b"KINGFISHMarshall Stoddart with a hefty 3 Kings kingfish caught on a live bait aboard Te Ariki Nui.There are many ways to catch kingfish but using live baits isKahawai are probably the hardiest of J igs and other luresLIVE BAIT SPECIES the live bait choices and are best suited undoubtedly the most effective way to consistently catch them. to being fished on a floating rig and not dropped down deep as you need a fair amount of lead to get them down and take kingfish as doesLive baits are really either large oryou cant fish many at the same time in a bait, however, kingfishsmall, with kahawai being in the largeboat full of people. Slowly trolling them will often take a livecategory and bait fish like mackerel,is an option but they can last all day bait when all elsepiper or yellow eyed mullet being in thewhen tethered under a balloon or similar fails. Its not difficultsmall category. Many kingfish havefloat. Sometimes when first caught to learn the rigs tobeen caught on kahawai live bait andthey are very lively so a wet towel can catch them and if youmost seasons kahawai are prolific year- help restrain them until youre ready to can find where theround and fairly easy to catch. If you aredeploy them. Kahawai usually need 9/0 kingfish are lurkingland based, fishing a berley trail helpsor larger hooks and don't often die from then youre in withget the kahawai around as does a berleydragging such a hook around.a good shot at hooking these greentrail in a boat in shallow water. SmallThe other category of live baits (small torpedoes. Your chances of landing onelures like ticers will also catch them butbait fish) require smaller hooks - either may not be the same as hooking themsometimes the treble hooks will getshort shanked live bait or circle hooks. but getting attached to a hoodlum is thecaught in the throat and render themCircle hooks for all sizes of live bait are first challenge. unusable. For all live baits, they must beexcellent and a good first choice. Bait There are a few different optionscaught in the mouth and require carefulfish that are good for kingfish are blue for how to fish using a live bait, but ithandling as they need to be in freshkoheru, slimy mackerel, Jack mackerel, boils down to two things - the size ofcondition to handle being rigged andpiper, and yellow eyed mullet in that the live bait and if you are targetingswimming until a kingfish sees them.order (approximately). Kingfish will often kingfish in the shallow zone or the deepDamaged or battered livies don't lasteat anything (e.g. small legal snapper or zone. Lets talk about live bait speciesvery long and can be a waste of time ifblue maomao) when very hungry but before we talk about rigs for the twoyoure having to soak your bait for longwhen they are fussy some species of live different zones. periods of time to find kingfish. baits will get hit before others. 10FISHING IN GODZONE MAR/APR 2022"