Kingfish in metro waters

[Gimbles 0]

I've found a few spots in metro waters where some juvenile Kingfish are lurking. I've caught and released a couple as i dont like there taste but they are an awesome little fighter. The one's i caught took me hours of baiting, burley and luring. On a good day i can see the school under my boat, they hang around (they might like the music on my radio haha) but i can drop bait, live or dead, plastics lures etc.. and they wont take. I've actually dropped a live tommie on ones head... zip, he just moved out of the way!!!! Are the buggers on a diet or is there a certain time of the years when they are more active? Any info would be great, as they are great catching!!! Thank youGimbles

[snapdragin 2]

Just keep doing what your doing and try a few different things, such as knife-jigging or live smallish squid. Sooner or later you will crack what works best on any given day. Good luck with that and look forward to hearing about your efforts.regards snapdragin

[King Ralph 0]

sounds like they're a bit like women.........you can't work them out no matter what you do,finally you catch one and you think you've cracked the code,then they change their mind again :dry: All you can do is persist with the little buggers Hang in there

[whyallabrad 0]

For small ones like that try berleying with heaps of finely chopped pilly bits, downsize your tackle to 3kg or so and drift down unweighted pilly bits the size of your berley on about a size 4-6 octopus style hook. Finesse when they're finicky!

[Gimbles 0]

For small ones like that try berleying with heaps of finely chopped pilly bits' date=' downsize your tackle to 3kg or so and drift down unweighted pilly bits the size of your berley on about a size 4-6 octopus style hook. Finesse when they're finicky! [/quote']Thanks Whyallabrad. I'll give this a crack mate and let you know how I go. Thanks again. Gimbles

[Jack. 10]

Awesome man done better than me on them things :woohoo:

[Fishie 98]

Try a boilie bait

[Gimbles 0]

Try a boilie bait

Thanks Fishie. Ummm, what's a boilie bait mate. Haven't heard that term before? I am still a pup though. ThanksGimbles

[Guest Brent61]

boilie = carp baitits like a pal meatybite, flexible and flavouredbrent

[Gimbles 0]

boilie = carp baitits like a pal meatybite' date=' flexible and flavouredbrent[/quote']Thanks Brent. I'll source some of that there. Sounds good, you've actually gotten me hungry. Lol. ThanksGimbles

[talbo 0]

What we found is that they'll have a decent look and sometimes have a go at squid strips/tentacles unweighted. Use at least 2-3m of flourocarbon leader too as I'm convinced they shy away when they can see the line and hook.Is very frustrating though when you can almost reach over the side of the boat and grab one by the tail

[Cal 480]

Fishies on the money here,best bet for them would be to try a barrumindi pellet,or chicken pellet ,put it on the hook with a small rubber band, or bait mate,drift it down to them with a tiny split shot about 2 ft from the hook.No expert here but I"d be of the idea that they are a school of escapees from a pen,bought up on a diet of pellets, the natural aproach of livies ect makes no sense to them,they are only young and havent had to fend for themselves long hunting down prey,a pellet is what they associate with food.Nice work to actually get one but give thinking outside the square a crack and see what happens,even a tiny piece of brown bread with a drop of tuna oil then moulded around the bend of a size 8 suicide hook may bring one undone.Cheers

[Gimbles 0]

What we found is that they'll have a decent look and sometimes have a go at squid strips/tentacles unweighted. Use at least 2-3m of flourocarbon leader too as I'm convinced they shy away when they can see the line and hook.Is very frustrating though when you can almost reach over the side of the boat and grab one by the tail

I agree with everything you wrote here mate. I've caught one on an unweighted piece or gar fillet. Another stomped a sand whiting I was pulling in. Gimbles

[Gimbles 0]

Fishies on the money here' date='best bet for them would be to try a barrumindi pellet,or chicken pellet ,put it on the hook with a small rubber band, or bait mate,drift it down to them with a tiny split shot about 2 ft from the hook.No expert here but I"d be of the idea that they are a school of escapees from a pen,bought up on a diet of pellets, the natural aproach of livies ect makes no sense to them,they are only young and havent had to fend for themselves long hunting down prey,a pellet is what they associate with food.Nice work to actually get one but give thinking outside the square a crack and see what happens,even a tiny piece of brown bread with a drop of tuna oil then moulded around the bend of a size 8 suicide hook may bring one undone.Cheers [/quote']Mate, that scenario never even crossed my mind. Well done I will definately try that next trip as like you said, livies to them are just mates cruising around with them. Thank you very much for that advice and tip. Gimbles

[tonyb 1,017]

Pellets make a lot of sense if they are indeed escapees but I'd be very tempted to try a bug tail or wriggler tailed SP with a minimum weight or no weight jig head, as Kingfish are super predators in the Ocean just like Salmon?Lucanus squid imitations would be worth a go too (if you can afford them)as the monster Kingfish are right into livie squid for their tucker!

[krustykrab 0]

For small ones like that try berleying with heaps of finely chopped pilly bits' date=' downsize your tackle to 3kg or so and drift down unweighted pilly bits the size of your berley on about a size 4-6 octopus style hook. Finesse when they're finicky! [/quote']not a bad 1 hand lift on that kingy in ya pic just quietly

[bigred 0]

so ture