A photography essay on topwater fishing for kingfish...

For topwater fishing addicts, November is one hell of a month. It’s when they assemble their finest lures, set their alarms for unforgiving hours, and head out in the pre-dawn darkness to hunt down willing surface-feeding kingfish. 

The addiction usually starts when you eyeball your first yellow-tailed explosion of water. The incredible visual experiences etch into your memory banks – the bow waves, the foaming splashes, the dark green shoulders, and of course the golden tails.

Stickbait and popper junkies spend countless hours perfecting their craft, learning to mimic the movements of the prey that kingfish love to hunt. They develop an instinctive understanding of kingfish behaviour, knowing where to cast, how to retrieve, when to pause, and when to set the hook.

Some days, the kings are sly and cunning; on other days, they seem ferocious and suicidal. This never-ending game of cat-and-mouse is a huge slice of the fun. Part of the appeal is also the process of collecting beautifully handcrafted lures. Despite the anguished cries from your wallet, it seems you can never have enough.

When you do hookup, the battles are intense. A combination of long rods, shallow waters, and dirty fighting tactics leave anglers huffing, puffing, groaning… and if all goes well, grinning!

November 2023 - Steve Morgan
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
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