Fishing Report for the Florida Panhandle
Capt. Alex Crawford
June 1, 2002
Carrabelle - Saltwater Fishing Report
Kings will give you a zing. King Mackeral are fun to catch especially in the Springtime, when they are here in huge numbers. What makes them so much fun is that they fight you tooth and nail all the way to the gaff.
Along the unforgettable Panhandle coast of Florida, Kings begin to show up offshore when the water reaches 70 degrees. Normally, that is the end of April when the cigar minnows start to move inshore. If you locate schools of herring or cigar minnows, you will find the kings. I hear it referred to as the lion and zebra theory. Great hordes of Snake Kings in the 5 to 10 pound class grow fat on the abundant bait schools of Spring. Later in Fall, these same Kings are grown up into nautical torpedos, capable of scorching the best drag system.
Kingfish love pogies. Take your castnet early in the morning, when you can see the pogies dimpling on calm water. A few casts with your net should fill your baitwell. Don't overdo it, as pogies require lots of oxygen in warm water and overcrowding will do them in.
Run offshore to your favorite rocky bottom. Slow troll or drift fish the pogies until the first knockdown. Enter that spot in your GPS or toss your marker float overboard. Then, simply go to that spot and anchor on it.
If live bait is not your game, you can trick Kings with large lures. On the same hard bottom try pulling Stretch 30's or Rapala CD 18's. Don't be surprised if a big gag grouper comes up and eats your lure. Favorite patterns include hot pink, blue, blue and blue. Or, slow troll big blue runners on your downrigger. Explore different depths until you find the fish.
My favorite is 16 pound class tackle for Kings. The first run on light tackle is exhilarating. Light wire leaders with 4x strong treble hooks will hold these toothy critters.
For some really wild action, chum the Kings with dead and live pogies. Sight casting to Kings busting baits on top is sheer fishing bliss.
So, put some zing in your fishing adventures. Kingfish are guaranteed to make your drag sing.
Until next tide, tight lines and solid hookups,
Captain Alex Crawford
Proud Member Florida Outdoor Writers Association
Proud Member Florida Guides Association
More Fishing Reports:
