Advice & Info: Kingfish and methods for catching them

Extra tasty livebaits

by Mark Kitteridge

Some recent kingie fishing in the Bay of Plenty served to remind me, yet again, just how effective livebaits can be. And that although kingfish will sometimes eat almost anything that wriggles, they still prefer some species of baitfish more than others — especially if these baits are also in tip-top shape and are a kilo or more in weight.

Strongly wriggling baits attract attention from further away and make more attractive targets, and bigger baits are less likely to be swallowed by smaller, less desirable predators such as kahawai, barracouta and juvenile kings.

Proven baits include yellowtail and slimy (blue) mackerel, koheru, squid, flying fish, pilchards, piper, kahawai, trevally, and, last and least, the humble sprat. However, you will find that kingfish will also take maomao, sweep, tarakihi, snapper, blue cod, flounder and even spotties if you're in a jam. (Keep in mind that although you’re using these fish as bait, minimum legal lengths still apply.)

In all cases, the livelier the bait you have on the hook the better, so look after potential candidates! This means not touching the baits with your hands when catching them if possible. Instead, run the back of a butter knife up into the bend of the hook so that the hook bend is pointing upwards and the fish is hanging down over the livebait well or container. A few jiggles and the fish will be de-hooked and falls in without contact. Fish that are handled will be a different, more stressed colour, and are more likely to die than their untouched counterparts, especially over the course of multi-day trips.

Whatever bait you end up using, your choice of hook and where it’s placed are the most important aspects. Personally, I prefer to use styles of hooks with reasonably short shanks and wide gapes, such as Gamakatsu ‘Livebait’, Black Magic 'GZ Livebait', Mustad ‘Hoodlum’ and ‘Saltwater Livebait’, and Owner ‘Gorilla’ and ‘Offshore’ models. These hooks keep exposed metal to a minimum and enable hook points to protrude well out of the bait’s flesh — if positioned correctly. In most instances there is little need for baits to be hooked anywhere but in — or close to — the head. This makes them reasonably streamlined and faces them into the current so that they can breath properly, as well as helping them to remain in good shape while retrieving — an important consideration if bait supplies are low.

Most slim-faced baits are best hooked through their cartilaginous 'nose' immediately in front of the eyes, especially if the current is strong or they are to be slow trolled (but bridle-rigging is even better). If the hook is kirbed, the point and barb should ideally angle upwards and away from the bait's head when it swims away — a strategy based on the knowledge that the vast majority of whole baitfish are taken head-first, and this also helps to avoid 'double-hooking' the bait. Slimy mackerel and pilchards are particularly well suited as they’re so soft fleshed that hooks can rip out easily when placed in their shoulder or back.

It’s also possible to attach yellowtail mackerel and koheru in a similar manner, but unless I’m fishing very deep water or trolling, I prefer to upper-shoulder hook these baits, just up and behind the gill plate. However, the hook must be positioned so that it angles upwards and across the bait diagonally, or straight up and along the upper shoulder towards the head, as this help to avoid double-hooking here, too. And again, keep in mind that the hook kirb should stick out and away from the bait when it swims off, not downwards and into the body. Kahawai and trevally are well-suited to shoulder hooking.

Piper are an exception to the rule. They are a soft fleshed bait and have backbones close to the top of their body, making them prone to ripping off on the strike or being mortally wounded by hooks that are placed too deeply. Unfortunately, they are also prone to going a bit cross-eyed when hooked in the nose, making them less lively and, as a result, not as attractive. In this instance they are better hooked underneath, down towards the tail.

Finally, pay plenty of consideration to hook size. If in doubt, it’s better to under-size the hook than risk over-sizing it, as placement in the bait is more important and can compensate. A hook that’s a little on the small side minimises the damage to the livebait, enabling it to be livelier for longer and, as touched on before, a strongly kicking bait sends out better vibrations and attracts more attention and strikes. If the hook is also hard to see, possible ‘customers’ are more likely to be turned into ‘buyers.

On the other hand, hooks that are larger than necessary slow baits down and can be harder to set home on the strike, but are sometimes utilised by unscrupulous anglers to inflict debilitating internal damage to our green and gold mates. By allowing plenty of time for the bait to be swallowed right down, the angler sets the hook into the intestine or gills instead of the mouth.

This certainly serves to slow kings down, but escapees or released fish have a high mortality rate. I don’t believe this is responsible or acceptable any more.

Selecting the best size hook is determined by the size of baitfish. This sounds simple but unfortunately is something hard to teach via the printed page. As a rough guide only (some hook sizes vary according to brands), you can use the following hook-size list or look at the illustrations I’ve drawn for an idea on relative hook-to-fish ratios.

Kahawai: small (kopopa) 4/0-6/0; medium (1kg) 7/0-8/0; large (1.5 to 2.5kg) 9/0-10/0.

Yellowtail mackerel: tiny (10-15cm) 4/0-5/0; small (15-20cm) 6/0-7/0; medium (20-30cm) 8/0-9/0; large (1.5-2.4kg) 9/0-10/0.

Slimy mackerel: small (10-15cm) 4/0-5/0; medium (15-30cm) 5/0 to 7/0, large (1-1.5kg) 8/0-10/0.

Koheru: small (10-15cm) 4/0-5/0; medium (15-30cm) 5/0-7/0; large (1kg+) 8/0-9/0. 

Piper: 4/0-5/0.

Trevally: medium (legal) 6/0-7/0; large (1-2.5kg) 8/0-10/0.

Flying fish: medium (to 20cm) 8/0, large (20-40cm) 9/0-10/0.

Squid: small (to 15cm) 6/0; medium (15-30cm) 7/0 to 8/0; large (30cm+) 9/0 to 10/0.

As well as keeping hooks to a reasonable size, use the lightest trace practical in the circumstances. Just like other forms of fishing, the more natural and subtle your presentation, the more likely it is that more and bigger fish will bite. However, the trace still needs to serve its purpose — there's no point having plenty of strikes if the fish break off all the time.

Usually it's a case of compromising, but as an approximate guide, the poundage of the trace should be at least half as heavy again as that of your mainline, with double the poundage (or even more) being necessary if the terrain is rugged and the bait large. If marlin frequent the area, some anglers will use traces up to 400-lb in breaking strain — but they pay for this precaution with fewer kingfish strikes. 

All traces should be as long as possible for the circumstances. Long traces allow the bait to have greater freedom of movement and a more natural presentation, both of which help attract and excite predatory fish. This means that 3.5- to 4.5-metre traces should be used whenever possible, especially on free-swimming and balloon/float baits. A sinker rig suits shorter traces of around one metre, as long leaders can tangle up with the mainline on the descent. (Although some anglers knot the trace's swivel to a section of doubled mainline or to another length of heavier line to help compensate, this produces a major problem. If the line breaks for any reason, the knots prevent the sinkers from falling off, tethering the kingie to a potentially life-threatening amount of weight.)

All swivels used on kingie livebaiting rigs should be ball bearing types. Baits tend to swim in circles and exert enough pressure to bind up standard ('barrel') types of swivels so that they won't spin. This can result in some very ugly messes after a few hours.