Sydney Hoodlums

[mannyspy]

I remember back in 2009 I caught my first kingy came in at 78cm I was stoked. I then went and purchased a saltiga 6500 with a matching saltiga rod. First trip out using my New gear I landed this beast!

Went 139cm weighed in at 20kg bled on the butchers scale at work.

Ever since then I have not looked back! Hope to land one again some day. Only difference is the next one is going back in the drink to fight another day.

Well done on the fish you have caught man, catching one is something but being consistent is a whole different ball game!

Edited December 5, 2012 by mannyspy

[wazza3006]

I remember back in 2009 I caught my first kingy came in at 78cm I was stoked. I then went and purchased a saltiga 6500 with a matching saltiga rod. First trip out using my New gear I landed this beast!

Went 139cm weighed in at 20kg bled on the butchers scale at work.

Ever since then I have not looked back! Hope to land one again some day. Only difference is the next one is going back in the drink to fight another day.

Well done on the fish you have caught man, catching one is something but being consistent is a whole different ball game!

Congratulations. Fantastic fish. My Excalibur Pro Jigs just arrived and I can't wait to give them a whirl. Heading out off Sydney tomorrow. Looks like being a great day. I hope I have something outstanding to report.

Wazza

[namesay]

Great Kings mate! you definitely know your stuff. I totally agree with you about "kings will hit your bait or lure within seconds or not take it at all". I've been out many times to spots where I usually land these hoods, I sound them out and they are definitely there, but they just won't hit the squid. What do you reckon that is? and got any tips on how to entice them to strike? maybe they are full and I got there a tad too late maybe?

thanks

You can try to fish lighter. Going down in leader size helps. You can also berley or use different baits or lures but these tactics often won't work. Kingfish are very moody. Some days they will belt everything while other days they will sit doggo and refuse all baits and lures. Better to fish elsewhere in my opinion and try again later.

P.S. I have some examples where I switched techniques to get teh fish to bite.

I caught this fish on a jig after all the baits failed. This fish measured 121cm.

Whereas this fish was caught on bait when the lures failed. Is the biggest fish my boys have landed so far. A skinny fish but length is 110cm.

Sometimes switching techniques will get you that strike.

Edited December 6, 2012 by namesay

[namesay]

I remember back in 2009 I caught my first kingy came in at 78cm I was stoked. I then went and purchased a saltiga 6500 with a matching saltiga rod. First trip out using my New gear I landed this beast!

Went 139cm weighed in at 20kg bled on the butchers scale at work.

Ever since then I have not looked back! Hope to land one again some day. Only difference is the next one is going back in the drink to fight another day.

Well done on the fish you have caught man, catching one is something but being consistent is a whole different ball game!

I must congratulate you on a fine capture! Those big kings an ultimate angling challenge. keeping a few fish to eat is OK but the bigger fish tend to be a bit tough. They also tend to be females. I release a lot of fish but also keep a few as well. As long as we look after our fish stocks there should be plenty for all.

[mannyspy]

You don't realize just how hard they pull at that size till you finally hook and land one. They really get the arms pumping

[quintrex480]

1354761126[/url]' post='462974']

You can try to fish lighter. Going down in leader size helps. You can also berley or use different baits or lures but these tactics often won't work. Kingfish are very moody. Some days they will belt everything while other days they will sit doggo and refuse all baits and lures. Better to fish elsewhere in my opinion and try again later.

P.S. I have some examples where I switched techniques to get teh fish to bite.

I caught this fish on a jig after all the baits failed. This fish measured 121cm.

Whereas this fish was caught on bait when the lures failed. Is the biggest fish my boys have landed so far. A skinny fish but length is 110cm.

Sometimes switching techniques will get you that strike.

Thanks for the tips mate! Will definitely try different tactics next time. Beats the hell out of down rigging over 20-30 passes for nothing but rats :)The smiles on your kids faces says it all! Top stuff, can't wait till my son's old enough to take him out for some kingie action.

