Kingfish Rigs for dead and live baits landbased middle harbour sydney

[christianfg]

Fishing 15 - 18m of water in middle harbour for a big winter king, gonna go for some live squid or cuttle if not result to live yakkas, also have fresh squid to strip up, what rigs would you be running bringing a light setup 2500 reel with a 2-4kg rod 8lb braid and a 8000 gosa with a 6-12kg rod 50lb braid 

[Derny Driver]

Live bait I use 50 / 65 lb braid with 50lb leader, live bait hook (strong gauge) and a small pea sinker to keep the livie heading downwards. Otherwise it swims around on the surface.

Squid strips 80lb braid with 100lb leader, single circle hook halfway down the leader. I use a breakaway sinker held on with 10lb line.

Dont know how you can land a kingy on 8lb. The advantage of strong line is that you can drag the fish up a bit before it heads to the reef and cuts your line.

[james Cutler]

I wouldn't be using a light setup for king fish. The big ones are tough customers.

[christianfg]

the 8lb setups for a bit of fun, if i get a hookup chances are i'm cooked ahaha. cheers ill give your rig a crack 

 

Edited July 5 by christianfg

[christianfg]

if i were to flick a lure around the moorings what would you recommend, 6 inch slapstick, shore jig, small paddle tail ?

[TheFishyFisherman]

What about shallow water? (5-10 metre). What should I use for places like that?

[James Clain]

G'day mate.

Landing kings landbased is a challenge anywhere as it's harder to track down their location and then when you do happen to be in the right place at the right time it is easier to get busted off. 

On your Saragossa setup, I would be running either a float / balloon rig with a live-bait hook set 50cm to 1m below the float. Or a slide bait rig for bottom fishing. Any live bait or fresh squid cut baits will do the trick. Without bait you could also cast and retrieve bigger sluggo plastics, 7inch - 9inch size. I would be running 30lb to 60lb fluro on this. 

On your light setup, I would be flicking 6inch sluggos or any large plastic, preferably weightless. Can also throw metals or Sugarpens for topwater. I'd beef up your leader to 12lb or 15lb. You can definitely land kings on light gear quite comfortably if you work out how to play them and know when to let them run and when to go hard, also a bit of luck haha.