2010 Episode Synopsis
by Charlie Wray
Episode 203: Florida Koppers Kings & Shark
Today, the Mercury Marine Destination takes us to sunny Key West Florida. Charlie and wife Terri load up the Ram and get ready to enjoy the warmth and sun with a getaway from the February temperatures at home. This has still been a cool year for Florida, but the King Mackerel enjoy the cooler temperatures, so everyone is expecting a good trip. The Ram truck is so comfortable to drive, it makes the decision easy between flying or driving, and besides, there is less chance of damage to the fishing gear when the airlines are out of the picture. Besides, those rental cars are getting smaller every year, not a good combination with one piece rods.
Fishing with friend and guide Captain Steve Rodger of Spear One Charters, it is almost like getting back into our own boat after fishing so many years together. Live bait is an important part of King Mackerel fishing, not necessarily to use as bait, but to keep the fish around the boat once they home in on the chum. This was a fun trip and having 35 – 45 lb Kings smashing the baits is a sight to behold. These fish actually hit the surface baits so hard and fast, that their momentum carries them up to 15 feet in the air, absolutely wild! Looking exactly like the bait they feed on, Charlie is anxious to see how the Koppers Live Target Blueback Herring will not only work, but hold up. King Mackerel have incredibly sharp teeth, and routinely puncture plastic lures and destroy bucktail jigs. Their teeth, while not large are described by many as surgically sharp, and even guides would rather deal up close with Sharks and Barracuda over the King Mackerels teeth. Not only did the Live Target Blueback Herring fool numbers of these spooky lunkers in the clear water, but with fish after fish blasting the bait, it held up better than anyone expected. This is not only tough, but bullet proof. It is uncommon to fool sharks with lures in clear waters, and this lure did that as well. Sure the King Mackerel and Sharks teeth scratched up the lure, but no punctures and no chipping in the finish.
With so much action and commotion in the area, it was only a matter of time before the Sharks showed up, and the Okuma Salterra and Oceanic rods were ready for the Hammerheads that came looking for a free meal. Designed specifically for the Saltwater and fast moving fish, the high density gearing and high speed Cedros spinning reels were ideal and matched up perfect with the new Cedros Coastal rods. These rods have the perfect fast actions needed, and were also light weight and sensitive. Despite the aggression that the King Mackerel show when taking a bait, they are line shy and spooky, and can turn off a lure in a second. While the 30 lb test Tuf-Line is perfect for a rock solid hook set, and the thin line packs tight on the reel for maximum line capacity, an invisible leader is still needed for these line shy rockets, and a leader of between 12 and 15 feet of invisible Seaguar Fluorocarbon is ideal. With teeth like razor blades, a short wire leader is still needed, but anymore than about 10 inches, and the fish can shy away again. The wire is joined to the Seaguar Fluorocarbon with an Albright knot to keep hardware to a minimum. Runs offshore can be long at times, and an unexpected call from a buddy might turn a long run into a longer run to enjoy a hot bite. Steve is ready with twin fuel efficient Mercury Verado 4 stroke motors. These motors were built for abuse and are very dependable. For all your fishing and outdoor needs, visit SAIL – The Outdoors Superstore www.sail.ca
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