Read the article with FishingTheSpot: the gulf kingfish
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The Gulf Kingfish belongs to the Scianidae family. The adult size can reach 60 cm for 1,36 kg. It has a lifespan of 6 years. It breeds from September to March. It can be fished all year.
Also known as a kingcroaker, the Gulf Kingfish is the biggest of the three whiting. The body is silvery in color and does not contain vertical spots or stripes like the other two species. However, it has a very visible black spot on the top of the tail.
The Gulf kingfish lifestyle
It feeds mainly on other little fish and invertebrates and crustaceans as well.
It is believed to spawn from September to March. They spawn like other whiting.
The Gulf Kingfish habitat
They live near the bottom and can be found in the various hollows located throughout the surfing area. However, large Gylf Kingfish tend to be slightly further away in deeper waters. During the summer months, they will be very close to the beach and, during the coldest months, you may have to look further to find them.
It will be located in the Western Atlantic Ocean: from Virginia to the continental coast of the Mexican Gulf MĂ©xico jusquâĂ Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil).
The Gulf Kingfish angling
You can catch the Gulf kingfish on a tackle of any size. However, to get the most out of the effort, it is best to use medium-weight gear, especially if you are considering holding the rod while fishing.
When fishing for Gulf kingfish, it is very important that, whatever bait you use, use a small piece of bait on a small hook. This is how you make sure they can put the bait in their little mouths before stealing it.
Whenever possible, natural bait will be your best option. If you can find very small live shrimp, it would be an excellent bait for Gulf kingfish. However, most of the time, the live shrimp will be a little too big and you may have to divide them into several baits. That's good, make sure you have the FRESH dead shrimp. Frozen shrimp do not work as well. After shrimp, your best option is to catch a few small fleas from the sand and use them. To do this, you will need to buy a flea rake, which can be purchased from a sporting goods store, bait store or online.
