Welcome to the Kingfish Fishing Guide Victoria. Catching a big Kingfish is the stuff that local anglers dream about. Yellowtail King Fish in Victoria has continued to get better and better in recent years which is wonderful news for local anglers. Kingfish are unparalleled as they possess immense power and for this reason, are rapidly growing in popularity as a species to target.
Kingies can grow over a meter in length, have amazing fighting qualities, generally school up in big numbers, are also renowned table fish, and are a very welcome bycatch for those who may have been out in deeper waters targeting species such as Tuna.
BECOME A FISHINGMAD MEMBER & UNLOCK ACCESS TO
Workshops | Giveaways | Podcasts | Competitions | Reports | Maps | GPS Marks | Rigging Tutorials | Sounder School | Exclusive Footage | Tackle Talks | Gear Guides | Kayak Club | Much More
Kingfish Facts & Catch Limits
- Kingfish has the scientific name of Seriola lalandi.
- They are renowned table fish.
- The minimum legal size of 60cm
- Daily bag limit of 5 over the minimum size.
- Kingfish can grow well over a meter in length,
- Small Kingfish are often referred to as rats.
- Kingfish will often school up in big numbers
Best time to catch Kingfish ( Seasons )
In Victoria, Kingfish are generally caught in Summer and Autumn. They are often best targeted at Dawn/Dusk and on tide changes.
How to catch Kingfish
We encourage you to read our detailed guide on targeting Kingfish around Melbourne. There are multiple ways to catch this powerful sports fish. You can use flesh baits, and live baits. You can also use top water lures, stick bait, vertical jig and even troll bibbed lures. It’s an exciting species to target with such a variety of ways to catch them. When fishing offshore keep an eye out for active birdlife which is often a great sign of baitfish which will be rounded up by Kingfish or even Tuna.
Kingfish is a renowned sports fish and a heavy-duty setup is required. Starting with a 10-15 or 12-24 kilo rod paired with a 6000-20000 size reel. Some good options include the Penn Slammer, Shimano Saragosa, Daiwa Saltist, Daiwa Saltiga or Shimano Stella spooled with a 20 to 50-pound line. Kingies are generally active between December to March and can be located during most hours of the day
Check out our day trip up to Portland on the kayaks tangling with some big kingfish.
Best Baits to Catch Kingfish
Kingfish are predators that feed on smaller fish within their environment. Therefore live bait is a top choice when targeting mulloway with the live bait carefully pinned behind the neck to allow the bait to swim freely or like a wounded fish. Staple easily accessible dead baits also work well on Kingfish. A running sinker rig to a single 5/0 – 8/0 hook or a double-snelled hook to present the bait nicely. Recommended options include.
- Live squid
- Live Mackarel
- Live Scad
- Live mullet
- Live salmon
- live whiting
- whole pilchard
- trevally
- garfish
- whole squid or squid strips
Best Soft Plastics and lures to Catch Kingfish
From the boat vertical jigging has been one of the most successful techniques which are done by dropping a vertical jig and hopping it up and down trying to get the attention of a big aggressive king. Stickbaits and topwater lures are great options and have grown immensely in popularity. These are generally worked back at a fast pace, creating movement and vibration that kingfish love to chase down. Soft plastics between 80mm and 140mm are also a great option. Good options include flick baits, shads, paddle tails, and grubz. You can also purchase pre-made rigs and swimbaits which are designed to imitate a fish in its surroundings such as a mullet.
- LunkerCity Slu-Go
- Shimano Ocea head dip flash boost stick bait
- Daiwa Bait Junkie 7-inch Jerk Shad
- Rapala X-Rap
- large surface poppers
- Nomad Rip Tide stick bait
- Halco Rooster Poppers
- Daiwa Bait Junkie 5-inch Jerk Shad
- Squidgy 150mm paddle tail
- Shimano Butterfly jigs
- Zerek fish trap
- Kietech swim impact fat
- Squidges biotough grub
- Samaki Vibelicious
Best fishing locations to catch Kingfish
- The Rip
- Portland
- Barwon Heads
- Black Rock
- Port Welshpool
- Port Fairy
- Mallacoota
- Wilsons promontory
- Narooma
- Docklands
- Williamstown
- Mornington
- Port Melbourne
You can obtain a free Victorian recreational fishing guide from the Victorian Fisheries Authorities weblink
Images of fish supplied VFA and DEPI. All other images and videos shown on the Kingfish Fishing Guide Victoria are Fishing Mad originals.
Thank you for reading the Kingfish Fishing Guide Victoria. If you feel this guide is missing key information or needs any corrections. Then please let us know by emailing our team at enquiries@fishingmad.com.au with specific details in the email. Thank you