Episode 597: Sydney Land-Based Kingfish With Scollops And Shroom

Steve’s Tips For Sydney Land-based Fishing

• Kingfish can sometimes be extremely frustrating for their habit of frequently following lures without actually eating them. Other times they’ll eat a lure but are powerful, dirty fighters that head straight for the nearest reef.
• Steve finds that kingfish are very random and unpredictable and there may be patterns there but they’re very hard to pick.
• Late summer and early autumn is a great time to fish for kingfish off the rocks due to warm, clear water…… provided you can avoid the storms that sometimes come through and cause swells. It’s also great because bonito and other species are around and can make a trip interesting when the kings are slow. Don’t expect to catch a king off the rocks every trip.
• Kingfish are a sight predator, so avoid the stirry, sudsy washy areas where visibility is poor. Really calm, sunny, warm days are great for kingfish – plus they are the safest times to fish the rocks.
• The prime time is at first light, on a day when there’s minimal swell and clear water. Tides are a factor because they affect where you can fish (low and high tides ledges) rather than whether the kingfish will be there or on the chew. Barometric pressure

Steve’s Tackle For Kingfish

• A rod of at least nine to ten foot in length and 12-15kg line class is vital for long casting – the further you can cast the more time your lure spends in the water and the more fish you can reach. The longer length also helps to keep fish out of structure when you’re trying to land them. A Saragosa 8000 or a Penn Battle III 8000 are good, economical reel than won’t break your heart if you fall on it or drop it in the surf.
• Steve prefers an economical four strand braid for its abrasion resistance, he uses 30-40 lb Power Pro Depth Hunter and finds that he has less trouble with wind knots than finer, softer braids. Black Magic Supple in 40-60lb is fine for leaders and helps to give more action to the lure.

Steve’s Preferred Kingfish Lures

• Silstar Slapstix 9″ in white is perfect for when kingfish are hunting garfish around the rocks. Rigged with a heavy jig head it can be sunk down deep or ripped across the surface. This is a great lure for calm, cloudy and overcast conditions.
• Maria Loaded sinking stickbait is great and comes with great terminals that can be used straight from the box. This lure is versatile and can be sunk down or worked fast. Steve generally likes to let it sink a couple of metres, then gives it a couple of big rips before letting it flutter back down. Repeating this all the way back is effective not only on kingfish, but on big bonito and occasionally snapper. In very low light conditions this lure throws a solid silhouette and is a great choice.
• A Surecatch Knight, or any 60-80 gram metal lure is a great option for rock fishing, especially if there is a bit of breeze – just be sure to upgrade hooks and rings. This lure is very versatile once again and can be cast long and ripped back at high speed or sunk down and worked with rips. This lure can be fished all day when it’s sunny and bright.