# King Rigs



## t58martin (Jul 18, 2005)

Is there a 'most' productive time of year for King fishing from piers? What about Cobia on King rigs, are they around much after June?I mostly fish Frisco pier in August, very slow going. Only once in a while does someone bring in a King or A Cobia while I've been there. Another question, I've seen lot'sof guys using 114's or Large Newell's. Is more than 400 yds required?
Thanks in advance.


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

The best times for kings are usually may-june and september-october. However, you've got a shot the rest of the summer, fall and spring also. CObia are best during may and june. More than 400yds is not required, but it is a good idea in case you hook a tarpon or very large cobia or king. Most of the time you should be fine with around 400yds, i like about a 4/0 size reel which will give you 475 of 30


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

What bluerunner said about the times..

I used a tld 25 with 20 or 25lb line on it,don't see the need for thirty if you use shockline.. It will also give you a little more capasity if needed than thirty.. I like fighting a fish better with the smaller reels.. JMO


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

i agree DD, thats why i have changed to an AVET LX spooled with 25 and a 50lb shocker. The small reels are a lot more fun, that said, i would have got dumped by the tarpon i saw caught on Apache this summer


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## b3butner (Oct 1, 2003)

bluerunner said:


> i agree DD, thats why i have changed to an AVET LX spooled with 25 and a 50lb shocker. The small reels are a lot more fun, that said, i would have got dumped by the tarpon i saw caught on Apache this summer


I sure do know what ya mean.


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## 97WAHOO (Sep 1, 2005)

I fish with a Penn International 30tw and 30vsw just in case of a big tarpon or a big toothy critter. It's probably overkill but hey, they sure look pretty and the chicks dig a guy with a big reel.


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

t58martin said:


> Is there a 'most' productive time of year for King fishing from piers? What about Cobia on King rigs, are they around much after June?I mostly fish Frisco pier in August, very slow going. Only once in a while does someone bring in a King or A Cobia while I've been there. Another question, I've seen lot'sof guys using 114's or Large Newell's. Is more than 400 yds required?
> Thanks in advance.


My experience has been as follows:

Wilmington area (Oak Island): When water temp hits 67 degrees, kings and cobia arrive. When water temp reaches 80, king fishing is hit or miss.

Topsail: Same as Wilmington, except when water temp hits 80 Tarpon arrive.

Frisco Pier: July (water temp 72 and above) usually most productive month for Kings and Cobia. August is hit and miss, but tarpon are around.

Nags Head Area: Check out avalon piers website, Fishing Reports, select year and month and you will see July is most productive thru the years.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

fishloser said:


> My experience has been as follows:
> 
> Wilmington area (Oak Island): When water temp hits 67 degrees, kings and cobia arrive. When water temp reaches 80, king fishing is hit or miss.
> 
> ...


 FL,that could be true of Frisco now,wouldn't know,haven't fished it in some yr now.. BUT,back when I did fish it,JUNE was the hot month for kings and cobes.. Sept and Oct were kings,and I mean lots of em..
One yr in perticular,I remember 1977,it was in late April early May,kings were so thick we caught some on gotchas.. Bait was really scarse ya had to go to the soundside and catch fingermullet out of the creeks,or luck into a sandperch off the pier.. Baits were so small we were using a 3/0 eagleclaw live bait hook,with NO TRAILER hook or treble.. Many folks tried the normal trebles,but water was so clear kings were extremely leader shy.. They weren't really big kings,from 15 to 25lbs,but they were thick.


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

Drumdum said:


> FL,that could be true of Frisco now,wouldn't know,haven't fished it in some yr now.. BUT,back when I did fish it,JUNE was the hot month for kings and cobes.. Sept and Oct were kings,and I mean lots of em..
> One yr in perticular,I remember 1977,it was in late April early May,kings were so thick we caught some on gotchas.. Bait was really scarse ya had to go to the soundside and catch fingermullet out of the creeks,or luck into a sandperch off the pier.. Baits were so small we were using a 3/0 eagleclaw live bait hook,with NO TRAILER hook or treble.. Many folks tried the normal trebles,but water was so clear kings were extremely leader shy.. They weren't really big kings,from 15 to 25lbs,but they were thick.


Man would I luv to see those days return !!!!!!!!! 
This is the first year in many that I can remember having any luck off Frisco with any consistency, and even then it isn't close to the 70's and 80's.

When I first started fishing Oak Island in 92, 300-400 kings a yr/per pier was the norm. 25 kings decked per day was not unusual. Now 50 kings a year is good.

One thing is obvious also, the kings around OBX are considerably larger on average, than the kings in southern NC. A 20 lb king is big around Wilminton area, with an occasional 30 lb. The kings around Hatteras and the OBX seem to avg 25 lb and larger. Without question the cobes are larger in your area. Luv them cobes !!!!!!!!


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Believe it or not FL,last yr I fished Frisco was 78,I caught 20kings and 3cobes up to 73lb that yr.. The pier caught over 500,with 40 a day several times in the fall..


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

Drumdum said:


> Believe it or not FL,last yr I fished Frisco was 78,I caught 20kings and 3cobes up to 73lb that yr.. The pier caught over 500,with 40 a day several times in the fall..


