KING MACKEREL
Captain Wendell Harper began fishing at an early age. His family owned a seafood market and Harper fished commercially on the Peach State coast for a number of years. But with nets being banned in the early 1950s and bag limits shrinking, Harper realized the value of charter fishing and got his captain’s license.

Capt. Harper began fishing offshore for king mackerel more 20 years ago and has been doing it competitively for nearly the entire time. He is a member of the Southern Kingfish Association, fishing in the Open and Pro Divisions. He consistently finishes near the top in Georgia tournaments.

Capt. Harper begins the kingfish season in late April or early May, fishing for them 40 to 50 miles offshore. In late May the mackerel move to within 15 to 20 miles of the coast and from there work their way to just off the beaches in summer. The kings then stay in close until early December.

Water temperature is the key to finding the mackerel. The kings seek warmer water in the spring, with ideal temperatures being in the upper 70s to low 80s. If the water on the beaches warms too much in the summer, the fish go back offshore a bit to cool off.

Capt. Harper almost exclusively uses live bait for catching kings. He catches menhaden, cigar minnow or blue runners off the beaches and slowly trolls them live. He also uses rigged dead silver eels or ballyhoo for this trolling.

Generally, when fishing over bottom structure, Harper trolls the edges of the wreck or reef, as the barracudas drawn to such bait-rich areas can be a real problem. The ‘cuda can cut a hooked kingfish in half in a heartbeat. By sticking to the edge, the captain hopes to draw the kings out and away from the barracudas.

Grays Reef, located 17 1/2 miles offshore from McIntosh County, is a National Marine Sanctuary and a well-known angling spot for kings. It is a natural hard-bottom formation that attracts many species of fish.

A number of U.S. Navy security towers are also 35 to 50 miles offshore. Those are all great spots to find king mackerel, too.

From May on into the summer months Capt. Harper boats 20- to 30-pound and even some 40-pound kings; his largest off the Georgia coast weighed more than 50 pounds. June and July are often the best times for the bigger fish.

Capt. Harper uses double-hook rigs for his bait. He uses a No. 4 treble hook at the nose end of the bait; a No. 4 or No. 6 hook follows about 4 1/2 inches behind. The captain prefers a 20- to 22-inch leader of 40- or 50-pound wire, attached to 20- to 25-pound line. Harper drops his rigs to various depths covering the water column.

SUMMING IT UP
The selection of sportfish converging in our waters in May is at a peak of variety and abundance. It’s a great month for sampling that selection -- and perhaps even tangling with new, unfamiliar quarry -- around our Golden Isles.