# question about rigging for kings/casting to kings



## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

I lost a couple yesterday while trolling. Before that we were catching cigar minnows by the buoys and I saw a couple of huge ones cruising through the bait pods; they were only a few feet from the boat.

What should I have rigged up for casting at one of these guys? My rod selection is kind of limited but I have two large spinning rod/reel combos that I could set up for the next time this happens. The reels are at least as big as a Penn 650.

How to you get one to bite when there is all of that bait around? Should I just freeline/drift a bait behind the boat?


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

Slow troll a live bait using 44lb wire leader about 18" long with a small j-hook hooked into the front of the bait (I go inside the mouth and up through the top of the head just forward of the eyes) and a small stinger treble hook back by the tail. If your live bait is big then add another stinger. When I say slow troll, I mean just fast enough to keep your lines straight behind the boat. A lot of times this means you just bump it in and out of gear. My boat tracks pretty straight with the stern to the wind so if the wind is right I'll just shut the motor off. To get your bait to stand out from all the other bait fish you can add a duster. My favorite store-bought color is green but I prefer the ones I made by cutting thin ribbons out of a spongebob mylar ballon.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

When you see them like that take a fresh dead cigar minnow rigged on wire with a treble hook and toss out and let sink. Then hold on, he will smoke it big time.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

get some wire and treble hooks and make your own rigs, it's good to have a few different sizes depending on the size of the bait.


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## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks, guys. I think I have a better idea of what to do and what I need to rig up. It was crazy seeing those big things just cruising on top of the water.

Any other suggestions or help would be most welcome.


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

I'd like to add a question to this thread. Is the trolling speed for frozen cigs the same as for live ones? Also, can you fish for kings with live/dead menhaden?


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## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

Prince Caspian said:


> I'd like to add a question to this thread. Is the trolling speed for frozen cigs the same as for live ones? Also, can you fish for kings with live/dead menhaden?


Feel free to ask anything you want. I, too, am trying to learn as much as I can. It's frustrating to see a fish like that and struggle to catch it!


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

Thanks, aroundthehorn. I guess most of you guys fish around the Perdido Pass and eastward from there, and I'm hoping Chris V will chime in here, but does anyone know if there are cigs around the mouth of Mobile bay? What's the best way to catch them? I can throw a cast net, and mine is 10', or is it better to use a sabiki?


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

baitfish stack up outside any pass off the sandbar where it drops off, even away from the pass you'll find them off the beach. Best to look in the morning or before sundown but they are there all day just not on the surface where you can see them. Cast nets don't work very well in deep water unless you have the rite kind. Use a sabiki and if your having trouble catching them tip the hooks with cut bait. You do troll dead cigs faster that live baits, 4-6mph is plenty though and you can drag artificials at that speed at the same time.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

Prince Caspian said:


> I'd like to add a question to this thread. Is the trolling speed for frozen cigs the same as for live ones? Also, can you fish for kings with live/dead menhaden?


 
Only slow troll with live menhaden, if you use dead one they will only spin. That's why cigs are more popular they are streamline and track in the water better. Live menhaden work good but only go fast enough to keep your lines tight.


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## CobeKing (May 21, 2012)

Get some 75 ibs swivles and a variety of 7 strand wire ranging from 20-60 ibs.Also you will need treblehooks I use size 2 and 3 depending on bait size.For a casting lieter it need to be about12-16 in long and for trolling about 25-30 incase the strike the bait early.Bait wise i use cigar minnoes and live hardtails.Live menhaden work well if you can keep them alive.If you find a big ball of bait or bonita let lots of line out and drive around the ball and troll straight through the bait.When castind lead the fish about 10ft and work the bait to make it apeall to the fish.Also if you dont know how to tie 7 strand learn the right way or you will loose fish its garanteed.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Theres been a lot of info and techniques posted and I'll just add to it. You can take all of this and try to hone in on what bits and pieces work best for you.

I've used both singlestrand, sevenstrand, knot-able wires like BOA, AFWs Micro Supreme, etc, etc and I now only use singlestrand. Its stealthy, cheap and can be rigged without any tools. I use #4, 38lb almost exclusively (unless using a live bonito or bluefish, then #5, 44lb) and I feel I get far more bites with it. It WILL kink after a couple fish, but its easy to replace if a straightener won't fix it. I also like my king leaders 16-18 inches, whether I'm trolling or drifting. I use a #1, short-shanked live bait style hook in front and a #4, 4X treble for my stingers. I think Mustad makes the best kingfish treble. They don't rust like the many other "designer" trebles and are much cheaper for a bulk package.

I usually troll for kings no faster than 3mph with dead baits and just bump troll with livies, as do most others. You can pull these speeds with any natural bait, live or dead but some baits need a little different rigging. For one, make sure that your lead hook comes through the baits nose, head, whatever, dead centered and not through one nostril or leaning towards the left eye. Just like with bluewater baits like ballyhoo and Spanish Mackerel, if the point of pull isn't centered with the bait, it will spin. With deep bodied baits like pogies and threadfin herring, even centering sometimes isn't enough. On rigs for these baits, I use a very short-shank-hooked jighead of about 1/4 oz. Boone and Hank Brown Hookups are some of the best for this. You just use the jighead as if it were a J or treble hook lead hook. You can also dress them with spinnerbait skirts if you want to add some color.

Finding bait around Perdido and Mobile Pass can be overly easy or very hard depending on the day. I've always found good live bait around the main channel buoys out of Mobile Bay. The buoy out of Perdido Pass can be very fickle though. When bait is scarce around it, I usually make the run to 3 mile Barge. It is usually more consistent but is a farther run. I also know of several bait FADS near OB, but I'm not quite that generous to give the numbers out!

As to what to throw at a king. As Lobsterman said, throw a fresh dead cig or the best looking frozen one. With all of the live bait there, you need to give those fish something to single out. Another live bait will blend in when freelined, whereas a dead, sinking, slightly-fluttering bait will catch their attention better. If you are around rigs, wrecks or some sort of structure, I like to throw artificials. My top picks are a 3 oz spoon, a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow Magnum and a Shimano Waxwing. Whichever lures you get, make sure they are flashy and that you work them faaaaassssttt!

Hope this helps

CV

Sorry for the long ordeal


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

Thanks everybody for the info! Chris, your willingness to share everything but your numbers never ceases to amaze me-- Class act! I guess this means it's up to me to go get out there.


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## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

Prince Caspian said:


> Thanks everybody for the info! Chris, your willingness to share everything but your numbers never ceases to amaze me-- Class act! I guess this means it's up to me to go get out there.


Chris V. is an A+ guy. Got to talk to him the other day.


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## CobeKing (May 21, 2012)

Chris V what pound Wire do you use on your artificials???????


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