Holy Alabama King Mackerel!  This trophy size 35 lb Mackeral was boated just this week.   These fast movers are here all summer and are willing to party most days. Good on the smoker or grill, a stronger tasting fish with light grey flesh, can be fried in small chunks. Donna takes smoked meat and turns it into dip and freezes it for later and as you can imagine it only takes one for a years supply of dip. I personally will grill the rest. These denizens of the deep are caught slow trolling live on frozen cigar minnows or trolling with down-planers with spoons for bait.

The official world record for a King Mackerel is 93 pounds where the typical King Mackerel is between 15-30 pounds.  Most serious Markerel fishermen will tell you that if you start catching 15lb Mackerel you will need to move to catch one that is bigger.  The large King Mackerel will not be found with the smaller fish.

The first run of the King is the most aggressive and violent with the fish taking lots of line.   Many fish either break the leader or come unbuttoned during this run.  Make sure that your reel is set from 3 to 4 pounds of pressure and then after the fish tires a bit then increase the tension a little bit at a time.  When the battle becomes up and down think of it as a game of inches.  Put constant tension on the line and slowly pump the fish up to the boat.  You will be surprised how quickly you can lose a fish at this point of the fight.

Getting into Big Alabama King Mackerel of the Alabama Coast is a gift from the fishing gods.  These fish will test both your patience and experience and that is why they are called Kings