This is probably going to be pretty controversial. 

I have fished white a couple of times.....further back than that....I was the only one who caught a king(the one time)..nothing the next...I have fished coro many times too......Now its a case that usually live baits are the go but sometimes they will smash both....In the early days of me jigging, kings were all over jigs but when they see them day in and day out they are bound to get a bit wise.....For me the bad thing about a jig is its rigid...Live baits are more natural..But its all on the day now........I have worked really hard in tauranga/whangaroa  as well with jigs but no good....at least its good exercise ! Plus its awesome when you get smacked by a good king.......It also depends on the mood of the kings.....sometimes you couldnt buy a bite..even with a live bait..thats fishing.

Right time, right place with there mouths open that's fishing not catching. Plus they have tails and swim.

I remember rick telling us on a trip to white that sometimes the big kingies want a large feed and want it right in there face( i.e don't want to chase it),that day dead baits out fished everything including live squid.
But leading up to spawning they engulf anything perhaps be comming territorial while hanging around the ladies

Garry 23041 wrote: I don't catch lots of fish and put them back.   I jig till I get a nice eater....about 850-950 is ideal for me and a bit fat not thin.   Sometimes I have done only one drop and had my fish and been done for the day.   Maybe all this catch and release has to lessen some?   It tears their mouths up most times for a start.   That said I am looking for my "big fish" and if I wind up in the big ones catch a couple and put back.   Not trying to be a killjoy and I am fine with catch and release but I do think a few fish on a day is enough.

on a recent trip we spent 2 days @ White, 2 days @ Ranfurly.

Yeah structfab in the case of charters and also I realize not everyone gets out weekly or close to it like I do, I agree with you.

Been saying the same thing for a few years now and even noticing that the aggression on Stickbaits is slowing down as well, but then you get the days where they will rip into both without a care in the world.
Some of these fish are getting caught a few times over, it would be silly to think that their natural instincts won't kick in and associate an object such as a jig with pain from previous encounters and shy off.
Some days you will see a kingy come up with 3 or 4 obvious hook wounds from previous encounters, pretty sure eventually they get the hint

I agree with Ginga & Laidbackdood - this is my take as well, once bitten twice shy scenarios, and I have also heard that the soft baiting is not as deadly as it used to be, still very effective but not as good as it used to be, especially in areas where you have a lot of fishing pressure.

I thought Rick was never really into jigging because he didn't like putting his boat into reverse. Asians been talking about this for decades. Or it could possibly be that a lot of their oceans resemble barren desserts. As what is increasingly happening here with kingfish and their bait fish food being scoured by the seiners and sent overseas for pet food, fertiliser and fish farm pellets. Could have said kingies were very shy back when mechanical jigging was at it's infancy here, on their day. Very temperamental at times even when you see the sounder light up with tell tale sign. Other times all you need is spanners, bread knifes or barbie dolls, they just hammer em all. Could be over fishing, could be mood, could be moon phase, or could be doctors orders from mighty Kiwa, that is " no over eating before hitting the dance floor boys and girls. And then if they're anything like me their minds may turn straight to food after they've emptied their sacks. Who knows, that's fishing, bucket fulls of theories. It's great to see the live baiting happening further into the abyss, looks productive. Forgot to mention if you happen to luck a day or two after an actual spawn when they've just emptied out, freaking mayhem in my experience.