JoshH

Use a 80 pound mono leader and a 7/0 mustad hook. Try about 3 feet and use a bimini twist to a bristol knot. Hook your bait in the tail below the backbone so it swims down.

captken

Yeah, I'll second this as just about the most important part of kingfishing.

"Let the fish eat. Too often people get a king interested, he follows, then the bait is pulled away. This also applies to the kingfish slash. Often, kings slice off the rear end of the bait then circle for the final munch. If they slash, the bait is supposed to be disabled - don't pull it away."

__________________
Captken
http://www.panhandlefishingbooks.com/

BJW

I may be in a minority here, but I like to use shorter leaders when using wire. I want as little tackle visible as possible. I watched Mark Sosin talk about this one time and he sold me. Sosin would take a new coil of single strand leader material out of the package and simply take a large pair of cutters and cut the entire coil into equal lengths that are the length of one loop in the coil as it comes from the factory. Much shorter than most people use. I usually useabout a foot of single strand copper colored leader. I use a small black swivel between the main line and the leader. Buy quality swivels and you can get by with smaller. Remember that the swivel doesn't need to be any stronger than the leader or main line.I agree with using the 3X strong treble hooks and again use a slightly smaller hook than most people.I usually make a fairly largeloop (just smaller thanthe diameter of a pencil) in the leader where thehook attaches before starting myhaywire twist to make sure that the bait is free to move.

One thing that confuses me when I see people fishing for king on the pier is when they "jack him up." They seem to think that even though the fish has the bait and is stripping off line you need to set the hook. I have seen guys on the pier jerk and jerk "making sure they get a good hook set" and later in the fight have the fish "spit the hook." My theory is that if he is pulling line off the reel he is hooked. (This is based on the assumption that you are using a sharp hook.) If you will notice, most of the tournament king fishermen use rods with a very light tip. I read that this is to keep from tearing the hole in the fish larger and pulling out the hook. The more you jerk the larger the hole in the fish's mouth gets. Finally that hole gets big enough and the fish "spits the hook." The barb on the hook doesnt do any good when the hole in the fish's jaw get big enough. If you will look when a king is landed you will see many times that the hole has torn out much larger than the diameter of the hook material. I believe in being gentle with the fish when hooked and keeping the hole in the fish small so the hook has a better chance of staying in.

reelthrill

BJW, I agree with everything you said but it is still fun to set the hook when fishing on the pier. (I can't explain why, but it has always been that way) When we tournament fish, we use very light pressure for kings and never set the hook. (we almost never lose a fish)The light pressure will also keep the king on the surface.

grouper1963

Good point about the "jack him up" - don't. I've caught many a king that was foul hooked either because the stinger got him outside the jaw, or the fish swiped the bait and got hooked mid-section. And the fight is even more difficult when they are foul hooked - patience and drag is essential - definitely do not horse.

LATERALINE

Maybe off a pier a 12" leader will work but over off AL with the platforms you need a solid 3'. sometimes i will step down to a foot but most of the time we fish 36".. I have lost many kings with a 12" leader where the fish bit above the knot.. Ive tried the flourocarbon topshot with the same results! I have even caught a nice 40 lber where the fish had sucked a 3 lb hardtails 2 ft down its mouth!

kingfish501

The 12 inch leaders may work from a boat....but running hardtails...big no-no.Those little short leaders are going to get swallowed.

Swivels....a must if you snobble a bait.Lazy-fishing live baits all the tie, youll get away with tying straight to the line.Most pier fishermen will run the bait live, until he slows down, then cast and work the bait.No swivel equals twisting your line to unbelievable shapes.

jack up a fish?Definately.Unless you are running a circle hook, that hook needs to be set.And unlike fishing from a boat where you can follow or manuver around the fish, there are times when you must horse the fish to control him....unless someone has a boat with pilings on it, they forget that part.For the most part, during the king's run, you don't want to horse him...but gaff time is different.Only one of you can be in charge then.

kingfish501

BTW...were the leaders you were using coated?Or shiny?

Those will usually turn a fish off...unless you have a Zebco...then the fish will eat an LY on a piece of anchor chain.