[namesay]

You don't realize just how hard they pull at that size till you finally hook and land one. They really get the arms pumping

Water temps play a big role in the metabolism of kingfish. They can tolerate a fair range but really love it when it is 19-24C. Right now the water is somewhere between 20-21C and this is IDEAL for kings. At the moment they are really supercharged and even smaller fish will give you plenty.

In winter big kings are far easier targets. I have caught kingfish in 12C. They fight like a wet blanket!This is NOT fun. In New Zealand kings are often found in colder water than we are used to here and the fight from a big fish is nowhere near the same as it is in our warmer waters. They feel heavy but haven't the same kick. This is the same when we jig them over winter months. They are definitely slower off the mark and don't have the same zip. A lot of guys who are used to chasing them in summer find the winter fishing definitely easier and are surprised to see bigger fish really struggling to pull. I no longer bother to chase kings when the water temps fall below 18C because of this reason.

The attraction of kingfish for me is their fighting prowess. Their run for cover and the sheer pulling power means you really don't know if you are going to land it. The heavy drag settings means hooks can pull and terminal tackle can fail. The fight from a big king is full of adrenaline and you can never really settle down. Other gamefish fight clean and you just wear them down with modern equipment. Just put on a gimbal and harness and even very large fish can be tamed without much fuss...but with kings it is a different ball game.

In ideal water temps, it is like being body punched by Muhammed Ali.

By the way I have made regular trips to Perth for samson fish ever since this fishery opened. Although the samsons are cousins of kingfish and in WA they are big and pull as hard as a kingie, they lack the mongrel attitude therefore are fairly easy targets. Most of my mates get a bit bored just after a few fish. But not so with kings. We keep on coming back for more and keep the tackle shops in business

[Guest]

Kelvin,

You should graduate to GTs ask your mate Tony what they pull like

[Formosan]

Water temps play a big role in the metabolism of kingfish. They can tolerate a fair range but really love it when it is 19-24C. Right now the water is somewhere between 20-21C and this is IDEAL for kings. At the moment they are really supercharged and even smaller fish will give you plenty.

In winter big kings are far easier targets. I have caught kingfish in 12C. They fight like a wet blanket!This is NOT fun. In New Zealand kings are often found in colder water than we are used to here and the fight from a big fish is nowhere near the same as it is in our warmer waters. They feel heavy but haven't the same kick. This is the same when we jig them over winter months. They are definitely slower off the mark and don't have the same zip. A lot of guys who are used to chasing them in summer find the winter fishing definitely easier and are surprised to see bigger fish really struggling to pull. I no longer bother to chase kings when the water temps fall below 18C because of this reason.

The attraction of kingfish for me is their fighting prowess. Their run for cover and the sheer pulling power means you really don't know if you are going to land it. The heavy drag settings means hooks can pull and terminal tackle can fail. The fight from a big king is full of adrenaline and you can never really settle down. Other gamefish fight clean and you just wear them down with modern equipment. Just put on a gimbal and harness and even very large fish can be tamed without much fuss...but with kings it is a different ball game.

In ideal water temps, it is like being body punched by Muhammed Ali.

By the way I have made regular trips to Perth for samson fish ever since this fishery opened. Although the samsons are cousins of kingfish and in WA they are big and pull as hard as a kingie, they lack the mongrel attitude therefore are fairly easy targets. Most of my mates get a bit bored just after a few fish. But not so with kings. We keep on coming back for more and keep the tackle shops in business

Top post thats about sums it up on why we love the kingfish.Interesting insights!

Sounds like you sre an old pro at this how long have you been fishing for kingies?

Do you crimp or tie your terminal tackle?

[scottgg1]

Namesay, may i ask and dont take the wrong way, pictured butt section of the rod appears to be an Ocea Offshore series rod and not a Switchbait correct?

