Scomberomorus cavalla
Elongated, streamlined body. Silver sides with iridescent blue-green back. The lateral line drops sharply below the second dorsal fin. No spots on adults (young kings may show small spots, similar to Spanish mackerel). Extremely sharp teeth. Deeply forked tail designed for sustained high-speed swimming.
Females grow significantly larger than males. Most fish over 30 lbs are female. Males rarely exceed 25 lbs.
Average catch is 10-20 lbs. Quality "smoker kings" run 25-40 lbs. Trophy kings exceed 50 lbs. The world record is 93 lbs, caught in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1999. Fish over 40 lbs are commonly called "smoker kings" because their large size makes them ideal for smoking.
Slow-trolling live bait is the classic technique — rigging large live blue runners, goggle-eyes, or threadfin herring on stinger rigs (a lead hook through the nose and a trailing treble near the tail) and slow-trolling near reef edges, wrecks, and temperature breaks. Dead bait (cigar minnows, ribbonfish) rigged on king mackerel "stinger" rigs trolled with a duster or sea witch produce well. Casting live bait to visible surface-feeding schools is exciting. Fast-trolling with spoons (Drone, Clark) and planers covers water efficiently.
Medium-heavy spinning or conventional rod (7 ft), 5000+ reel, 20-30 lb braid, long wire leader (single-strand #5-#7 or multi-strand wire — kings have razor teeth that cut fluorocarbon).
Minimum size limit is typically 24 inches fork length. Bag limit of 2-3 fish per person in most areas. Check local regulations as they vary by region.
Regulations change frequently. Always verify current rules with your charter captain or state wildlife agency before fishing.
Florida · Northeast
The Bahamas · Central Bahamas
North Carolina · Crystal Coast
South Carolina · Lowcountry
North Carolina · Crystal Coast
Mississippi · Gulf Coast
The Bahamas · Northern Bahamas
Barbados · Barbados Coast
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Puerto Rico · West Coast
North Carolina · Cape Fear
Grenada · Grenada Coast
The Bahamas · Southern Bahamas
Florida · Nature Coast
South Carolina · Lowcountry
Florida · Tampa Bay
Florida · Space Coast
Louisiana · Cajun Coast
Texas · Lower Coast
Florida · Nature Coast
Alabama · Gulf Coast
Florida · Panhandle
The Bahamas · Central Bahamas
Florida · Northeast
Florida · Southeast
Alabama · Mobile Bay
Florida · Southwest
Florida · Panhandle
Texas · Upper Coast
The Bahamas · Northern Bahamas
Texas · Upper Coast
South Carolina · Grand Strand
Louisiana · Southeast Louisiana
The Bahamas · Southern Bahamas
Alabama · Gulf Coast
Mississippi · Gulf Coast
North Carolina · Outer Banks
South Carolina · Lowcountry
Florida · Nature Coast
Florida · Keys
Florida · Northeast
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Antigua & Barbuda · Antigua Coast
Florida · Keys
Florida · Keys
South Carolina · Lowcountry
North Carolina · Outer Banks
Florida · Keys
Florida · Southwest
Saint-Martin · Saint-Martin Coast
The Bahamas · Northern Bahamas
Florida · Space Coast
Florida · Southeast
North Carolina · Crystal Coast
South Carolina · Grand Strand
South Carolina · Grand Strand
North Carolina · Outer Banks
Florida · Southwest
The Bahamas · Central Bahamas
Florida · Space Coast
Virginia · Hampton Roads
South Carolina · Grand Strand
Alabama · Gulf Coast
North Carolina · Outer Banks
Saint-Martin · Saint-Martin Coast
Florida · Panhandle
South Carolina · Grand Strand
Florida · Panhandle
Sint Maarten · Sint Maarten Coast
Texas · Mid Coast
Louisiana · Cajun Coast
Texas · Lower Coast
Texas · Lower Coast
Dominica · Dominica Coast
Puerto Rico · West Coast
Dominica · Dominica Coast
Puerto Rico · San Juan Metro
Florida · Southwest
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Dominica · Dominica Coast
Florida · Space Coast
Texas · Lower Coast
North Carolina · Cape Fear
Florida · Northeast
Grenada · Grenada Coast
Antigua & Barbuda · Antigua Coast
Florida · Tampa Bay
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Florida · Nature Coast
Florida · Southeast
North Carolina · Crystal Coast
Florida · Tampa Bay
Florida · Tampa Bay
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Louisiana · Southeast Louisiana
Virginia · Hampton Roads
Florida · Southeast
North Carolina · Cape Fear
North Carolina · Cape Fear
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