How to catch Kingfish What do you get when you cross the explosive power of a feeding marlin with the stamina of any tuna and the gut-wrenching, tackle busting attitude of a tropical trevally? You would have to say, the ultimate gamefish!. It just so happens that this creature lives and thrives in most of the waters surrounding New Zealand. The yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi lalandi) more commonly known as the kingie carries with it this type of reputation and for this it is widely sought-after. In the next few paragraphs I will endeavour to shed some light on how to improve your chances of locating and catching these speedsters. The kingfish is extremely popular with saltwater anglers because of its versatility. Whether you fish from the shore, from a boat in shallow estuarine waters or deep offshore reef systems, an encounter with a kingie is inevitable at some stage of your fishing career. Location Kingies can be found year round in the North Island and in the summer months when wind and currents push warm water south they have been caught as far down as Fiordland on the West coast and around Banks Peninsula on the East coast of the Mainland. Within this huge territory certain areas spring to mind as being Hot Spots. This refers to locales where large numbers of kingies congregate, thus increasing your chances of catching more than just a few. The Three Kings Islands, Bay of Islands, White Island and Ranfurly Bank are all areas with huge kingfish potential. In the past few years the French Pass region has also proven to be a very productive fishery. While there are many other good kingie fishing areas, these places have proven to be high yielding spots year after year and have produced kingfish of mammoth proportions. There are common ingredients that all these locations share, the most critical one being current. Within reason, more current equals more opportunity when fishing for kingfish. These strong-swimming fish will generally be in close proximity to a tidal flow. Does it makes them more mobile, concentrate them, or bring with it a diverse range of food suitable for the kingfish to feast on? ThereÍs every possibly all three contribute to the importance of current. A very close second on the list, as previously mentioned, is food. Sometimes, these fish can be so frustrating, refusing all offerings. Other times their hunger is insatiable. The kingfish's diet is mainly comprised of jack mackerel, slimy mackerel, koheru, pilchards, anchovies, flying fish, sauries, squid, piper, mullet and kahawai. All these seem to add up to a perfectly healthy diet for such a predator. The other side of the ledger, however, shows just how undiscerning our kingie can be. Paper nautilus, shrimp, snapper, flounder, golden snapper, sea horses, tarakihi, octopus, crayfish, frost fish, ruby fish and other unidentified deep sea creatures all contribute to the diet of the kingie. Rocky headlands, pinnacles, offshore islands and reef systems are among the best places to actively chase a kingfish. A good place to start looking for these streamlined hunters is where both current and food are found simultaneously. Now we have our destination, what tackle is required to catch a kingie?. Tackle There are many variables in choosing suitable tackle for kingfish simply because of the kingies street-fighting nature. If there is one rock in a sandy bay you can bet your bottom dollar that, once hooked, the fish will head for the obstacle at a great rate of knots. This usually results in an all too common bust-off. If you are fishing over a rocky, kelp-infested sea floor your chances of landing a good fish diminishes greatly if the wrong gear is used. Generally, a 10 to 15kg outfit is an ideal multipurpose set for your average-sized kingie. A couple of reels used for this line class are the Shimano TLD15 (lever drag) and Daiwa SG50H (star drag). Both are super-durable with smooth running internals. Either of these reels matched with a strong, fast-tapered rod between 6'6' and 7' is a perfect all round set-up. "All round" means jigging, casting poppers, livebaiting and straylining. When fishing a very foul bottom or chasing bigger kingfish, heavier gear should be used. This recommendation comes with both the angler and fish in mind. Firstly, with 24kg or especially 37kg tackle, the angler has a greater chance of landing a fish than on lighter gear. Once the kingie is in the hands of the angler, he/she can then decide the fate of that fish and have their capture caught on film before releasing the fish. If the same fish was hooked on lighter tackle the angler may never have had the opportunity to show others a photo of his catch. Another point to think about is if the kingie busts off in the rocks there is a good chance of it taking a large quantity of line with it. This could eventually kill the fish. A reel such as a Daiwa Sealine 600H, Shimano TLD50 or a Penn 50SW filled with either 24 or 37kg line is a good choice. Once again, these reels matched with a good quality rod make an ideal set-up. When fishing off the rocks a longer rod of 7-9 feet is desired by many people. A longer rod creates a higher lifting point producing a better angle while fighting the fish. This keeps the line that little bit further away from rubbing on the jagged bottom. When boat fishing a strong 5'5'- 6'6' stick is excellent for working a big kingie up out of the rocks. Having two or more different-sized outfits will allow the angler a choice should the fish show itself prior to hookup. As you can see, it would be a lot more challenging to catch a 10 kg kingie on lighter line than on heavy tackle. The