Tackle and Techniques, These strong fighting fish require tough tackle. For anglers fishing from a boat that means boat tackle with 20 pound test line or higher. This will work when trolling or drifting. Kingfish have a mouthful of sharp teeth so you'll need to use a 60-80 pound test monofilament or wire leader.
Finding these fish can be a chore. Trolling is the fastest way to cover a large area. Because the fish seldom travel close enough to the surface to sight fish for them, troll your bait well below the surface.
King Mackerel roam in schools, close to shore or many miles out, sometimes near tide lines, oil platforms, reefs, and anchored shrimpboats. Fishing season is generally late August through November.
Small live fish are the preferred bait. Cut bait also works when drifting or trolling. A piece of whole or cut bait with a plastic skirt is often used when trolling. Large fish shaped plugs are another good trolling bait.
Unlike other "resort" communities, Grand Isle hasn't chosen to go modern. It possess an unpretentious mystique that is as warm and comfortable as South Louisiana hospitality. That is why generations of sport-fishermen return year after to bask the sun and bathe in the gentle surf. They keep coming back to fish, either on shore or off shore where the big ones wait to feed, either near the giant rigs or in open water, or the back bay.
At Grand Isle, shell collectors prowl the beach by day while at night the flickering glow of lanterns illuminate beach as nocturnal fishermen reap a harvest of flounder feeding along the shore line.
The history of Grand Isle is filled with pirate lore. Treasure hunters have searched in vain for gold and silver that is said to have been buried somewhere on Grand Isle.
For most of the year, Grand Isle with mild temperatures and clear weather, is a leisurely place that attracts visitors who come to fish, walk the beach, explore the dense undergrowth at the center of the island and observe the hundreds of thousands of migrating birds who make Grand Isle their first stop for rest when they return from the tropics across the central Gulf of Mexico.