 I believe you, what do you think got me turned on to driving 6 1/2 hrs one way, fish all day, then drive home 6 1/2 hrs, lol. I'm still doing it in 2005, though this old body says my sons are gonna have to start sharing driving time (they are 38 and 30) and let ME do some sleeping.

A fella up here that I worked with,by the name of Bob Taylor, got me hooked on this. What really scares me now (the wife too) is ya'll are starting to peak my interest in fishing from the sand after king season.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

> ya'll are starting to peak my interest in fishing from the sand after king season.


 Ya got the wrong one here,I be a "true blue" planker through and through.... 

PS,can't think of anything that I would trade for those ole planker memorys..


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

the only thing i want to know is, can you striper fish from the piers?


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

bluerunner said:


> the only thing i want to know is, can you striper fish from the piers?


 The planks close,at least Avon,after Thanksgiving.. There have been some good yrs catchin stripers out there,but most times they are later than that getting there.. Rodanthe does catch them with a little more consistency..


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

Drumdum said:


> Ya got the wrong one here,I be a "true blue" planker through and through....
> 
> PS,can't think of anything that I would trade for those ole planker memorys..


 In years past my bass fishing has kept me from fishing the OBX piers in late Sept-Nov. This year I am taking a break from tourn bass fishing so I will be able to try the piers this fall.

DD, which piers do you fish, if any?


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*I have fished them all,depending on conditions,but mainly*

Whichever one is catchin da fish..


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

Drumdum said:


> Whichever one is catchin da fish..


You said u haven't fished Frisco since 78, why?


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Just not a drum pier.. When the managment changed there,I bought a boat for kings. The pier went downhill pretty much after that,and I've never looked back,except for the memorys.. If she starts catchin kings like it used to be "I'll be back"...


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

Drumdum said:


> Just not a drum pier.. When the managment changed there,I bought a boat for kings. The pier went downhill pretty much after that,and I've never looked back,except for the memorys.. If she starts catchin kings like it used to be "I'll be back"...


Management says they are going to extend pier this year, and put a large "T" on it. They claim they gonna take it out where we can reach the bar and possibly fish the other side of bar out front. I don't think they can take it out that far, but if they get it out another 100', good casters will be able to reach bar with 8nbait.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

fishloser said:


> Management says they are going to extend pier this year, and put a large "T" on it. They claim they gonna take it out where we can reach the bar and possibly fish the other side of bar out front. I don't think they can take it out that far, but if they get it out another 100', good casters will be able to reach bar with 8nbait.


 From what I have heard and seen of this new managment,they are doing good things. Seems as though they want to bring back the ole days,and I'm all for it...


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## t58martin (Jul 18, 2005)

*extend pier*

Frisco pier could definetly use another 100', and a T to boot. What I'm not sure of is how far out is it to the deeper water. I've heard the deep sloughs are quite a ways out.


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## in2win (Dec 18, 2003)

*Frisco Pier*

Capt. Pat claims the '70s and early '80s fishermen filled that strech of beach in with pony Miller bottles... I don't have a clue who he could be talking about Kenny.  

CATCHEMUP,

Mike


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## Tinybaum (Mar 8, 2004)

Ive been fishing frisco for about 20 yrs, and it def had a time where "things could have been better" but the new ower seems to be doing great things, and if they put that pier out another 100 then it should be hot. . . . . thats if they can keep it standing  

Ower says he wants it to original length with a T we'll see. Fished there this spring pretty good time.

DD,

Do you have a count of the kings and cobia's off the planks this year? I think i saw before you posted something about that. Fished Frisco in the 70's probably have fished side by side with lots of my family, and at Avon, and Rodanthe.

Tiny


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*Tiny*

I haven't got a count,however I do know the tally to be much better than previous yrs,and very promising. This fall would tell the tail for me though. Sept used to be THE MONTH that Frisco,and also the other piers on OBX put in thier highest tally.. Nowadays,seems as though things just die for the kings after Aug.. We'll see.. 

So you were there in the "Ellis Willis" days?


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## Tinybaum (Mar 8, 2004)

Well I am sure that the last 3 yrs with storms aug-sept is killing the fall king action. 

Ellis, I dont know, first time i fished down there i was about 3-4 so aroung 85 would be when i started. My uncle had actually help build that pier. Not sure if it was the original, or a rebuild. Frisco was known for the 2 inch gaps in their boards "if its small enough to fall through the cracks well it aint big enough to keep"

Used to be a great flounder pier, back in the early 90's 4 of us caught 125 flounder in 1 day, and i would say most of those would have been legal with the limits now (of course we only kept enough to eat). Thats the pier I saw my first blues blitz, and lost my first puppy drum. But alot has changed since then, kinda sad  

Maybe with the new owners ehhh.... but this spring i did load up a couple times with some nice eating mullet   

Aight well its 8 am i just got off work time to sleep. DD ill be in the area on the 24th for the week, maybe ill run into ya on the planks. Wouldnt mind getting some tips from ya to see what my best odds are (fish, rigs, piers) Id like to go after the kings but who knows, if not kings ill be bunker chunking somewhere.

Tiny


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

I'll hopefully be on Frisco the first weekend in Oct., as I'll be fishing King tourn next weekend in Myrtle Beach.

PS: Hope no more hurricanes are in store for NC coast.


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