destin Area. I do alot of floating the creeks and small rivers up here near home (Anniston, AL) for spots and red-eye bass. 

I would like to ask for advice on how and what to rig as far as leaders and hooks in order to catch kings and spanish. I plan on using cigar minnows (live or dead), I could even catch and use pinfish if needed. What type of leader and hook is best to use? I have a Penn 750 spinning reel and an Okuma CV45 reel that I plan on using. 

Also, how far off shoreline and what do I look for (baitfish, weeds, sandbar). How far behind the yak should I trail the bait?

Sorry for all the questions, I just have the fever real bad and can't wait to get in the water and hear my reel singing!

Yall ever set a place and time for the 18th??? I would love to meet some of you and learn the tricks. Maybe take your money with beginners luck???

Shane


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

I don't know what exact size wire but it is fine. Yes you can look for bait pods and the kings will be close behind and I was catching big kings at the color change just last week trolling live cigs. I use I think it is a #6 VMC 4X strong treble. If you have a short strike and it is cut in half then just start jerking it around and 99 times out of a 100 he will come back and inhale the rest.


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## whitetailwarrior (May 10, 2008)

that new toothy critter wire titanium 31lb.has been working very well but not many baitstores cary it yet


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## [email protected] (Mar 20, 2008)

40lb sevenstrand size two treble 35ft of water or around bait schools. Lots of info in this forum if you want to read past threads.


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## Yaksquatch (Mar 23, 2009)

Ditto on the suggestions made already, any of those rigs are good. Comes down to what you can afford and feel confident twisting yourself.



A bit of advise I was given a while back by a friend with much more experience than I, is to always have several spare rigs twisted and ready before you get on the water. I pre-twist 3-4 31lb single strand steel rigs with 2 trebles and 2-3 heavier steel rigs (40-60ish lbs) in case some thing big cuts me off. I keep the leaders in heavy Ziploc bags that are pretty cut/pierce resistant that way I don't have to re-twist anything on the yak.



As far as distance behind the yak, I usually play around with it while I am out there but 20-40ish yards back is probably good. Last time I was out I had one rig on top with no weight and another with a 3oz egg sinker to fish deeper. Got hit on both rigs and the fish I boated hit deep.



Good luck,

Alex


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## digger37 (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks everyone so far!

I have never "twisted" wire leaders. Do you double loop it through the eye and then twist around wire above the eye? How about the second hook, do I add another leader to the first hook or just use the remainder of the leader from the first hook to add twist the second hook on?

What lb line and color should I use? I thought about 30lb, but that may be to big. I don't know how picky they are. 

Should I be able to catch live bait with a Sabiki rig while I am out there, or should I use frozen?

One more, how do I hook the bait so that it swims naturally while trolling? :doh 

Shane


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## draper11 (May 8, 2009)

I am a king novice, but what I've learned so far is to err on the light side. I have used size 2-4 trebles with light leader wire (two hooks spaced out in along thetop of the back of the cigar minnow). The stinger especially helped with Spanish and was added after too many short hits.

One trip I got abused by something and went back with heavy gear, the big leader and dual heavy king hooks. I casted that rig right into schooling kings/spanish and couldn't get bit. Fished all day with it and caught nothing but sailcats.


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## Snobbler (Jun 23, 2009)

> *digger37 (7/16/2009)*Thanks everyone so far!
> 
> I have never "twisted" wire leaders. Do you double loop it through the eye and then twist around wire above the eye? How about the second hook, do I add another leader to the first hook or just use the remainder of the leader from the first hook to add twist the second hook on?
> 
> ...




If your using single strand wire do a haywire twist ( http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/article.jsp?ID=1000065425 )( http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/article/Gear-and-Techniques/The-No-Nonsense-Stinger-Rig)for the stinger thread the wire through the eye of the front hook as well as the existing wire loop. If you go with seve strand do an overhand knot at the eye of the hook and use a wire twist. I make my stinger hook long because im not surewhat baits im going to have (i.e. cigs, spedos, hardtails,ect.) Hook the front hook in the brigde of the nose infront of the eyes and thestinger as far back as you can hook the bait. 30lb line should be fine but if you want to you can size down, I've been using 14# suffix to make the fight last a little longer. Live or frozen has seem work equally well latley, Ive just been slow trolling them and stopping to let the baits drop then start trolling them again.


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## specslayer (Oct 9, 2007)

heres a rig i just did in 5 minutes

this iswhat i use formy king rig for a live cig. 



















first i crimp a little swivel to the top










then crimp a gamakatsu wide gap, the wider gap makes more ofthepoint stick out especiallywhen you use hardtails










then i use a piece of single strand for the stinger, just haywire the treble on 










then run the single strand through the 7 strand NOT the hook eye(or you could go through both)










do another haywire










and you ready to catch some fish










i know some people will say 60lb 7strand is too heavy but when you have a nice fish pulling drag and then POP and bring in a cut off leader youll wish you had it. unless your not geting any bites then i would go to a lighter leader.


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## digger37 (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks alot guys. I will be on the water first thing in the morning. I will try to entertain you with a report of my first Saltwater fishing trip in my YAK. 

I may ride up to Navarre Pier and see how the tourney came out and meet some of you on Sunday if I get dry in time.

Good Luck.

Shane


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