OMG Kings Are Here Again!!! Show me your Smoker blister

[CaptainCalf]

Anna Maria was nice this morning. The Sun came up slowly, but the Kings came on fast!

Here's my 1st miss at around 07:30am

[CaptainCalf]

Here's the smoker that caused the blister and don't ask about the one that spooled me!

[Todd]

Nice fish.

[CaptainCalf]

Nice fish.

Thanks Todd, now all I need is a good smoked fish spread recipe and I'll have enough spread to last 6 months!

41 1/2" and 24lbs

[DaveR]

Very nice!

[CaptainCalf]

Very nice!

Thanks big DaveR, it was a 50 minute fight! I peddled about a mile off the beach and they were out there like cord wood

He was my second run of the morning and before I could engage the drag there was a squirrel nest forming, so that's when the thumb came in and the blister! Once the hook & drag were set he stripped line off my nice sized Penn trolling rig like it was a mini bait caster

I wore him down a little, but when he saw the boat zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, he was gone again and stripping line off fast:?

I finally turned him again and once I got my line back I decided I'd have to trick him to land him, so I started the long peddle back to the beach. Moving fast I don't think he knew what was going on so he followed at a distance pulling to the side. Maneuvering past what seemed like an endless gauntlet of crab traps I headed East. At the beach I dove outta the boat and pulled him into the short stuff where he put on a big show. He ran up the beach in 10 inches of water like a salmon being chased by a grizzly! Once I finally got him beached there was a nice jogger there to snap a pic for me:)
RC

[DaveR]

Bait of choice? Dead sticking or trolloing?

[CaptainCalf]

Bait of choice? Dead sticking or trolloing?

Trolling behind my Hobie Outback SUV peddle drive. I use whattever live bait I can catch and I was catching nice sized Spanish & blue runners;)

[gsellers1245]

50 minutes? What were you using, a zebco 33?

[CaptainCalf]

50 minutes? What were you using, a zebco 33?

What's wrong with a Zebco 33? I wore out more 33s when I was a kid then I can remember and I beat most everyone else here has used one at some point in their childhood

Actually, I was using only 27 lb-test wire cuz I was trying to hide it from those big eyed Kings. That strategy worked like a charm, but the drawback is that you can't horse the fish around at all...This smoker never tired out so gaffing was outta the question and you know what I mean if you've ever had a green fish in your boat 40" long with teeth

Therefore, I pulled him a mile back to the beach and landed him there. Time was on my side since I hooked up with him at 08:00, but the crab traps slowed me down like a mine field...

They should be going ballistic again this weekend so go git u one!
RC

[taekwondo]

make yourself a hawaiian spear then you can both gaff him and kill him when he comes close to the boat.

[CaptainCalf]

make yourself a hawaiian spear then you can both gaff him and kill him when he comes close to the boat.

True and I could make a couple of Hawaiian drinks while I'm at it:)

[Uncle Tommy]

DIY Hawaiian Spear Gaff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obwZlajnZ00

[sfurman]

Sweet, I love a good king. That is as big as I want in fact that is a little too big, 20# is enough.

[Rik]

DIY Hawaiian Spear Gaff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obwZlajnZ00

paleegic....what can you expect from guys from Texas that go yaak'n.........

[sfurman]

I tried watching the video after about a minute I had to turn it off. There is such a thing as a flying gaff but you still have to get the fish up close to the boat, with a king, that is 7/8 the battle.