Fishing for king mackerel

[trooper]

Is there any experienced anglers on this board as I would appreciate some advice. I'm planning of going fishing king mackerel in the waters around Koh Chang and Koh Kood in November as I believe it's the best season for this specified fish. The area should be well known for good catches and I have the opportunity to use highly recommended captain. I've seen pics of his catches and they look just unbeliavable.

 

And one more thing, I have some Abu Garcia Seven reels, which are fantastic for salmon trolling. I suspect they are very suitable for king mackerel as they are about the same size. Which line would you recommend? I have P-line evolution 0,48 mm/28 kg. What do you think about that?

 

The bait the Thais usually use is live squid and it's dropped on the bottom with a weight. Is there any altrnatives for this? Artificial lures? Any good results by trolling? Are sinking Rapala Magnums working and in which colours? In which depths are they usually caught?

 

I hope we get a converation about sea fishing in Thailand as I've enthuastic about it since I was under 10 years old. Any experiences about sea fishing in Thailand are welcome.

[Coss]

Soft baits are all the rage these days, 28 kg line sounds heavy, how big are the Mackerel?

[Lusty]

I wish I could add some info but even though I'm a fanatical angler my knowledge of sea fishing is limited even though I've been out a few times and caught some nice fish.

If you come across a shoal of Dorrada(Dolphin fish I think Coss would call them),these are great fun on a light Carp outfit using live Squid as bait.

Any questions on Bang San Ran lake in Bkk,I know quite a bit about:cool:

[The_Munchmaster]

I caught a Dolphin fish on a trip to Phuket in 99. Went on an afternoon charter with three mates who spent most of the time in the cabin sleeping off their hangovers. When we eventually got a take I was the only one awake to take the rod. Unfortunately the fish wasn't very big and the tackle was way to heavy for it so it just reeled in without a fight.

[The_Munchmaster]

This is what wikipedia has to say:

 

Fishing gear and methods

 

King mackerel are among the most sought-after gamefish throughout their range from North Carolina to Texas. They are taken mostly by trolling, using various live and dead baitfish, spoons, jigs and other artificials. Commercial gear consists of run-around gill nets. They are also taken commercially by trolling with large planers, heavy tackle and lures similar to those used by sport fishers. Typically when using live bait, two hooks are tied to a strong metal leader. The first may be a treble or single and is hooked through the live bait's nose and/or mouth. The second hook (treble hook) is placed through the top of the fish's back or allowed to swing free. When trolling for Kings using this method, it is important to make sure the baitfish are swimming properly. Typical tackle includes a conventional or spinning reel capable of holding 400 yards (370 m) of 20 lb (9 kg) test monofilament and a 7 foot (2.1 m), 20 pound (9 kg) class rod.

[trooper]

I've been searching info in the internet and very little is said about king mackerels in Thailand. Seems they are popular game fish in Nothern America and I've seen some tips so I guess the same methods work in Thailand too.

 

My sea fishing in Thailand has been mostly bottom fishing near Koh Chang with live squid bait and have caught some nice barracudas, rays and snappers.

[The_Munchmaster]

I reckon the King Mackerel don't actually know they're in Thailand so I'm fairly sure thet catching techniques used in other parts of the world will work just as well here.