Qatar Sea Angling Association
Tackle, Equipment & What to catch
BARRACUDA
6ft solid glass boat rod, strong Penn or similar trolling reel with 250m 65lb braid on backing line full spools are good (less cranking). Good strong lures will increase your chances of hanging onto a good sized barracuda. Try tested brands like Rapala and Abu Garcia they perform well and are great performers time and again. Lures take a good gouging every time a sport fish clamps those teeth into it. Inspect your lures regularly for damage and replace them. After each session wash your gear with freshwater and use a good spray of WD40 on them to prolong life and inhibit rust. Sharpen hooks regularly, and discard lures which are weak and well worn.
Simple Barracuda Rig
Your main line tied off to a stainless barrel swivel, to 6-8 inch flasher, then to 18inch 40lb wire to detachable lure, fish short or long 3-7 boat lengths at 5.5 knots or less. A down rigger may be needed.
Often also fished without the flasher, remember to alternate those lures if the fishing is slow. Supplement lure with fresh fish fillet if you have them and reduce trolling speed a couple of knots.
Your main line tied off to a stainless barrel swivel, to 6-8 inch flasher, then to 18inch 40lb wire to detachable lure, fish short or long 3-7 boat lengths at 5.5 knots or less. A down rigger may be needed.
Often also fished without the flasher, remember to alternate those lures if the fishing is slow. Supplement lure with fresh fish fillet if you have them and reduce trolling speed a couple of knots.
KINGFISH - the adrenalin junkies favorite!
The king mackerel is a slender, streamlined fish, slightly flattened from side to side with a tapered head. Its color ranges from an iridescent bluish green on its back to its silvery sides. Two dorsal fins can fold back in to a groove to enhance speed, short pectoral fins on each side just behind the head; pelvic fins below the pectorals and a row of small finlets extend from the dorsal and anal fins to the tail. The lateral line starts near the top of each gill drops sharply below the second dorsal fin and ends near the tail. The mackerels are true members of the tuna family. Although the Kings don’t have the endurance of the tuna, they are unmatched for their speed and agility.
King mackerel are constantly feeding carnivores that can attack with high speed, powerful jaws and razor-like teeth. They feed on all and any available food but favor jacks, sea trout, sardine like fishes, ribbon fish, herring, shrimp and squid.
King mackerel are a highly sought after game fish. They are a challenging catch that puts up a spectacular fight by leaping and sky rocketing out of the water. They are taken on hook and line gear with both live or dead bait and artificial lures. They can be caught from shore or pier, from a boat at anchor, drifting or trolling. Some of the baits used are herring, Spanish sardine, ballyhoo, mullet, etc. Lures that have shown to be productive are spoons, jigs and other flashy sub-surface lures or large fish like plugs and muppets
Fishing gear should be no less than 20kg line and tackle. Higher rated tackle may be recommended if you are targeting larger kings. Usually a heavier wire or mono leader is required to survive those sharp teeth.
Kingfish live bait rigs to try
This is the largest member of the mackerel family and is the infamous "King Mackerel". Often called kingfish or just kings, these are one of the fastest line spooling fish in the ocean for it's size. While it's not as hard fighting fish like a tuna, a king mackerel will spool off 150 meters of line faster than you can fart and get the rod out of the holder, thus the name smoker kingfish for those sizable kings that dump spools and leave you holding an empty reel and a smoking thumb that tried to put the brakes on. King Mackerel is the most consistent fighting offshore game fish around Qatar. Its high speed takes and adrenalin inducing runs bring both excitement and apprehension. This hard fighting warrior will make you sweat for each one you catch.
Kingfish balloon rig
This simple and effective rig allows you to drift several baits to varying distances from your boat. Use in conjunction with a chum net bag or bucket. Plenty of oily sardines or similar chopped up with some fish blood if you can get it. Boost chum volumes with cheap fish flavoured cat food and bread crumbs to bring in the bait fish for netting and for the kings to get excited about!