# School me on trolling for kings



## wmflyfisher (Jan 17, 2008)

Never caught a kingfish and would love to this year. I've been reading a lot and there seems to be many different rigs people use while trolling for them. What is your favorite rig and method for catching kings? How far off the beach should I troll and how far back do I let my rig run? Any help would be great. My brother in law will be visiting next weekend and I'd love to put him on a few.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

stretch 25 (doesn't matter much the color (for me anyways)) in 30-50 foot of water.... I do a zig-zag pattern.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I catch my biggest ones while fishing over a reef or structure. I free line a hand sized Ruby red or pinfish out there in the current. Set the rod in a holder with LIGHT drag and contuinue fishing with another rod. You'll know when he hits it! haha

If trolling is your game. A 40-60 sized trolling reel with 17-25lb mono (I use 20) on an 8ish ft rod with a SOFT tip. The soft tip keeps the waves from beating the guts out of your bait. Literally. I make my King rigs out of 27 or 40lb coffer single strand wire. And use a #2 or #4 treble on the front and a#4 on the rear. 99.999% of people will tell you to use cigar minnows for bait. They have never worked for me. Not even once. I use the boxed frozen Northern Mackerel. People say they are way to big of a bait but they work great for me. I troll them as fast as I can and them still stay in the water. Usually about 5 or 6 knots. 99.999% of people will say this is way too fast. But I have never caught a king at the recommended 2-3 knots. They seem to be exited by the extra speed. A king can swim at 50+ knots. Usually, I will fling the bait out behind the boat and open the spool witht eh boat in gear. I'll let the boat pull out line untill it is about 50-100ft behind the boat and lock it down. I usually have a hit within 100 yards of trolling... Rarely will we get 1/4 mile without a hit. I usually cant get a second line out before the first is blown up on. Every time I tell the guys at the Marina this, they tell me that they are surprised and that we are doing it wrong.... Works for us...

AS for how far off the beach... It's going to depend on what beach. Pensacola has 50+ ft of water within 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the beach. I fish further down the coast and we have to go about 5-6 miles out to get 50ft of water. Pensacola catches Kings off the pier all the time. At my spot, I've never heard of anyone ever catching one off the pier...


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

the easy and fun way catch or buy live baits and u slow troll 3 rods a half mile to a mile and a half off the beach.for a rig u want #3 wire from a small snap swivel or swivel to a #4 4x treble hook. then have a second or stinger hook maybe 4 to 6 in behind the first with # 4 wire to another 4x treble. u hook your bait through the eyes with the first hook and let the second lay free as far as your spread. 2 flatlines 1 close 1 a little less than twice as far sorry i do it by feel my mind isnt good at guestimateing . if u have a down rigger drop it around 40 ft in front of your longest rod if not rig up a light bottom rod with a 4 to 8 oz slip lead 4 ft of mono connected to a swivel and your wire rig keep the boat just fast enough to keep your flat lines behind the boat for the most part u bump the boat in and out of gear and 1 more pointer loose drag way loose drag kings run fast the light tackle and small hooks get the bite so u cant be rough with them and if u want the catch never set the hook


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

NoMoSurf said:


> I catch my biggest ones while fishing over a reef or structure. I free line a hand sized Ruby red or pinfish out there in the current. Set the rod in a holder with LIGHT drag and contuinue fishing with another rod. You'll know when he hits it! haha
> 
> If trolling is your game. A 40-60 sized trolling reel with 17-25lb mono (I use 20) on an 8ish ft rod with a SOFT tip. The soft tip keeps the waves from beating the guts out of your bait. Literally. I make my King rigs out of 27 or 40lb coffer single strand wire. And use a #2 or #4 treble on the front and a#4 on the rear. 99.999% of people will tell you to use cigar minnows for bait. They have never worked for me. Not even once. I use the boxed frozen Northern Mackerel. People say they are way to big of a bait but they work great for me. I troll them as fast as I can and them still stay in the water. Usually about 5 or 6 knots. 99.999% of people will say this is way too fast. But I have never caught a king at the recommended 2-3 knots. They seem to be exited by the extra speed. A king can swim at 50+ knots. Usually, I will fling the bait out behind the boat and open the spool witht eh boat in gear. I'll let the boat pull out line untill it is about 50-100ft behind the boat and lock it down. I usually have a hit within 100 yards of trolling... Rarely will we get 1/4 mile without a hit. I usually cant get a second line out before the first is blown up on. Every time I tell the guys at the Marina this, they tell me that they are surprised and that we are doing it wrong.... Works for us...
> 
> AS for how far off the beach... It's going to depend on what beach. Pensacola has 50+ ft of water within 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the beach. I fish further down the coast and we have to go about 5-6 miles out to get 50ft of water. Pensacola catches Kings off the pier all the time. At my spot, I've never heard of anyone ever catching one off the pier...


