Thread: king mackerel help

first off i want to thank everybody for their help but I'm still so very lost on what to do like free lining live bait dead bait maybe lures please help

20 lb 7strand leader small black barrel swivel and number 4 treble hook is my terminal rig. you make this by a simple figure 8 know to the hook then one
to the swivel. Then from there i have a Penn 550 ssg but anything that holds 15 lb test at 300 yards should work. I prefer snobbling dead smaller Lys or bait i catch.. whatever I can get my hands on.. REMEMBER when snobbling cast into the wind at a 45 degree angle. If you cast in someones loop, just trade spots. Try to get past them though. Freelining requires less work, but you must follow your bait. Lures are productive sometimes. mainly Yozuris and other plugs. I'm not big on that. Snobbling is my main method. Hope this helps? I'm not entirely sure what exactly you are asking haha

15-20 pound test ....30 lb single strand malin wire.... #2 size eagle claw treble hook and the pier house sells some really good king swivels they are very small they are called spro swivels dont no what size.....buy a ribbon or a sabiki rig to catch live bait or you can buy frozen cigs dont get killer bee cigs.... buy the cigs from j&m and talk to one of the j&M employes on what kind of rod and reel setup to use.oh and buy the way no weight needed when you freeline or snobble.

First of all, there was a recent thread on snobbling for kings that you should check out. It has a lot of relevant information. Get a reel capable of holding 300 yards of 15 to 20 lb. monofilament, as mentioned. J&M sells a couple of great rods. Check out their split-grip GulfStream rod or the custom Batson rods. Roughly $150.00. If you can teach yourself to use a manual bail reel, all the better. Try to get your hands on a Penn 706Z. You can buy used or wait til September when the re-issue comes out. When free-lining, I use 32 lb. single strand with a #2 treble hook. Sometimes I use a 3" cigar float and sometimes I don't. Use a #5 or #7 Sea Striker swivel. Before you cast out, you have to determine the direction of the drift. Cast out at the "end of the line" of fishermen on the upcurrent side. Cast out straight from the pier, not at an angle. Try not to cross any other lines. As your bait drifts down current, follow it by moving along the rail of the pier. A technique you will have to master is freespooling when the king bites. As your bait drifts, keep the bail open if using a bail reel, and keep the line on your forefinger. Let out a little line as your bait swims, then catch it on your forefinger again. When you get a bite, let the king rip the line off your forefinger. Sweep your rod upward to create slack, then lower it as you close the bail or put the line back on the roller (manual-bail reel.) When the line comes tight, set the hook with a few upward strokes. Your drag should be set so that the king can freely take off on a 100-yard run while keeping your rod fairly bent. You should be able to pump and reel the king back to the pier without line peeling off.

Catching bait: you can either use an alewife ribbon or a sabiki with small feathers. The alewife ribbon will ONLY catch alewives, which are sometimes scarce. The sabiki will catch alewives, threadfins, sardines, cigar minnows (rare) and small hardtails. Threadfins are soft and not as hardy as alewives and sardines. Hook alewives through the back with one prong of the treble hook. I hook sardines through the nostrils. Sardines are nice because they swim good for a while and if you don't get a bite, you can snobble him after he dies (again, refer to the snobbling thread in the forum.)

There are lots of tricks to freelining and snobbling. Sometimes corked baits work better than those without a cork, and vice versa. It is your job to try different presentations until you "crack the code" for the day.

Once you master these techniques, you will get to experience the thrill of an explosion on your bait and that great adrenaline rush of a king smoking line off your reel. Hope this helps and good luck.

If you sling your bait off a lot, them you might want to go up to a #1 treble, I prefer 15lb line for kings, but I'll go as light as 8lb for them, but unless you are very experienced with big fish on light line, I wouldn't go that light but if your reel is big enough, you can go up to 20lb which on the off chance you hook up with a ling will be a little more safe feeling

as far as free-lining.....here is my method, when king takes the bait immediately open the bail. when you think he has taken enough line start counting to 10 mississippi....close bail and then let him pull the line tight.....he will be hooked or he will have spit your bait. If he spit your bait dont worry, you would probably never have hooked him anyway.

if using a fresh caught bait, you can keep a loose drag and when the fish hits you really don't have to freespool of "jack em up!!" just simply raise your rod tip when you think he has the hook. If he spits or you choke, twich your bait or just leave it for a good minute they come back quite often. & The reason you cast into the current while snobbling is to keep your bait in the water for a maximum amount of time, and give it the best presentation possible. If there is no wind/ current then cast strait. A good way to learn how to get really good at snobbling is to go over to Navarre and make friends with those locals, and ask questions they get it done over there.

(King I use 15-20 lb mono Malin 30lb single strand wire(12 inch leader wire) #2 EAGLE CLAW treble hook also for bait i usually use a Sabiki or ribbon or just buy cigs from J@M or the pier house)

spanish i will use the same thing small LY's,Sardines,or cigs