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Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by racepics <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=racepics' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 29/12/2012, 7:56 pm

Had a chat today with Kane and came to the realisation that most reports of Kingfish caught, are caught in the mornings.
So here's a question for those who have targeted and caught Kingfish.
Firstly, what has been the most productive time of day for catching your Kingfish?
And, have you tried both AM and PM?

I've not heard of many being caught at night. So I presume they are visual feeders more than most.
If that is the case, then its probably understandable that the Kingfish would be hungrier at dawn, having not fed all night.
Whereas, by late afternoon/dusk they have been feeding all day and are more picky about taking a bait?

http://www.paniasurfcasting.org
http://www.surfcaster.co.nz

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by GaryK <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=GaryK' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 29/12/2012, 8:01 pm, in reply to "Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

I have always liked mornings from daylight till sun up. The only time they seem to feed at night is under lights.

The snapper don't know where the car park is!
Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by AndyG <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=AndyG' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 29/12/2012, 8:22 pm, in reply to "Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

No idea, still waiting to catch one

Was going to make the effort this season but yeah../.

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Mark Roberts <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Mark+Roberts' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 29/12/2012, 8:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

I've caught only two, both on dead baits. One was at Iwitea at around 5am in May, not even a hint of daylight. The other was at Haumoana in March at 8am.

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Hangler <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Hangler' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 29/12/2012, 9:38 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Only ever caught one Kingfish from the beach, at Pikowhai. It took a small Kahawhai I had just hooked, I wasn't fishing a livie, and completely out of the usual mode, it was after dark.

My grandson caught a Kingfish from the beach last year at Bayview, this was at about 10:00am.

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Naki-Fisher <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Naki-Fisher' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 30/12/2012, 12:19 am, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

from the rocks i have caught 4 in the arvo 3-4pm, 2 in the morning around 8 am and one at midday

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Chad <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Chad' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 30/12/2012, 9:58 am, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

four yesterday, 3 in the am 1 in the arvo..... Landing thems a different story, had a few hook pulls.

About 2 weeks ago, over a week, I landed 8 kingfish, the lot where in the afternoon.

kingfish are pretty easy to get, its just a case of if you really want one, you have to set up properly. No throwing bait, just fish a couple of live baits, and work a good area..

Some times Ive left at 2am, just to get live baits, those days spending up to 14 hours trying to catch livebaits and about 2 hours chasing kingfish. The other day I about 4 over 4 hours, and lost them in 30 minutes, to birds and a scungy random cuta.

Chris, it's more the conditions, settled water, clean and plenty of baitfish around. Arvos are just as good as the mornings, so long as the conditions suit. Night time is a waste of time, unless you are at a wharf, with lights overhead attracting bait to the area, like the port. The livebait you use is really important, small kahawai would be best, YEM are pretty good, the bigger ones are better. Piper die fast, but are deadly when alive.

Wairoa
Hawkesbay

Take Nothing For Granted

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by racepics <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=racepics' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 30/12/2012, 10:47 am, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Yeah conditions were not ideal at Esk this morning. Water wasn't all that clean and the waves were dumping over 1.5m on the shore at times.
Another time perhaps.

http://www.paniasurfcasting.org
http://www.surfcaster.co.nz

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Rex HB <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Rex+HB' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 30/12/2012, 11:29 am, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

How about East Clive? I fished there a couple of days ago when it was raining and the sea was really good. Kingfish regularly come out of there and depending where you fish you can walk down quite close to the Ngarororo and Tuki mouths if necessary.

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by DeanHB <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=DeanHB' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 30/12/2012, 12:15 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Only caught 3 off the beach,all on dead baits.1pm,
6pm and 7pm. Interestingly 2 were caught under a floated bait .

