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Fishing Report for the Florida Panhandle
Capt. Alex Crawford
October 14, 2002
Carrabelle - Saltwater Fishing Report
The Fall Kingfish blitz is on! My last trip scored 9 to 31 pounds. If you are an angler that really gets your kicks from the feel of a sizzling drag, now is your special time and torpedo Kings are the game. The first run of a bruiser King Mackerel will absolutely melt your drag washers.
Targeting Kings is a specialized game. Let’s talk about some of the most successful techniques that are proven to bring these water rockets to your gunnel.
Cardinal Rule number one and the first secret of fishing is, “Fish where the fish are.” Kings love hard bottom, so develop a fish plan that includes your favorite reefs. Offshore of Apalachicola a few good ones are the Franklin County Reef, `Fathom Rock, Sixteen Mile Reef and the Apalachicola Reef.
Slow trolling live hardtails is sure-fire way to hammer Kingfish. Catch your bait on the offshore buoys with sabiki rigs tipped with squid. Big hardtails are really hardy and stay alive a long time while trolled. The trick here is to troll very slowly over your chosen live bottom. Bump it in and out of gear to allow your bait to rise and fall in the water column, as you search for fish. When you get bit, drop your marker float overboard and return to the area and drift fish it thoroughly. Or, enter the spot immediately in your GPS. You can pick up a few more Kings with this technique.
If you have downriggers, send your live baits down and slow troll. Constantly adjust your depths, as you search the column for fish. Always run one downrigger within 10 feet of the bottom. Giant groupers will come up and eat your hardtail.
Terminal tackle will vary with conditions, however you can’t go wrong with 60 pound wire leaders and 4x strong number 4 treble hooks. Always use a treble stinger hook, since Kings are notorious for short striking. If you are in a catch and release mode, as opposed to a catch and fillet mode, go with J hooks in lieu of trebles.
Drags sets are important when Kingfishing. Lighter is better. The professional Kingfish tournament boys will go with only 2 pounds of drag. The theory is that a big King will not pull the hook on that first scorcher run. As the battle ensues, you can always tighten done to wear him out. Lighten up the drag at the boat, when Kings always go into their tuna-like death spiral behavior. In fact, Kings are in the tuna family, as are Spanish and Ceros.
Another Kingfish delicacy is a fresh dead cigar minnow. Although a little pricey, cigar minnows should always be in the bait box for a Kingfishing soiree. Obviously, if you can catch you own live cigars, go for it. One cigar minnow trick that helps eliminate short strikes is to run your hook down through the bait’s mouth, out the gills and embed the hook in the body near the tail. You heard it here first folks.
Most Kings are lost at the boat. They are famous for running you into your prop, your anchor line, other lines that should not be in the water or simply coming free with an errant gaff shot. Employ a long handle quality gaff and keep it sharp. Have a prearranged plan with your crew on who does what to get a big King in the box. Kings will bite you if you are careless. Last year I let a 20 pounder attempt to take one of my digits. Not fun!
Another productive procedure for improving your catch is using pogies and pogy oil. Again, seasoned Kingfish tournament pros know that Kings respond well to chum. It is all about bending the odds in your favor. So, our proverbial prepared opportunist angler will chum with cut pogies and dispense a little pogy oil to make a nice slick. The only potential drawback to chumming is that big sharks sometimes come in. And then we have to break out the persuader tool, the Browning 12 gauge automatic. Just kidding, got duck season mixed up with fishing.
Don’t want to leave out you serious plug pullers. Pulling magnum lures off flat lines is another killer pattern for Kings. My best experiences have been with Rapala CD 18’s, Mann’s Stretch 30’s and big YoZuri’s. The color pattern that is best is the one you have the most confidence will score. Blue works for me. Try light wire leaders and small swivels for best results. Be sure to hold your mouth just right and fish where the fish are.
There are 100 pound King Mackerel swimming out there waiting for you. Go get ya one!!!
Until next tide, tight lines and solid hookups,
Captain Alex Crawford
Proud Member Florida Outdoor Writers Association
Proud Member Florida Guides Association
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