Introduction

Kingfish are one of, if not the most sought-after recreational sportfish in Australia. Unlike their pelagic counterparts, such as Spanish Mackerel up north and Bluefin Tuna down south, they are readily available and accessible in our harbours and bays along the majority of the Australian East Coast, making them one of the most popular fish targeted by recreational anglers every year.

Sydney Harbour Overview

Sydney Harbour is the epicentre of Kingfish fishing in NSW, and ever since it was made a recreational fishing haven in February 2006, it has become a utopia for recreational anglers. Part of Sydney Harbour’s reputation as one of the best Kingfish fisheries in Australia comes down to its geography. Being a flooded river valley, it is home to steep drop-offs, deep channels and, more recently, countless sunken boat wrecks, along with thousands of moorings and pontoons. These provide habitat and food for smaller fish, which Kingfish prey upon.

There is a common misconception that Kingfish are a seasonal species in Sydney; however, they are actually present year-round, with the bigger fish turning up in the colder months and large numbers of rat Kingfish flooding the Harbour during summer.

Collecting Bait

Bait collection is the absolute key to becoming consistently successful when targeting Kingfish and is paramount to all forms of fishing, whether you're land-based or fishing from a boat.

The easiest baitfish to access is the Yellowtail Scad (Yakka), they are plentiful but aren’t the “best” bait. That being said, they still work, and sometimes, when it's all you can get, they can be a great option. However, nine times out of ten they will be outfished by almost any other typical livebait.

Yellowtail can be collected from almost any wharf or pontoon in the Harbour, as well as most wrecks and reefs. Catching Yellowtail land-based is heavily centred around first and last light, requiring either an early wake-up or significant pre-session preparation to ensure you arrive armed with a bucket or bait tank full of livebait.

The easiest way to target them is with a Sabiki rig and a small amount of bread and pilchard burley — just enough to get them into a frenzy. The idea is to have them so fired up that you won’t even need to bait the hooks.

Slimy Mackerel are a significantly better livebait, and targeting them is essentially the same process. Usually, the smaller bite-sized Slimies make a much better livebait for the Harbour than the larger models that occasionally turn up in the burley trail.

The most effective live finfish by far is the Garfish, and it ranks alongside Squid and Cuttlefish in terms of effectiveness. Targeting Garfish is most productive along the edge of a sand flat, preferably one with a healthy population of string weed that the Garfish feed amongst. They are best targeted with a small piece of prawn, no bigger than a pea, suspended 30–50cm under a pencil float with a size 12 hook.

Cephalopods (squid & cuttlefish) are a different game entirely and are by far the best possible bait in most situations. Calamari Squid are one of the more common livebaits and are relatively easy to collect during the summer months. They are best targeted around shallow-water kelp beds in the outer Harbour areas, from Little Manly to Elizabeth Bay and almost everywhere in between.

Calamari are best targeted using relatively large squid jigs, usually in sizes 2.5 and 3.0, worked slowly just above the kelp. Using a strong leader between 10lb and 20lb will help limit bust-offs in the kelp, allowing the squid jig to pull free when you get snagged.

There is realistically little difference between the effectiveness of Arrow Squid and Calamari; however, targeting them is completely different. Arrow Squid are best targeted in the deep-water channels and around moorings. Unlike Calamari, they usually won’t appear in shallow water during the daytime.

As a result, a paternoster rig with one or two squid jigs suspended 50–100cm above the sinker is the most effective technique. A simple lift-and-drop retrieve is usually enough to bring them in and trigger a bite.

Without a doubt, the best possible bait for Harbour Kingfish is the Common Cuttlefish. Cuttlefish are much more widespread than most people realise and, at certain times of year, can be caught along almost any shoreline from the upper reaches of Middle Harbour all the way up the Parramatta River.

Unlike Arrow Squid, Cuttlefish love structure. Pontoon pylons, tall weed and shallow rocky areas provide perfect habitat. Combine this with string weed or gravel and it is highly likely you’ll find them.

They are best targeted with a size 1.5 to 1.8 squid jig. Use a paternoster rig when targeting them in deeper water around the outer Harbour, or fish them weightless when working shallow shoreline structure.

Targeting Kingfish Land-Based

As a result of the extreme urbanisation of Sydney Harbour, land-based anglers have a huge range of available spots to target Kingfish. Essentially, anywhere featuring a steep drop-off into deep water combined with significant structure — whether that be moorings, pontoons or rocky underwater cliffs — is a great place to start.