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by scuzzy <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=scuzzy' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 30/12/2012, 11:06 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

I have found most kings are caught are caught late in the after noon on a low tide off the bricks, off the beach may be a bit different also location, east coast is very different to the west, as for night fishing I have seen kings caught and lost at night under lights in Wellington,

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Aaron HB <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Aaron+HB' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 31/12/2012, 9:57 am, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Caught a good one lastnight on a floated bait just on dark went 14kg was a good scrap

A hard days fishing beats a good day at work

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by racepics <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=racepics' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 31/12/2012, 12:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Awesome fish mate, well done to land that from the beach

http://www.paniasurfcasting.org
http://www.surfcaster.co.nz

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by hbfisher <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=hbfisher' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 4/1/2013, 1:55 pm, in reply to "Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

how big of a live bait will a kingfish take ,
went out this morning got 22cm plus yellow eyes for live bait got them in the fishing zone and keep getting nailed buy kawi put even bigger baby kawi on still to get taking buy a bigger one, my question is will a kingfish take a good size kawi say 2kg mark, also on what style rig , i was using t,t live bait sliders or are they better off to go under a balloon with a long trace

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Chad <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Chad' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 4/1/2013, 3:29 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Gidday

I use plan old (quality ) coastlock swivels-24kg, these work well.

Kingfish will take pretty much anything, if they are big enough. Kahawai livebaits are ideal around 25cm in length. Yellow eyed mullet work well too, but kahawai will smash em, its just something you have to put up with mate. As far as 2kg kahawai livebaits go, they will work, but the king has to be hungry and of decent size, 15kg plus, personally I think you are better off sticking to the smaller live baits, you never know when a big snapper will come along, or a john dory, so the smaller baits has a bigger range.

Most kingfish are only a few metres behind the waves, not way out at the sinker.

you have far more control of livebaits using slidebaits as opposed to balloons. Stick with what you are doing, it will work when the kingfish are in good numbers, the kahawai dont tend to feed and your live baits will be smashed.

Chur

Wairoa
Hawkesbay

Take Nothing For Granted

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Chad <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Chad' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 4/1/2013, 3:32 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Just to add to that, I have caught kingfish over 20kg on yellow eyed mullet under 10cm in length, use what you can when you can get it.

Trevally between legal and 30cm are deadly on kingfish also.

On christmas eve, I took a 27lb snapper on a small yellow eyed mullet ( off the boat ) right in the shallows close to the land. So they will get smacked by anything.

Wairoa
Hawkesbay

Take Nothing For Granted

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by SNAPPA NAPIER <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=SNAPPA+NAPIER' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 4/1/2013, 7:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Thats a good fish on the live bait. Cool. Im sure Big Snapper will grab a sliding livey off the beach given half a chance. That would be a buzz. Damm south soueaster looking like its going to muck it up a bit next coupla days. Was hoping to head up, but not that keen to drive up and flounder around Snapper rock.

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by GaryK <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=GaryK' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 4/1/2013, 11:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

I like to slide two baits. The first has access right out to the sinker wherever I cast that. The second trace had a float at the top so the bait can only swim to the point where the line enters the water. This puts the two baits in two different strike zones. Two kahawai i caught the other day took one of each.

The snapper don't know where the car park is!
Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by GaryK <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=GaryK' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 4/1/2013, 11:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

You will often find that a bait that can swim well out to your sinker will get decimated by crabs. Using the two bait rig you know that at least one is fishing all the time.

The snapper don't know where the car park is!
Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by hbfisher <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=hbfisher' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 5/1/2013, 9:36 am, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

what size and style of floats are you using, thats seams a good idea , double strike would b fun also are you better to cast as far as possible or just keep them in close

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by Chad <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=Chad' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 5/1/2013, 12:12 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

Two livies sounds good on paper, but it can end in tears with a mid line tangle. God for chasing kahawai, where they wont really break the line, but a kingfish will, pronto. I use this method at times, but tangles do happen.

Wairoa Bar has allot of kings at the moment, best I have heard of was 19kg. Some good ones via spinners....... Just not on my bloody days off eh!

Wairoa
Hawkesbay

Take Nothing For Granted

Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?

Posted by GaryK <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/surfcasting/info/user=GaryK' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 5/1/2013, 5:03 pm, in reply to "Re: Kingfish, Dawn or Dusk?"

I use a big float so that the bait cant pull it under. The float is secure right at the clip with the trace and bait below. I havnt had many tangles obver the years and have caught a lot of kingies with this method.
Worth doing I reckon.

The snapper don't know where the car park is!
Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.

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