The King Mackerel invades our Homosassa waters every spring and sure makes the fishing exciting. They will readily hit trolled spoons, live blue runners or cigar minnows. Slow trolling a live bait is probably the best way to catch a "Smoker" (over 20lb). When you are grouper fishing, make sure you put out a lively blue runner or cigar minnow under a float of some sort. Lightly set the drag and put the rod in the holder. If the Kings are around, they will readily take the bait. Do not try to horse the fish in right at the start. Wait for the fish to complete its first run before tightening the drag and beginning the fight.

Another nice way to find them is to cast a larger spoon into schools of Spanish Mackerel or Bonita that you may encounter. Let the spoon sink a bit before working it quickly back to the boat. The Kings are often under the schools of Bonita waiting for an easy meal.

King Mackerel

sketch

Family Scombridae, MACKERELS and TUNAS
Scomberomorous cavalla

Regulations

Min. Size Limits: 24" fork

Closed Seasons: None.

Daily Rec. Bag Limit: 2 per person per day

Remarks: Bag limit in Gulf-Atlantic reduced to 1 when federal waters are closed to all harvest. Call BME for details.

Description: color of back iridescent bluish green; sides silvery, streamlined body with tapered head; no black pigment on front of dorsal fin; lateral line starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal fin; young fish often have yellow spots like those of the Spanish mackerel.

Similar Fish: cero, S. regalis; Spanish mackerel, S. maculatus.

Where found: NEARSHORE and OFFSHORE, occasionally taken from piers running into deep water.

Size: common to 20 pounds.

*Florida Record: 90 lbs.

Remarks: schooling fish that migrates fom south Florida waters in winter to more northerly waters in spring; Gulf population thought to be separate from Atlantic population, with considerable mixing in winter from Cape Canaveral past Key West; spawns in midsummer OFFSHORE; feeds on small fish and squid.

* The Florida records quoted are from the Department of Environmental Protection's printed publication, Fishing Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are provided as only as a benchmark.


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