How to Catch King Mackerel

King Mackerel are a fast, fun, big fish to catch.

King Mackerel are great fish to catch. They are explosive fighters and can run up to 40 pounds or more. If you want to catch King Mackerel fish you need to take a few easy steps.

Things You'll Need

• King Mackerel jig
• Fish chum
• Ribbon fish or bait fish

Instructions

1. Rig your line with a King Mackerel rig. This is a 2 foot long wire with a 4/0 bait fish hook and two treble hooks called stingers spaced out evenly below the bait hook.

2. Cruise the Gulf of Mexico on your 70 foot yacht (or similar boat) and look for schools of bait fish breaking the surface. You can also try hard bottom areas, shelf or reef areas and boat wrecks.

3. Bait your King Mackerel rig with a live or dead ribbon fish, lady fish or chub. To hook a live fish, just stick the hook through the back. Dead bait is hooked through the head and again through the back.

4. Use your fish finder to locate schools of King Mackerel and drop your bait with the right weight of sinker to the depth they are swimming at.

5. Hang on! When a King Mackerel takes your bait they will explode and run. Let them swallow the bait, then set the hook with a lot of power.

Tips & Warnings

• King Mackerel swim up the coast of Florida to the pan handle in the summer, then migrate back down again when the water is cold.

• The pan handle area is great for King Mackerel fishing in the summer months. They keys are great during the winter

• Do not try to unhook a king mackerel by hand. Just cut the wire rig (you won't be able to use it again anyway) after you land and catch a King Mackerel.

Resources

• King Mackerel fishing
• About King Mackerel fish