King Mackerel Fishing at Sebastian Inlet

King Mackerel at Sebastian Inlet

A kingfish eats and goes, and the first run empties line off the reel faster than anything else out here. People who have caught plenty of fish still react to it.

King mackerel are migratory, so they come and go with the water temperature and with the bait. When they are here they are often here in numbers, and they are reachable on a nearshore trip rather than needing a full offshore day.

They are also toothy, fast and prone to cutting you off, which is why Captain Richard Ladrew rigs specifically for them rather than hoping.

Where Captain Richard Finds Them

Nearshore, around the reefs and along the beaches, usually wherever bait has gathered. Kingfish follow schools of bait and will show up anywhere those schools are.

Captain Richard looks for bait on the surface and birds working it, then fishes the edges of it.

Best Time of Year

Kingfish run spring and autumn on this coast — roughly April through June and again September through November, as the water passes through the temperature range they prefer. Summer and winter are quieter for them.

How Captain Richard Fishes for Kingfish

• Live bait slow-trolled or free-lined where bait is working, which is the classic and most effective approach.
• Wire leader. Kingfish have teeth that go through monofilament without noticing, and a dropped fish is almost always a leader decision made earlier.
• Let the first run go. Captain Richard’s advice is to keep the drag sensible and let the fish tire itself — trying to stop that first run is how you lose them.

Rules and Regulations

Current status: Open year round — 24″ fork length, 2 per person

• In Atlantic state waters the minimum size is 24″ fork length.
• The bag limit is 2 per harvester per day.
• The season is open year round, though the fish themselves are seasonal.
• Note that fork length is measured to the fork of the tail, not the tip — Captain Richard measures on the boat.

A closed season means you cannot keep the fish, not that you cannot fish for it. Captain Richard Ladrew targets every species on this list year round — in season you have the option to take fish home within the limits, and out of season it is catch and release. The fishing does not stop.

Regulations checked September 2026. Size limits, bag limits and seasons change — the current rules are always on the FWC saltwater regulations site. Captain Richard fishes to current regulations and will tell you on the day what you can keep. Florida fishing licences are provided for everyone aboard, so there is nothing for you to buy.

Trips That Target Kingfish

• Full Day Inshore / Nearshore — Full Day, $975
• Offshore Fishing — Full Day, $1200
• Half Day Inshore Fishing — Half Day, $600