Fishing for kings "on the beach"....

clean livin' · 10-29-2009, 03:50 PM

I fish for king mackerel quite a bit, however I almost never stay very close to shore. A quick question....

I've heard lots of guys say they their 30lb+ king while fishing "on the beach", sometimes they mention anchoring up and chumming heavily. Usually, when guys say that, how far and what depth range are they in? Also, are they anchoring over some type of hole / structure that they've found, or are they blind fishing?

Just curious what people's thoughts are. I've heard guys say they caught their fish inshore before, but really they were 5 miles out along the river channel, which I don't really consider "on the beach".

I think I started paying attention to this a few years ago when the boat Hooligan won a bunch of tournaments and kept saying he was "on the beach" and it caught my eye.

jeffro22 · 10-29-2009, 04:23 PM

in my experience on the beach has meant within a mile or so. I know some guys have landed decent kings from piers, but i don't see anythign decent in size coming on by surf fishing. Maybe up towards the outerbanks, but not around here

clean livin' · 10-29-2009, 04:52 PM

That's what I kind of guessed, people are saying "on the beach" if they're really within 2 miles or so most of the time. I guess the OBX is different though in a lot of ways, so perhaps it is much closer there. As a follow-up though, when guys are fishing that close to shore, are they slow trolling blindly, or are they anchored and heavily chumming over a ledge/hole/ that they have discovered?

raunchieconch20 · 10-29-2009, 05:38 PM

My biggest king to date (36 lbs) was caught 100 yards off shore of Oak Island in 16 feet of water on a ribbon set at 5 feet on the downrigger. We were around no structure or hole, but we were there simply because of the amount of bait in that particular area, which at that time was mullet.

zimm · 10-29-2009, 06:24 PM

I have seen two 40# class fish caught right off the beach of North Topsail Island this year. Approximately 1 mile from shore. Bait was huge factor. The big girls were chomping bait balls that were in the location.

Capt.Ryan · 10-30-2009, 10:31 AM

A 44lb king was caught yesterday about 1/2 mile from Ocean Crest Pier in Oak Island. Not near any structure and on a live pogie. This time of year the big females come close to shore and feed up on all the bait, mullet, pogies and spot. They will stay close to shore until about the middle or end of May, then push offshore with the warmer water.

jhendric · 10-30-2009, 12:31 PM

I lost a king at AR 315 back in June it would have been bigger than 40 for sure...biggest king I've ever seen....I snaged him on a small spanish that I caught while trying for Shad....AR 315 is 1.3 miles from the beach. I also limited out in October 2 years ago at the 4th set of cans out of Beaufort inlet...less than 1 mile from the beach....that is what I woudl describe as the beach...

Ice Cream Man · 10-30-2009, 04:22 PM

There are always some big Kings landed from NC piers every year.........
A Capt. friend of mine landed two 30# Kings, a 36# Wahoo & had another Wahoo on King rigs - 7 miles, that's right 7 miles from the beach at the beginning of the month ........... ICM

lumberman · 10-30-2009, 08:47 PM

ICM - I have heard of wahoo that close before but have yet to get one myself. What are the thoughts on that?? They happen to follow a warm stream in? It sounds too crazy but like you said.. it has happened..

54bullwinkle · 10-31-2009, 01:14 AM

I take my 11 yo daughter fishing along the beach in So Fla 100 - 200 yds offshore. Catch mostly jacks and runners. Have gotten few kings 10lbs range

Aqua Loco · 10-31-2009, 07:22 AM

I fish with Jetty Jay another fellow THT`er , and in our experince , if you see the bait then the kings should be there. It does help to have some structure, but some of our largest kings have been over "dead" water. Just ride the shore line and keep a sharp eye, and this time of year it should not take long.

Ice Cream Man · 10-31-2009, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberman

ICM - I have heard of wahoo that close before but have yet to get one myself. What are the thoughts on that?? They happen to follow a warm stream in? It sounds too crazy but like you said.. it has happened..

Combination of warm water & large schools of bait was what I was told ..... ICM

beachnut53 · 11-01-2009, 06:42 AM

This time of year the mullett are running; they will fill the inlets and around the shoreline.
Guess what's most likely following them???

HoosOn · 11-01-2009, 11:07 AM

Last weekend in the fall brawl we had a 20-25 lb class fish sky on a propwash bait by one of the inlets near ocean isle, also had a long line bait get desroyed just a few hundred yards off the beach.