http://www.tampabay.com/sports/outdoors/captains-corner-kingfish-run-heats-up-early/2318475
This has been, perhaps, one of the mildest winters in recent memory. We generally don’t look for king mackerel until at least mid to late March. This year the kings have been in the area for more than a month. The challenge might not be finding the fish but finding the bait. Watch for seabirds diving onto the surface of the water. Below them should be schools of sardines, cigar minnows, blue runners and maybe even Spanish mackerel. The king mackerel will target all of these for an easy meal. If live bait is not readily available, king mackerel don’t mind chasing bright, shiny silver spoons. Choose a spoon the size of baitfish that kings would normally eat. Another good choice when targeting kings is the variety of hard-bodied lures, such as Rapala, Mirrolure or Bomber lures. Trolling for king mackerel is a common practice when they are spread out. When you find a concentration of king mackerel, circle that area while trolling. King mackerel will remain an offshore target for the next couple of months.
Larry Blue charters the Niki Joe from Madeira Beach Marina. Call (727) 871-1058 or visit captainlarryblue.com.
- Jay Mastry - March 26, 2024
- Captains Corner, Gorta - March 23, 2024
- Dave Zalewski - March 12, 2024
