Kingfish

Common: to 20 pounds
Closed Season: None
Size Limit: 24″ to fork
Bag Limit: 2 per person
Florida Record: 90lbs..

Color of back iridescent bluish green, sides silvery: streamlined body with tapered head; no black pigment on front of the first dorsal fin; lateral line starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal fin; young fish often have yellowish spots like those of Spanish mackerel.Game Qualities: Extraordinarily fast and acrobatic and have are known to strip line, so remember to keep a loose drag so they don’t break your line! Be careful while pulling them in the boat because they are very aggressive, so remember to use a gaff if they are going to be kept and are of proportionate size.

Fishing Tips: Trolling is the top technique to catch kingfish. Troll almost any type of spoon or lipped plug of substantial size. When anchored and fishing for kingfish, use any type of baitfish including large greenbacks, threadfins, blue runners, and even ladyfish on a stinger rig.

Food Value: These fish are very good but they must be cut into steaks instead of fillets. Kingfish can have a slight “fishy” taste but bleeding them immediately and soaking them in buttermilk after they’re steaked can make a big difference.

You’ve Gotta Try Captain Nick’s Kingfish: Drain your King Mackerel; sort the meat, removing bones and skin. To your sorted meat add some sautéed onion and celery, bread crumbs, seafood seasoning and fresh whole eggs. Mix well. Form into dinner size cakes and fry until golden brown on each side. Another use for your King Mackerel is to add your fish to a pasta salad. Before adding the fish to your salad, drain the mackerel and pick out the bones and remove any skin you may find. This is for looks only as there is nothing wrong with bones or skin which you may find in canned fishes.