How Captain Mike Parker Catches King Mackerel

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mike Parker, the captain of the "Silver King," a charter boat based out of Destin, Florida, rarely fishes more than 10 miles off the beach, unlike many other charter-boat captains. And Parker daily produces really good numbers of bottom feeders and pelagic species. This week we'll look at how, where and when Parker fishes.

Question: What technique are you using to catch king mackerel?
Answer: If I'm fishing for snapper and grouper, I'll still put a fly line out for king mackerel. I hook a live cigar minnow or herring through the eyes, cast it out and let it swim around. I put the clicker on my rod or else have a very light drag set. So, when the king mackerel takes the bait, the fish sets the hook itself. The clicker lets me know I have a fish on because the rod is usually in the rod holder.

Question: What are some other ways you catch king mackerel?
Answer: Another technique I use is what I call a Polish downrigger. I fish with a heavy slip sinker up the line, a barrel swivel under the slip sinker and 4 to 5 feet of wire leader with two sets of treble hooks. I put one set of treble hooks through the nose of a live cigar minnow or herring and let the second set of treble hooks swing free. Because mackerel are slash feeders, when the mackerel attacks the bait from the side, if the fish doesn't get the front hooks, the stinger hooks will catch the mackerel. Sometimes too, I'll use Yo-Zuri lures. The mackerel will come up and take these, and you can have a lot of fun trolling them.

Question: What else do you catch beside king mackerel when you fish for them like you've mentioned?
Answer: We'll catch tuna, red snapper, an occasional cobia and many of the other pelagic species.

Question: In a day of fishing -- both on the bottom and for king mackerel -- what should a party expect to catch in a 6- to an 8-hour trip?
Answer: Anglers can expect to take 12- to 15-keeper snapper, five or six king mackerel, possibly one or two mangrove snapper, bonita and occasionally a grouper.

To learn more about Captain Mike Parker's charter-boat fishing, call (877) 827-7667, or visit the www.destincharterboats.com website.

TOMORROW: Captain Parker's Grouper Fishing Tactics