King bait??

[Riplukelee]

So I’ve been out to Hilton Head reef four times in the last month. I’m pretty sure I hooked a king while dragging a small clarkspoon behind the boat ... got spooled in about 4 seconds on my little spinning rod. Here’s my question ... what bait is everybody using??? I sat out there for four hours and watched every boat around us catching kings. We didn’t find bait on the way out so we used the pinfish (that’s what I call them) that we caught on little pieces of squid on the bottom.

 

[jtaylor]

Never caught one but the way I understand it is pogies are the go to.

 

[Jimmy Lee Armel]

So I’ve been out to Hilton Head reef four times in the last month. I’m pretty sure I hooked a king while dragging a small clarkspoon behind the boat ... got spooled in about 4 seconds on my little spinning rod. Here’s my question ... what bait is everybody using??? I sat out there for four hours and watched every boat around us catching kings. We didn’t find bait on the way out so we used the pinfish (that’s what I call them) that we caught on little pieces of squid on the bottom.

Throw the net on pogeys. Then jig up greenies, pin fish, etc if the pogeys aren't working. Spoons are for the fall and dont get spoiled. That's how lines end up in props and cost guides a lot of money

 

[Riplukelee]

Noted! Thanks for the reply!!! Saw you out there Friday ... whoopin it up havin a good ole time ...

 

[Heisenberg]

Threadfin (greenies) are good. I would much rather have big mullet if I could catch them regularly. Pogies are more abundant and you can fill the live well with one cast of the net. When I am kingfishing, I troll a 5 rod spread, very slowww, like about 2 knots. If I am bottom fishing at anchor, I just let a line drift way back off my stern with a live cigar minnow or threadfin on it and forget about it, leave it in the transom or t-top rod holder and set the clicker.

 

[mdgreco191]

Whatever I can catch on a sabiki usually puts Kings in my kayak if they are there. I don't fish the same area though.

 

[T-Boy]

I would do some asking and find out what size and kind of Sabiki to use and where to use it. Then I would free line the bait with about 24 inches of 30lb seven strand wire with a #4 or #2 treble hook. Get a reel that holds 300 yards of line and a gaff.

 

[Darkhorse]

As a last resort frozen cigar minnows have been catching kings for a long time. I like to drift when fishing with frozen cigar minnows. I'll have a weighted rig fishing deep, and another either weightless or just enough weight to keep it just under the surface freelined behind the boat. Rigging is simple too, 2 #4, 4X strong treble hooks wired together with a short wire leader and your in buisness.

 

[mdgreco191]

T-boy and Darkhorse gave some good advice.

I usually just fish live baits "naked". However, sometimes a skirt can help draw bites. I use Blue Water Candy skirts and dead bait jigs. Pink, blue, and green have produced.