only reason i suggested the beach is all the inshore bottom spots will be hammered with state snapper open and u dont need to read a bottom machine or work with other boats in close if u are new


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## wmflyfisher (Jan 17, 2008)

Excellent info guys. Couple questions. 

Can you buy pre-made wire rigs to run flat lines? I've never tied wire rigs. 

By flatlining are you talking about slow trolling with a bait and no duster, weight or nothing else but the hooked bait? If so, how far behind the boat?

Nomosurf, is 50+ feet your magic number fishing for kings?

I'm down here in Panama City FYI...


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

weedline said:


> only reason i suggested the beach is all the inshore bottom spots will be hammered with state snapper open and u dont need to read a bottom machine or work with other boats in close if u are new


I agree. It also varies from town to town. Where I fish, you will never find a King inside 4 miles, but in other places you can catch them off the beach or pier. It just depends on how fast the water gets deep. And yes, ALL reefs inside 9 miles will be covered in boats. haha

Yes you can buy premade rigs, but making your own is MUCH cheaper. And you KNOW the quality. All you need is a roll of wire (I like 27lb and 40lb), a pack of #4 trebles (good ones) and a pack of swivels. Total cost, about $15. You can make 8 or 10 rigs with this. I have seen premade rigs go for as much as $10 EACH! Just go to youtube and watch a video or two on making a haywire twist knot. Very easy to do. Make your leaders about 2-3ft long from swivel to first treble. Add your stinger hook about 4-6 inches past first hook. Someone said to dangle stinger freely behind bait. I hook mine into his back. But that is just me...

As for the 50+ ft question? I have never really thought about it like that. The place where I fish has a large shelf that is about 25ft deep out to about 3 miles, and about 40ft deep out to about 6 miles. Then it drops rapidly to 50ft and slowly tapers out to about 65ft at 8 or 9 miles. I've never caught a king inside of the 5 or 6 mile mark there. So 50ft may be a magic depth for them... In other areas, 50ft can be had right off the beach. But I've never fished other areas for Kings. Soi I have no other data to go by.

I see that you are in PCB. I fish the Mexico Beach area just to the East of you. PCB doesn't have the shelf like MB, but I dont know how far out it gets to 50. You might check a map with depth contours. If you look at Google maps of the area and put it on satellite view, you can see the shelf that I am talking about out of Mexico Beach.


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## wmflyfisher (Jan 17, 2008)

Awesome thanks. I can hit 50ft about 3 or 4 miles off the beach. Will look into tying my own wire rigs. Maybe I can hook up on a few this Saturday!


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## Gator McKlusky (Oct 8, 2013)

I use seven strand becuase it is so easy to tie. Im just having fun with it - not tournament fishing etc. I will say that i don't recall losing a king due to seven stand breaking...


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

The "easiest" way is to anchor on a wreck and free line a dead Cigar minnow. Nothing to it. You will catch more than any other way.


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## Nitzey (Oct 9, 2007)

About making your own rigs, I use 43 lb single strand wire for the main line, and 61 lb for the stinger hook. Haywire twists are made neatly with a tool from DuBro, available from Wal-Mart or probably any sporting goods store, about $4. 