other side of the coin suggests you would have more chance to secure a 35kg fish on 24kg line than by committing suicide on 8kg! Terminal Tackle Good-quality terminal tackle is always an absolute must. A kingfish will exploit any weakness in deficient tackle. A sharp hook is essential for good penetration and a better hook-up rate because they have such tough mouths. There is a huge range of chemically-sharpened hooks on the market these days and it can be very confusing when confronted by a entire wall of them. The type of hook to use comes down to personal preference. To narrow things down a bit the new 4X strong and live bait Gamakatsu range is hard to beat. Black Magic also produces an excellent series of live bait hooks while the Hoodlum live bait hooks by Mustad are also very popular. All three brands incorporate great strength and sharpness. Hook size would have to be one of the most debatable subjects in fishing and many people have differing opinions on this subject. The size of a hook needed for kingfish does not have be a confusing issue: all it takes is a small amount of common sense. Having a selection of both straight and offset shanked hooks ranging from 4/0 through to 11/0 should cover all situations. These sizes may vary a bit as different companies have different sizings for their hooks. An offset hook is generally used for bigger baits hooked in the back. The reason for this is that when the kingie swallows the bait (always head first), the hook will be pushed back flush. With an offset hook the point end is still facing upwards resulting in a better hook up rate. Regarding hook size: remember balance is something any fisherperson should strive for in this sport. Regardless of the fish you are targeting, the hook size must complement the bait. Small hooks can catch very large fish but the opposite is seldom true. Trace material is usually utilised between the main line and the hook. A trace is highly recommended as it gives the angler a buffer zone, providing abrasion resistance when a kingie dives for the foul. A range of trace from 60 to 150 pound is usually ample for most kingies. Once again length will vary depending upon the situation but around two metres is a good average length. Most swivels on the market have line weight ratings on the packet so the choice will be yours. Methods Mr. Kingfish is susceptible to all kinds of fishing methods. Jigging is very productive throughout the year as is a cut bait or whole fish of any description. Trolling surface and swimming lures such as Rapalas will 'smoke out' kingies from a wide range of locations. In the summer months popper fishing is very effective because the warmer water speeds up the kingieÍs metabolic rate, creating turbo-charged feeding machines. It is also a very exciting way to fish because it is all visual when the kingie explodes on the surface sending saltwater far and wide. Live bait fishing is the most consistent method of hooking kingfish. Rather than discussing each and every possible bait, lets simplify the issue as much as possible with the most common and effective baits and rigs. The most widely-used live baits are kahawai, mackerel (both slimy and jack), koheru, piper and mullet because of their abundance. All of these baits can be used on either a surface or deep water rig. The trace as shown in Fig. 1 uses one of the previously mentioned live baits attached to a hook of suitable size and style (usually offset). Attached to the hook is a 2-3 metre trace usually joined to the main line by a swivel. The bait should be hooked through the back or the nape of the neck very lightly, allowing it to swim freely. A small length of cotton may be used to connect a balloon to the swivel. The balloon should be blown up with two or three good lung-fulls of air so it is very visible. This rig is ideally used from an anchored boat or land-based to allow the livie to swim in a natural upright position. The deep water rig shown in Fig. 2 usually incorporates a bait of slightly smaller proportions so there is not as much drag on the way down. Here it is suggested to match the bait size to the hook with a straight short shank. This makes the hook as invisible as possible, allowing the bait to swim naturally. In this instance the bait should be hooked through the nose or lip region. This placement will pull the streamlined bait through the water. If the bait were to be hooked through the back it would helicopter to the bottom creating a twisted mess. A shorter trace of around two metres is required as the bait is already at the kingies depth. A swivel is once again used to join the trace with the main line. This time a ball sinker is slid onto the mainline before the desired knot is tied. The amount of weight needed will vary with the depth being fished and amount of current or drift. Now for a couple of tips that may help on your kingfish mission. Firstly, donÍt be afraid to change baits all the time if they are available. Fishing is one of the most widely practised forms of legalised gambling and you should help yourself whenever possible. When the usual tactics fail, try something new; you never know which bait or method holds the trump card. Secondly, if you are not familiar with your chosen fishing destination, talk to a local resident or nearby tackle shop, they may point you in the right direction. Local knowledge is invaluable and even though they probably wonÍt tell you their spot X, once in the general area look for promising signs. Current lines, birds working, rocky outcrops, deep drop-offs close to shore and under water pinnacles can all be tell-tale signs of a kingfish's lair.END