Went out of the Port at odark thirty this AM ( 7/16/20)
There were a considerable number of clouds and rainstorms around 10 miles offshore.

Quickly set up to troll. I seldom bother with live bait anymore. I got to just north of Lori Wilson, not seeing any bait or birds. I pulled up in around 10 feet of water just to get something to eat and hang out. Next thing I know the fleet is with me throwing cast nets. Not getting much.

I'm using a large sebile hard baits. 2 rods with Shimano 6500 baitrunners. Just cruising around 3-4 knots. The clouds and rain are out there. I cant really tell if they are getting closer. But I dont want to get caught in a storm. So I start heading back to just outside the port and troll in a big circle.

Bam, reel goes off. Wind starts picking up. Drag is screaming out. ( too loose) I tighten up some and start grinding. Get it close to the boat and can see its a king. I am stoked. Makes another run. Takes me around 15 minutes to get it with the gaff and into the boat. Meanwhile the wind is picking up. On Ch 11 dude says we are gonna get it.

I get everything squared away and run to the ramp. Get the boat out as some rain comes down. Not much it passes quickly. I have the fish in a fish bag with lots of ice. I carry it up to the fish cleaning station. Put it up on the table. A dude and his 2 daughters come over and ask me about the fish. They are fishing there also.

Around 46 inchs, I estimate it weighed 25 -30 #. I started to steak it. Dude tells me he is a chef and ask me if he can help. Hell yea! So he steaks it up . I give him half of the steaks. He is stoked also!

I get home and drown it in Italian dressing. Right now I have the charcoal lighting up. Wife and FIL are stoked.

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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

Nice.... theyre alot more fun on the spin tackle. I usually give em to my dad..... smoke em and keep half. Good grilled recipe is with soy, ginger, garlic, OJ, olive oil (and fresh herbs) The one I got from the kayak was a lil over 36" (prob 15#)

Edited: 07/16/2020 at 03:43 PM by Plan B

The inshore guides kill em on spinning minnows, but i'll be damned if i can figure out how to do it? Not that it matters, you scored on lures and that's a bonus in my book.

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I was right.

I caught 90% of my kings on little yozuri lures anchored with them flowing in the current out back like a flat line while bottom fishing.

REALLY?! No shit? hmmmm... which lures, and was the current pretty strong? The floating Yozuri diver plugs are what I was getting all the action from on my yak, but I wouldnt think there'd be enough current. Maybe the shallow divers / sinking plugs?

Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, any size. Try to put some steel leader or 5 or 6 on hand. As long as you have a slight current it works. Slack current it wont work of course. Make sure it is of the blue varieties.



Edited: 07/17/2020 at 08:45 AM by HAPDigital

up here we break the back but not the skin, and put behind a pink duster. having a down rigger REALLY helps around the buoy lines, 40' deep off the beach, or nearshore rocks and wrecks.

Nice Catch and report JD!

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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

Edited: 07/17/2020 at 10:20 AM by stokedpanda

Floating crystal minnow divers are what I caught my fish on last week.... all gold colo (prob looks like a pogy). and yes, around 40' of water....

Yup, my favorite lure ever made. They are so versatile.

Even idle speed seems to fast. Do you bump it in and out of gear?



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I was right.

A drift is in order.

sometimes, esp if you trolling down current... but usually 2kts. Personally I'm not a fan of slow trolling pogies. Its effective, but when the bite's slow in the heat..... ugggh

yes we bump gears and or drag a bucket. You can troll them faster behind a jighead as well

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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

My buddy baked a bunch lathered in mayo.. It was quite interesting but surprisingly good. I only really like it in fish dip.

Nice story JDB!

I used to cover them in ranch dressing, then grill them skin side down. The smaller ones are really quite good. Cero and Spanish macks....you can have them. Too fishy for me no matter how I cook them.

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I was right.

Spanish >>>>>> Kings all day long

I love Cero and Spanish(and Kings too). When cruising the Caribbean it was always so easy to anchor the boat, throw a jig or spoon out and viola! light up the hibachi and grill em up.

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"I remember South Africa in the late 70's, sleeping on the beach at J-bay, smoking ganja with the blacks. On weekends we'd go to the pub in East London to drink beer and fight with the Afrikaners. They liked to fight, I liked to fight. It was a good time"

Cero and Spanish are on an entire other culinary level than Kingfish. The only good thing kingfish has going for it is size. It lacks in the taste department. It's a good smoking fish. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad and I'll eat it but it is just in the realm of bluefish, good but there is better in the ocean. And I'm not picky. I even keep ladyfish, lizard fish (charlie browns), and jacks. All 3 of which are better tasting than kingfish. BTW if you want a good ladyfish recipe, let me know. Holy moly, such good meat.

Edited: 07/23/2020 at 09:09 AM by HAPDigital

I would love to hear it, I read one about making fishballs but I cant remember what they did to avoid all those tiny ribs/pin bones.

One I have yet to try is Sailcats or any salt cat, I have seen catch and cooks but never hungry enough to try it

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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

I haven't tried any of the catfish yet. I don't like that white jizzy slime that gets all over the boat. I had a friend that kept one once and that shit was all over my fishbox, pretty nasty. I'm sure once cooked they taste fine.

Anyway, yeah, you make fish balls or patties. I make the ladyfish like chicken nuggets. You filet the ladyfish with skin on etc and you take a spoon and scrape the meat down the lateral line and it comes of the stringy bones. Throw the clumps in a bowl. You'll need to get a bunch of ladyfish are a few big ones. After you make a big pile, basically ground raw fish, you spice it how you like it and and some egg and bread crumbs then make balls, patties or nuggets. I use a mock McDonalds chicken nugget recipe. Dude, you'd think they were chicken nuggets from McDonalds wiht the same rubbery texture. However, I'm sure way more healthy. LOL Ever since I've been keeping them I can't get them anymore. When I was throwing them back I'd catch tons and tons. But now I make these nuggets and I actually go out hunting for them. Crazy...


Edited: 07/24/2020 at 08:51 PM by HAPDigital