Targeting GT's R&S style

[Jakes]

Hi Guys,
 
I would like to learn more about targeting GT's (aka the elusive King of the sea as Reefman so eloquently puts it) but specifically with R&S. I know a popular way to target them would be employing a spinning tactic with poppers and plugs but how would one do it using bait? So here are my questions:
 
* Do GT's prefer live or deadbaits?
* What bait would you use to target them? (I've heard that chokka is a good bait?)
* What would your trace setup look like?
* Do they prefer mono traces like Garrick and Cob or can you use nylon coated steel?
* What will your general tactics be with these "Kings" when you do get a pickup? Do they strike like a Couta and attack the bait or would you leave them to feed for a while like you do with a big Garrick before striking?
* What would be your ideal setup (Rod and reel) to target these beasts?
* Where in SA would be your top 3 spots to target them?
 
Please feel free to add anything more you think I may have left out?
 
Cheers vir eers
Jakes

[aquadementia]

Kosi Bay area at night Boni slide........

let us know how many you get

[MIKE PIKE]

Many a G.T  have been caught R/S with poppers and plugs and at night with a live bait , specially with a bonefish... ah one day , one day....  :sml:

[Homie]

Not One Day Mike ! Maybe next April !!!

[MIKE PIKE]

Maybe November at Vidal and Feb/March... further north.. .

[REEFMAN]

 
* Do GT's prefer live or deadbaits?
The bigger the fish, the more chance he will take a moving bait... live being best. The smaller ones will take a non moving bait, but your chances improve dramatically on live and moving.
 
* What bait would you use to target them? (I've heard that chokka is a good bait?)
Live bait - Bone fish, Wave Garrick, Shad, Moonies, Blacktail - in that order, are my preferences.
Dead bait - All KZN edibles are partial to Chokka, Red Prawn and Combos. Fresh Stumpie fillets or Wave Garrick are also excellent.
But the Larger Kingie will take a whole slide Mackerel or a Bonnie from time to time.

 
* What would your trace setup look like?
Slide trace (150-175LB Carbon coated) or normal Natal Eds mAX trace. see Traces section.* Do they prefer mono traces like Garrick and Cob or can you use nylon coated steel?

* What will your general tactics be with these "Kings" when you do get a pickup? Do they strike like a Couta and attack the bait or would you leave them to feed for a while like you do with a big Garrick before striking?
A kingfish take is like none other... he smashes your bait with brute force. There's no time to strike... ! He either hooks himself or he misses the hook. The force of a take is very powerful, it feels like you've reeled into a rock and got caught, and then it flattens your rod immediately, and many a fish is lost in that first few seconds because of an overtightened drag. Your reel must have enough give in the drag to allow him to run at the start. Failure to do so will part your line.
 
* What would be your ideal setup (Rod and reel) to target these beasts?
North Coast KZN on a slide bait? Max tackle! Inevitably these beasts feed in Rocky Bays where there is structure around, so you need max protection... 0.55mm and min 1mm leader.

* Where in SA would be your top 3 spots to target them?
1. Kosi Bay
2. Rocktail Bay and surrounds, Bhanga Nek
3. Sodwana Bay

Please feel free to add anything more you think I may have left out?
 
Targetting Kingies in sheltered Bays at night on a full Spring tide... hold tight boet!

I must actually write a decent article on this, but in the meantime, I hope it helps.

Cheers vir eers
Jakes

[REEFMAN]

Some more info on targetting Kingfish from the beach...
 
Kingies generally prefer warm water, and stable sea conditions. Best times generally, and this works for fishing in general in North Coast KZN, is after 2 days of a North East wind... this wind blows in warm water from the Mozambique current.
 
Kingies feed in murky white water, where the waves break over the Reef or Sandbank; under cover. You will rarely find them taking a dead bait in crystal clear water. A moving bait like a plug or popper is a different story....
 
Sometimes a Kingfish will stun it's prey first by slapping it with the tail, using the sharp scutes in front of the tail. But you won't feel this knock unless you're holding the rod. He then returns, and with awesome power smacks and swallows the bait prey whole with it's massive mouth.
 
Kingfish are not great eating, especially the big ones, so please try release the big fish please... they are our breeding stock...!

[strandloper]

Hi Jakes,
 
I know that certain places requires different tactics, an example is that guys targeting GT's up north (Mapelane, Vidal, Sodwana, Kosi) has had incredible success with live Bonefish and Wave Garrick.
 
I know a specific gentleman at Sezela on the South Coast that has over the past few years landed 10+ GT's over 20 kg's every season. 90% of his fish has been on live bait (shad and karra).
 
At Scottburgh/Park Rynie/Sezela the big kings are targeted on a pumping SW with fresh shad belly as dead baits.
 
I have had the privelege of being beaten up by them, but not of landing a big one (over 10kgs) R&S style. I thinks Reefman's comment on Max Tackle should not be under-estimated, as you do need to turn them away from any potential strucutre and this requires putting BIG pressure on them.
 
 
 
 

[Jakes]

@ Carlos (Tsutsuma) ... it was actually some of your awesome pics that inspired me to ask the question but I'm not much of a deap sea angler and prefer to stick to Rock and Surf. Hence the question on how to specifically target them using R&S tackle. But thank you VERY MUCH for sharing ...
 
@ Aqua, Reefman and Strandloper. Tks for sharing ... keep em coming.

[super_daav]

Thats is hella of interesting read!!! Gets me more than a little excited!!!
 
Any spots closer to Durbs on the North Coast worth investigating and under what conditions (NE wind?)?
 
Lekker...

[Rods]

Very interesting read.  Keep the info coming guys as Kingies is def one of my target, if not my THE target species for this coming summer.

[sea sick]

guys, this guy doepie, is like my metor. he knows so much of catching kingies, it's really scary.
he also went to rock tail bay, and as the kingies kept on cutting him off at the reef, he took 1mm nylon, 100 meters and put that on his grandwave 50. he made a cast, not realy far and the slid a live wave garrick. with the pick-up he litteraly locked and held on. he had 2 kendal 8/0 in the wave garrick. both hooks missed the mouth and the one hook, got the kingie in the chest between the two fins. that hook then cut through the flesh of the kingie and ended up at the anal fin. he landed the fish by walking out onto the beach. the kingie's weight was 27kg.

[sea sick]

It was early October 2005 or 2006, school holidays. Domingo was working the sand banks north of the swimming beach at st lucia for pompano etc. as the tide came in and we normally then have to move back to the beach area, Domingo got a live shad on spoon.
he rigged the shad and casted it onto the sandbank.  this was not even a proper cast, 15 meters short of the lip. i walked up to old domingo and asked him about the casting of the shad and that to my liking, the bait was ontop of the bank 900mm of water and and and. domingo turned around to me and said:"just leave it"

ja sure old timer, i thought by myself. i was still spinning for a shad, and suddenly old domingo's rod started screaming.  wtf?????? the shad wasn't even 5 mins on the bank........................
domingo had a fight that was short lived with the tackle he has, and, wolla i nice kingie of 8 kg taking a size shad.


just goes to show, you never stop learning this wonderfull sport of angling.

so Jakes, when on sandy beaches you can fight differently, giving more line etc to tire the fish. do not hrry yourself on sandy beaches unless you know, that rocks are close by.

hope you find anything to use.


regards
ss