Thread: Gulf Council King Survey

Gulf Council Asks for Information on King Mackerel | Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

Just from reading reports, it seems like the king harvest has been down quite a bit this year. I've heard that on reports from Panama City to Gulf Shores. If it seems unusual, the council wants to hear from you. Maybe they are just looking for info from boaters, I don't know, but they didn't say that on their info page. I'm sure you regulars could give them some factual info.

Gulf Council Asks for Information on King Mackerel | Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

For Immediate ReleaseSeptember 6, 2019

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council would like to gain a better understanding of king mackerel in the Gulf of Mexico. It is seeking information from anglers and divers about trends or “strange things” that scientists and managers may need to know.

A scientific stock assessment of king mackerel is currently underway, and the Council would like to know if you have noticed anything “fishy” about king mackerel, or kingfish fishing, in recent years. The information provided will help inform scientists and managers as they formulate a current understanding of the king mackerel stock.

Please visit our “Something’s Fishy with Kingfish” tool before October 4, 2019, to report anything you’ve noticed about King Mackerel in the Gulf of Mexico.

Contact Emily.Muehlstein@gulfcouncil.org with questions.

My response:

Good numbers of juvenile kings at the Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores, AL. But adult fish have been scarce the past 4 to 5 years. At the same time the population of blacktip and spinner sharks seems to have exploded, and often what kings are hooked from the pier are predated by the sharks. Landings from this pier are a fraction of what was landed there 7 to 10 years ago.