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We will be down at the beach in early June and would like to catch a king mackerel off the pier. I will be using a penn ssv 4500 with braid backing and a profile rod. Any tips on how to properly hook a king and successfully bring one to the pier. Thanks in advance.
Hooking is pretty easy, let fish run for a few seconds, close the bail and raise the rod sharply. No need to jack the rod on kings if you have good sharp hooks. If its a redfish or jack, then setting the hook hard a couple of times cant hurt.
Fighting a king is all about managing drag, let the fish take a good long first run to tire him out. Then apply just enough drag and pressure to turn the fish and start working it back in. No need to crank the drag down, if the fish gets a second wind, it will break the line or pull the hook. I like to keep the drag pretty light and put pressure on the spool with my fingers.
Most critical part is at the pier, keeping the fish out of the pilings and getting the fish to the gaff. Its part skill and part luck. An experienced gaffer is worth their weight in gold, listen to their instructions!