Fall for Kings

After autumn arrives, some of the world’s largest king mackerels swim in N.C. waters.

The iridescence of the long silver fish was beginning to shine through the deep blue water.Even in the cooler fall temperatures, Capt. Mike Webb, who had been straining and coaxing the 20-pound-test line for almost an hour, was bathed in sweat; he also was shaking with anticipation.

With some luck, the strong fish he’d been struggling with for the past hour would be one of the large kings prevalent in Raleigh Bay during the fall. If so, Webb and his boat mates might celebrate at tournament win later that evening.

However, even though the big fish was obviously tiring, Webb still had to crank the king within gaff range without incident, and the gaff man would have to strike quickly and true.

The fish also could materialize just underneath the surface as a wahoo.

But now the glowing fish circled beneath the boat, a good sign. It grudgingly allowed itself to be led toward the anglers but still fought with remaining strength to escape into the depths.

A few feet below the surface, visual signals from the big gamefish became clear to a watching crew member.

“Man, that’s a really big king,” he said. “Take it easy and get it on up to the gaff. They’ll be taking our pictures back in Morehead after we weigh this big momma.”

This month as early fall arrives at the coast of North Carolina, the number of fish tales regarding large king mackerels increase dramatically. Prime time for whopper kings occurs after the ocean water begins to cool significantly during October and lasts through the Christmas holidays. While big-fish stories originate from the entire N.C. coastline each year, the big kings of Raleigh Bay usually claim the spotlight.

Raleigh Bay is the section of the Atlantic Ocean east of Lookout Shoals and Cape Lookout and west of Diamond Shoals and Cape Hatteras. Cape to cape, the distance is approximately 65 nautical miles.

Each year Raleigh Bay proves to be the most-productive stretch of water in the Carolinas for producing large king mackerels.

The waters of Raleigh Bay hold nice-size king mackerels all season, but the really big specimens swim in its waters most consistently during late fall and early winter.

Several factors contribute to Raleigh Bay’s fish-producing waters. First, it’s where almost all the tidal exchanges between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound occur. Hatteras Inlet and Ocracoke Inlet are the two main connections between the Pamlico Sound and the ocean, while Drum Inlet and New Drum Inlet are the only tidal outlets between Core Sound and the Atlantic.

The importance of the inlets is not just the flow of the nutrient-rich sound waters into the ocean; they serve as gateways for forage fish. Smaller baitfish spawn in the sounds and nearshore areas, and the juveniles use the sounds as nursery areas their first summer.

Finally, as the temperature of the sound waters falls below the tolerance level of the smaller fish, they’re forced to move into the ocean, seeking warmer waters. These smaller fish gather into large schools and move until they find suitable temperatures and structure that affords safety (the second factor).

The third factor that enhances Raleigh Bay’s ability to hold large king mackerels late into the year is the tendency of warm Gulf Stream eddies and currents to spin into the bay’s waters and stabilize.

The position of the Big Rock, off the end of Lookout Shoals, influences warm water masses to break off from the Gulf Stream and move into Raleigh Bay. The northerly escape route of these warm water eddies is blocked by Diamond Shoals and the Labrador Current.

So Raleigh Bay has warm water and an abundance of forage fish and attracts large predator fish.

King mackerels respond to many of the same changes that affect smaller fish. As the inshore waters cool, kings must feed more heavily to maintain their body temperatures or migrate into warmer waters.

During the late 1980s, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries successfully proved two migratory groups of king mackerels exist off the N. C. coast.

One group remains in state waters the entire year and migrates between the Gulf Stream and N.C.’s beaches to fulfill needs for food and warm water. The other group is a coastal migratory group that may move as far north as Maryland and Delaware when the water is warm and food is plentiful, then returns to the Florida Keys and Gulf of Mexico as inshore waters cool and food becomes scarce.

With the knowledge of the migratory and feeding habits of trophy kings, the task of anglers is to get offshore and catch them. Unfortunately, the task isn’t quite as easy as it may seem. The time of year best fishing conditions occur during unsettled weather when winter is approaching and fall is refusing to yield sway. To sample this fishing often requires the commitment of several days to get perfect conditions.

