Categories: Catch Base

Huge King Mackerel caught on light tackle

Kevin Collins from Queensland in Australia caught this huge king mackeral (scomberomerous commersoni), on 10lb light tackle braid, with a 60lb leader!

He was fishing Mackerel Island in the Whitsundays when he hooked and landed this trophy fish. It was never weighed properly but estimates are sitting at around the 100lb mark, or 45kg’s. We say more like 55!

The size of the head is a big factor here, it’s girth – it’s a really healthy and fat fish, and then the length – no way could Kevin hold this fish up any other way – it looks to be a good 6 inches taller than him – all add up to what could be the biggest king mackeral / couta / spanish mackerel / narrow barred mackerel / tanguieguie / sierra / … a fish with many, many names, ever caught!

The mystery fish – This is Kevin Collins the owner of Fish D’Vine and the Rum Bar in Airlie Beach Queensland, Australia

Huge king mackerel speared

The following two great fish were shot – the first is the official world record couta – a 46kg fish speared by Greg Pickering, and then the big daddy of huge king mackerel claims – a 52kg fish shot off Mapelane not three years ago!

World-record ‘Couta spearfishing – 46 kilograms, Dorre Island, Western Oz, July 18, 2004 by Greg Pickering

Huge King Mackerel speared at 52kgs off Mapelane, KZN North Coast

Another mystery…this brace of really big couta were rumoured to be 100 pounders each?! In South Africa…anyone recognise anything?

Catching huge king mackerel

Catching these magnificent and high-speed gamefish is an art. Your tackle needs to be in tip-top shape and your reels spooled with a lot of line. A lot! A 50lb and upwards king mackerel will spool a TLD 25 before you have time to pull the anchor and give chase. Those 100 pounders as featured above, will leave you breathless and your reel smoking.

Your traces need to be 100%.

And this is where MYDO comes in. We make traces for these big fish. Sure, the same traces will also work on dumb small couta too. But these are rigged in a way that can handle the initial force and the overall strain of hooking and fighting a crocodile sized king mackerel.

5X Treble hooks are deployed and on the HD traces, double #7 wire is used to attach the hooks. In a rigid format that makes sure the hooks stay in the right place no matter what.

Choice of leader is left entirely up to you and the prevailing conditions. Sure, #6 wire is great for most sized fish and most water conditions. But when you put out a live bonito of about 2 or 3 kgs, you are asking for trouble with that flimsy wire. At MYDO, we recommend using very heavy fluorocarbon or hard nylon leader when fishing large live baits. Your strike rate when using nylon goes through the roof compared to resonating piano wire that makes a horrifying sound underwater. And the nylon line is so much stronger and durable during a fight. Sure, a couta at full speed will probably chop through 100lb in one slice. But when you move up to 200lb and then 400lb, those teeth become less effective. But if a marlin or gas bottle tuna grabs ahold, those hooks and that double wire ain’t letting go.

Ok, so order an HD couta trace on your next MYDO purchase, put your chosen leader on, add a big old live bonito, and hold on tight.

Big tackle necessary!

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