For trolling I get most hits from a Drone spoon fished from a planer. Well, sometimes a Stretch 25 plug or equivalent wins. No bait, no mess.


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## wmflyfisher (Jan 17, 2008)

What about current when trolling. Do you prefer to troll against the current or into it? Does wind direction make a difference as well?


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

This year will be my first year trying to kayak fish for kings. I'm thinking slow troll a nice live hardtail. Don't have to work to hard paddling around, zig zag around in the .5-1 miles out range.


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## Contender (Apr 4, 2012)

If you want to troll lures, Drones, Clark Spoons and Stretches are the way to go, pull them at 4-6 knots and ideally around and over structure.

Slow trolling live baits is more effective, using hard tails, pogies, ruby reds or even pinfish. Go just fast enough to keep the lines tight and keep the baits from getting under your boat. Stagger your baits pretty good to minimize tangles. Buying rigs to start is a good idea, then you can see how they are made. Light drags 1-2 pounds and let them take the first run, after that you may can tighten up a little but the small hooks are easy to pull. The tourney guys slow troll live bait. Often the King will come straight up under the bait to cut it in half, going several feet in the air "skying" this is when the stinger hook in the tail hooks the fish. Lots of fun, don't have to go far and smoked Mack is pretty dang good!


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## Hook (Oct 2, 2007)

My 2 cents is Good cigs behind a duster / islander/ seawitch ect The cigs need to swim straight and not twist!!!!!! 
Even if they swim and roll say every 30 sec, they will not produce. Use only flash frozen cigs as they will last. Capt. Salty are VERY good. 
Stay away from killer bee brand as they fall apart once they thaw out . Your not trolling for whaoo so high speed is not needed. 
I have caught dolphin whaoo white marlin and kings on cigs with a duster type. *You just have to know how to use them correctly.*
*I have done this since the late 60's If you want big kings slow trool live baits but need to find where they are first.*
Use wither a 3 hook rig or a bent leader thru its eyes but they must run straight!!!!!!!!!!!
Good Luck


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Kings are fun to catch especially if they decide to fly. You don't see them in tackle shops any more but Yo Zuri had their diving minnow lures with two trebles on them and they were deadly for Spanish and king mackerel. If you are lucky enough to catch them busting on bait at the surface you can throw lures even jigs and hook up, just make sure you have tooth proof leaders. The Rapalla Subwalk 15 is a great lure for throwing at fish busting on the surface (just change the hooks out to something like owner st66 2/0 or 3/0).


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## Kenton (Nov 16, 2007)

Kim said:


> Kings are fun to catch especially if they decide to fly. You don't see them in tackle shops any more but Yo Zuri had their diving minnow lures with two trebles on them and they were deadly for Spanish and king mackerel. If you are lucky enough to catch them busting on bait at the surface you can throw lures even jigs and hook up, just make sure you have tooth proof leaders. The Rapalla Subwalk 15 is a great lure for throwing at fish busting on the surface (just change the hooks out to something like owner st66 2/0 or 3/0).


Silver and black 6" yo zuri works great for us too. They LOVE them.


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## Nitzey (Oct 9, 2007)

wmflyfisher said:


> What about current when trolling. Do you prefer to troll against the current or into it? Does wind direction make a difference as well?


 I think generally troll with the current as game fish will conserve energy and lie in wait for bait to be swept by. But then you likely have to go back and so why not troll in the opposite direction? Wind usually does not make a difference, but sometimes wind may push some species with it.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Yeah, I've never noticed a difference with current, or wind direction...


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## fishnhuntguy (Feb 8, 2012)

Drift line over a reef or slow troll live baits. For sure, try with and against the current, see which produces more strikes and repeat. And it will change from day to day as the bait fish move. Good luck.


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## wmflyfisher (Jan 17, 2008)

Success!


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Nice! Is that a small king or a Monster Spanish? I cant see the lateral line in the pic, and the dorsal is folded down.... Dorsal looks pretty dark, so I'm thinking that is a monster Spanish. Good eatin!


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## wmflyfisher (Jan 17, 2008)

Small king.


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