Where to find kingfish
The reef edge in 60–200 ft, the deep wrecks and the Hawk Channel patch reefs when the bait is thick. They follow the pilchard and ballyhoo schools, so wherever the bait is stacked on the sounder, the kings are nearby.
- Reef line off Islamorada · Reef
- Reef edge drop-off · Offshore
- Crocker Wall · Reef
When to go
December to February is peak, with fish into March and again in late autumn. Overcast days with a chop and a running tide are better than flat calm; the bite is usually strongest in the morning.
Best window on the day: The day's solunar major and minor periods between an hour before sunrise and an hour after sunset. Today's window and score are on the conditions page.
How to catch them
Slow-troll live pilchards, threadfins or ballyhoo on a short wire trace along the edge, or drift live baits in a chum slick. A stinger rig (a second small treble near the tail) catches the short-strikers. Spoons and tube lures trolled fast work on schoolies.
Bait & tackle
- Bait
- Live blue runners, goggle-eyes, pilchards or ballyhoo, slow-trolled or drifted in a chum slick
- Lures
- Trolling spoons and diving plugs on wire; a duster or skirt over a rigged ballyhoo
- Tackle
- 7 ft rod with a 20 lb class conventional or 5000–6000 spinning reel, 20–30 lb mono
- Rig
- Stinger rig: 2–3 ft of #4–#6 single-strand wire, a 1/0–2/0 nose hook and a #4 treble in the back of the bait
pilchardthreadfinballyhoo livespeedoballyhoo riggedtube lureTackle setup →
Tips for your level
- Keep fingers clear of the mouth; a kingfish's teeth cut leader and skin alike.
- When a king skyrockets on a bait, let it run with the rod up; the hook is usually already set.
- Smaller kings are the better eating; the big smokers are often released or smoked.
Keeping one
Good when fresh and bled: oily, strong-flavoured meat that smokes beautifully. Larger fish carry more mercury; the small ones are the keepers.
Keep only what you will eat, within the limit, and release the rest in the water where you can.
Questions anglers ask
- Is kingfish the same as king mackerel?
- Yes. Kingfish is the local name for king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla.
- Why does Monroe County have a different kingfish limit?
- FWC groups Monroe County with the Gulf for king mackerel, which currently allows a higher bag limit than the rest of Florida's Atlantic coast. The rule card shows the current numbers and source.