 KC.com:
What terminal tackle do you use over there in the Northern
Gulf?
Gary Smith: Our kingfish setup consists of
six Okuma TG15S reels on Okuma Tailwalker rods. We line
our reels with 30-pound test monofilament. We have four
Okuma spinning reel combos for catching bait. Two light/medium
action and two medium/heavy action.
How do you rig your leader for those Northern Gulf smokers?
Most of our live bait rigs are three-hook setups.
I know that that is not the case in other fisheries.
The rigs consist of a live bait hook and two treble
hooks. The distance from swivel to live bait hook is
around 30” and we vary the distance between the
live bait hook and the treble hooks. Usually the distance
from the live bait hook to the last treble hook is in
the range of 8” to 12”. On occasion we do
use a two-hook setup.
For our ribbonfish rigs we have the same setup, but
add an extra treble hook. We try to make the distance
from live bait hook to the last treble in the range
of 18” to 22”. The majority of our rigs
are made out of #7 single strand wire. We have played
around with other wire sizes and types, but our main
bread and butter is #7 wire leaders. As far as hook
sizes, our live bait hooks range from 5/0 to 7/0 and
our treble hooks range from #4 to 1/0 in size. We use
Mustad Ultra Point Big Gun Live Bait hooks and Mustad
4X Strong Kingfish treble hooks. Our wire preference
is Malin and swivel preference is Spro.
If you could have one bait in your live well for a tournament
up there which would it be?
We mainly use hardtails, also known as blue
runners, here in the Northern Gulf. Regarding ribbonfish,
last year we caught a 44, 45, and 46 pound fish on ribbon
fish. The boat does not leave the dock without at least
a case and we always pull at least one.
Are you a big believer in using skirts to enhance your
bait’s presentation?
We will try just about anything when the bite
is slow. In the past we have used top water plugs to
catch kingfish. A few years ago we took third place
at the AJ’s tournament by using a top water plug.
We have not tried the turbo rattler, but plan to give
it a try this coming year. But to answer the question,
we mainly pull skirt-less baits. We try to stick with
what works for us, but like I said above, when the bite
is slow there is no telling what we will try.
How does your team prepare for each tournament?
The majority of my team meet once a week to
take care of all items needed for the upcoming tournament.
This usually consists of building leaders, lining reels,
changing engine oil / gear oil, and repairing anything
broken from the previous fishing trip. If we do, it
will usually be one day. Nationals and the Kingmaster,
we try to set aside three days for prefishing. This
gives us a few days as a buffer just incase the weather
keeps us inland.
What would be the one tip that you would give to an
angler fishing your area for the first time?
Three simple rules should apply. One, make
friends with local tournament anglers. Two, when a bite
is on, it is on, so be ready. And three, make sure you
tackle up before coming here. Increase your line, wire
and hook sizes.
What one aspect of the fishing in your area do you think
most people will find to be different when they compare
this fishery to others?
This is a tough one to answer since my experience
outside the Gulf is limited; all I can say is when your
line hits the water, get ready to hold on.
When the bite changes do you believe in running and
gunning or sticking it out?
Move, move, and move. Last year we were also
in the Delta on the second day of (SKA) Nationals. We
didn’t see or hear of anybody catching fish. We
overheard on the radio that small fish were being caught
at CA25. We packed up at 11:00, made the run and it
paid off with a 45 pounder. We try our best to stick
to the game plan, but there are also times when other
factors force us to change our plans. I have noticed
when we are not forced to change our plans but we do,
we stink it up pretty good.
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