During late fall, catching fresh live bait also can present problems. At the Morehead City area, a call on VHF channel 5 or 68 should locate a bait barge or other commercial-bait operation where anglers can purchase live bait.

The two heralded locations for catching the big kings are the Atlas Tanker and the Smell Wreck. The Atlas Tanker is a shipwreck roughly 20 miles east of Cape Lookout. The shipwreck is in two sections; other shipwrecks, rocks and reefs are nearby.

Clifton Moss caught a state-record 79-pound king mackerel at this spot during November 1985.

The Smell Wreck is roughly 55 miles east of Cape Lookout, but often baitfish and kings are concentrated at nearby temperature breaks and color changes near the wreck, rather than directly above it.

James Winch caught the N.C. record 82-pound king near the Smell Wreck during April 1999.

Many anglers beef up their tackle when they pursue fall kings. Individual baitfish are usually larger during fall, so it’s easier to hide larger hooks and heavier wire, which permits using heavier line.

Many tournament fishermen use No. 6 hooks, No. 3 or 4 wire, and 15-pound-test line. They consider No. 4 hooks, No. 5 wire, and 20-pound-test line too heavy. Many Raleigh Bay regulars suggest No. 2 or larger hooks, No. 6 or 7 single-strand wire or 90-pound stranded wire, and 30-pound-test line.

Webb of Pelagic Sportfishing at Atlantic Beach (252-222-4659) specializes in catching large kings.

During 1992, Webb and Capt. Bruce Armstrong combined to find one of the largest kings caught during a tournament. At 66.50 pounds, that record stood for years until Andy Hinton and the crew of the Hot Grits bumped it by a few hundredths of an ounce with another Smell Wreck king. Two years ago, Rob, Bill and Mike Delph landed a 71.89-pounder during a Florida tourney.

Webb solely pursues larger kings during the fall. First he begins by up-sizing equipment, then he seeks large baits.

“I like to use bluefish weighing several pounds when looking for large kings,” Webb said. “I can usually jig some of them from one of the artificial reefs or nearshore wrecks even when I can’t locate other baits. These big fish don’t always troll particularly well, so I check out the wind and current and set up a drift to carry me over the structure or along the temperature break. Sometimes the larger kings can be motor-shy and spooky, so I shut down the motor while drifting.

“Another bait I’m liking more is lizardfish. They have a bunch of nicknames, some of which aren’t very nice, but big kings really are attracted to them. The smaller ones don’t troll particularly well and require drifting, but the larger ones also work when trolling.”

Webb said he pays close attention to water temperatures and likes a temperature break, where the water warms a few degrees. Early in the fall that could be from the mid 70s to 80 degrees. By late fall it can be from the low or mid 60s to the high 60s.

Webb said late fall and winter fishermen shouldn’t overlook water where the morning temperatures are in the mid 60s. He said the water is usually warmer several feet below the surface, and the surface temperature usually will warm several degrees during the day, especially bright and sunny days.

“Finding schools of bait is important,” Webb said. “Once the water starts cooling, these fish tend to congregate at baits. They’re feeding more often in cooler water and don’t usually move too far from a good food source. This is probably why they tolerate water a little cooler than their usual preference.”

Webb said he used heavier tackle and fishing gear for fall kings, preferring Shakespeare Ugly Stick rods, Shimano Trinidad reels and 25-pound-test monofilament main line. His leaders are No. 5 wire about 7-feet long with two Size 2 Eagle Claw 774 treble hooks.

“Some people prefer shorter leaders, and if they feel confident with them, that’s what they should use,” Webb said. “I like for my leader to be long enough to extend past the largest fish I might catch, and there are some big fish up here during the fall and winter.

Heavier tackle has some other advantages, including being able to force a fish to the boat faster. For fish that anglers plan to release, the quicker the landing and release, the better their odds for recovery.

Fall kings are almost always older females that make up the bulk of the species’ breeders. If anglers don’t have a specific need for such a fish (mercury levels are high in large kings so they shouldn’t be eaten in any case), they should take photographs then release the fish.

That’ll allow a big king and perhaps its offspring a chance to thrill another angler.