What rod is best for kingfish?

A decent rod is as important as a solid reel. Rods from the Terez, Grappler, and TCurve stables are well suited to catching Kingfish.

Where can I find kingfish in NZ?

There’s good fishing in the Hauraki Gulf and off the west coast in places. Many northern harbours experience seasonal runs of school kingfish, which really brighten up wharf fishing, and during summer even beach anglers can target kingies.

How much drag do you need for kingfish?

Braid is crucial as you need to keep in direct contact with the jig and use them vertically, and braid has no stretch. The reels also need to have good drags, offering at least 10-12kg of drag to help put the hurt on big kingfish.

What lures to use for kingfish?

The most effective for larger kingfish have been the Nomad Stick bait and popper range. The Nomad Riptide has amazing action and a reputable lure for a large range of pelagics. Sinking hard bodies are the go to when fish are not feeding or pushing bait to the surface.

How do you attract kingfish?

Using flashers is an effective way to attract kingfish into range. There are two types of flashers that can be used: drop flashers and inline flashers. When diving on deeper pinnacles, both inline and drop flashers can be used to lure kingfish closer to the surface and within range of a shot.

Is kingfish a good fish to eat?

Kingfish produce large and thick fillets and they tend to be oily, so they are an outstanding choice for long and careful low-temperature smoking. Seasoned well, and smoked so they’re not dry over orange, lemon, hickory or oak wood, king mackerel are delicious. Kings also are good coming off a grill.

How do you target Kingfish?

There are a number of ways in which you can target kingfish, no matter where you find them.

1. Trolling. As with most species of pelagic fish, trolling is a popular way of targeting kingfish.
2. Bait fishing at anchor.
3. Slow trolling.
4. Casting Lures.
5. Jigging.
6. On the table.

How much drag is enough?

Registered. A good rule of thumb is that the drag is set at 1/3 of the breaking strength of your line. With that said, 15 pounds of drag is alot. Try it by hooking a scale on your rod and have someone pull it to 15 pounds.

What water temperature do kingfish like?

68 to 73 degrees
“Kings prefer a temperature range of 68 to 73 degrees,” he says. “But we always try to find the spots where warm water jams up against cooler water to form a temperature change of several degrees.

Where do you find kingfish?

Yellowtail kingfish can be found throughout the world in the cool temperate waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans off South Africa, Japan, the USA and Australia. In Australia, they can be found from North Reef in Queensland, around the southern coast and up to Shark Bay in WA.

What’s the best rod and reel combo for Kingfish?

Can anyone advise of a Rod/Reel combo for Kingfish…Mostly insore Auckland Rats. Most of the time i will a live bait out the back of the boat while snapper fishing. I originally wanted a spinning real so i could chuck a few poppers around… …But now i want an overhead reel so it can be used for jigging & trolling back to the boatramp…

What should the drag be on a Kingfish reel?

Setting the reels to a two to three (2-3) pound drag keeps kingfish from breaking off. A good reel clicker is a great option too, it allows you to hear the kingfish strike. Another advantage of a reel with a good clicker is that the captain will use its noise to chase the fish; closer or further to boat based on clicker speed.

Can a spinfisher reel be used for Kingfish?

Yes a set like that is fine for kingfish. You can spend way more money and get really nice light gear that will handle the biggest of kings but it will cost the earth. For your budget I think thats a very good start. That set would do it for landbased casting of poppers etc, and Spinfisher reels have a rep for strong drags and being tough.

Who are the best Kingfish fishermen in New Zealand?

There are few fishermen out there who know more about chasing kingfish with surface lures. Troy Dando is a prolific South Island kingfish fisho. Many tackle manufacturers seek his skills in the research and development of new rods and reels. Chris Wong introduced mechanical jigging to New Zealand.