The Ocea Offhore only has a rating of 40-50 power pro (20-25kg)

Can i ask were you running the Varivas or other braid you mentioned over 100lb? Reason i ask not having a go and do feel for your loss, if this is the case you have exceeded the reccomended line rating by double. To put in perspective you dont tow a 3 tonnes boat on a car with a 1.5 tonne max tow limit!

Please dont take this as a shot, just trying to get the facts behind what has happened here.

Oh and by the way cracking kings for Sydney, seems every year more and more 16kg plus fish get caught great to see.

[Jacques.va]

Great report and advice for all that are new to Kingfish.

Hopefully it will be a great summer for all.

[namesay]

Kelvin,

You should graduate to GTs ask your mate Tony what they pull like

I hear you Stewy! Only if they lived off longreef!

[namesay]

Namesay, may i ask and dont take the wrong way, pictured butt section of the rod appears to be an Ocea Offshore series rod and not a Switchbait correct?

The Ocea Offhore only has a rating of 40-50 power pro (20-25kg)

Can i ask were you running the Varivas or other braid you mentioned over 100lb? Reason i ask not having a go and do feel for your loss, if this is the case you have exceeded the reccomended line rating by double. To put in perspective you dont tow a 3 tonnes boat on a car with a 1.5 tonne max tow limit!

Please dont take this as a shot, just trying to get the facts behind what has happened here.

Oh and by the way cracking kings for Sydney, seems every year more and more 16kg plus fish get caught great to see.

You seem to know a fair bit about the new ocea series.

The rod broke while I was downrigging around 30-50m of water. I like this depth as it at least gives you a chance to turn the fish. While downrigging I have the rod in one of the holders specifically placed for this prupose. It is angled at 30 degrees which does not high stick the rod and in over 5 years of owning my current boat, NO other rod has broken while downrigging using the same techniques.

If you are an experienced downrigger you will realise you cannot run too much drag pressure while doing this as the rod is almost impossible to get out of the holder! The max you can run is around 8kgs otherwise you cannot get the rod out to fight the fish. Even at this setting it is going to be tough on your gear. You also run the risk of breaking your rod holder or even the boat's gunnels. Only when the rod is out of its holder do you increase the drag. This is fishing 101 for all gamefishing.

I was running at max 7kg on the reel when the rod broke. More likely I was running 5-6kg of drag. This is one disadvantage of a star drag reel as the setting can be a little vague. The rod is designed for this drag rating and even more as the shimano website states that the rod can handle up to 50kg line. See the compare section on the following link.

http://www.shimanofish.com.au/publish/content/global_fish/en/au/index/products/rods/Offshore/ocea_offshore.html

When the rod broke I was using a shimano trinidad 40N. It is as you know a star drag reel. This reel will punch out around 12-13kg of drag at max. So whether you are using 40lb line or 80lb line the reel's drag capacity will not allow you to reach the line's breaking point. You also have be built like a gorilla to work this much drag pressure for any length of time without a game chair.

I use Varivas PE8 line on my jigging master reels and the Daiwa 6500 exp as these reel have far greater drag capacity. The heavier line isn't only for its breaking strain but braid can be fickle when used often in salt water. Salt often builds up in the line and gets into the weave. This can weaken the line considerably especially where it makes a sharp turn e.g at the bail roller and rod tip.

In sydney I normally run an 80lb leader and no more as the fish are extremely shy. My leader is often of a lesser breaking strain than the main line as braid is more exensive than mono!

However, the heavier line really comes into its own when the fight is vertical as it often with kings. The rod is no longer a factor as it is normally pointed straight down at the fish thus eliminating the lever working against the angler. You are really fighting the fish straight off the reel. This is where overheads have a mechanical advantaqe. Then it is thumbs, fingers..anything to add extra drag to stop the fish busting you off. During this phase you can really push the limits of the line but the rod isn't even loaded!

But this is besides the point as when the rod broke it was only fishing routine drag levels.