That being said, Kingfish can be caught in almost any nook and cranny of the Harbour, and often you will find them in the most unlikely places.

It’s important to acknowledge that shallow-water Kingfish are generally much fussier than their deep-water counterparts. Many times, even if you are lucky enough to see fish cruising the surface, it is far from uncommon for them to completely ignore your lure or bait, so don’t be discouraged.

Bait fishing is usually the most effective technique for consistently catching Kingfish. The most common land-based rigs in the Harbour are the traditional float rig, running sinker rig and the most natural presentation of all — weightless.

My personal favourite is suspending a live finfish, preferably a Garfish or Slimy Mackerel, under a float. The vibrations given off by a live finfish tend to draw Kings into areas they otherwise may not enter, making them a more reliable livebait than Squid or Cuttlefish in many situations.

Additionally, finfish can usually be cast out without killing them, whereas Squid and Cuttlefish often die upon impact with the water. However, if the Kings are clearly active in the area, you simply can’t go past their favourite food — usually a lollipop-sized cephalopod.

A technique highly favoured by Land-Based Game (LBG) anglers is spinning dead Garfish. This combines the realism of bait fishing with the presentation advantages of lure fishing.

The rig for spinning Gar varies from angler to angler, but the simplest version consists of a large Octopus or Livebait hook paired with a small ball sinker and a squid skirt used to hold the Gar’s beak parallel to the hook shank.

The Gar is then cast out and retrieved back towards you, usually using large sweeping rod motions or an erratic fast wind to get the tail moving naturally.

Targeting Kingfish Off the Boat

Kingfish are one of the most sought-after species in Sydney Harbour and, as a result, you’ll often be competing with many other anglers, especially on weekends. Because of this, it is essential to separate yourself through both bait quality and presentation.

Downrigging is an extremely effective technique for catching Harbour Kingfish, allowing you to cover large amounts of water while presenting a moving bait, which is naturally more realistic than a stationary offering.

The Canon Downrigger 10 STX and the Scotty 1085 are among the most popular options used throughout the Harbour. The most important factor is ensuring your bait is positioned several metres away from the bomb so as not to spook fish.

That being said, the most common — and often equally effective — technique is simply running a ball sinker directly down to a livebait hook suited to the size of the bait.

Most Harbour bait fishing for Kingfish revolves around wrecks and pressure points in the upper Harbour, including Middle Harbour and the Parramatta River, along with outer Harbour reefs and channel markers.

The fish generally move further into Middle Harbour and the Parramatta River during the colder months before congregating in the outer Harbour throughout summer. However, this can vary from season to season.

Two of the most important techniques when a fish takes your bait are:

1. Never strike aggressively when using a livebait or circle hook, as this will often pull the hook straight out of the fish’s mouth.

2. Use the boat to drive fish away from structure if you hook a large one.

Losing too many fish around a school will often make the remaining fish spooky and cause them to move off the area.

One of the best aspects of Kingfish fishing in the Harbour is mobility. If you are not catching fish at one location, it’s important to move and try another area.

While tide and moon phase certainly affect fish activity and availability, current often plays a smaller role than many anglers perceive. If you are limited on time, focusing your efforts around tide changes is generally the most effective way to maximise bites.

That being said, earlier is almost always better, so try to secure your bait quickly and arrive at your chosen location before the crowds do.

Lures

The most popular and effective lure styles include Garfish imitations such as the ever-reliable Lunker City Slug-Go and the newer Daiwa Bait Junkie Gar.

These lures are best worked with a long sweeping retrieve, creating a sporadic tail action that imitates an injured or fleeing Garfish. They can be worked unweighted across the surface or allowed to sink before being jigged back upwards through the water column.

The most successful lure anglers in the Harbour consistently vary their retrieve styles to trigger bites.

Large poppers and stickbaits also have their place in the Harbour, particularly during periods of extremely low light and around channel markers or steep drop-offs.

Kingfish, however, are not limited to large presentations — especially when feeding on micro-bait, which commonly occurs between October and January.

When fish are slurping bait off the surface or slicing through schools of tiny baitfish, small paddletails such as the Z-Man Slim SwimZ and finesse surface lures like the Sugapen Splash become the go-to options, creating realistic imitations when the fish refuse anything larger than a few inches.

Gear and Tackle

When it comes to light-tackle lure fishing, a standard 7-foot 2–4kg rod paired with a 3000-size reel is usually the most suitable option and is more than capable of landing small to medium-sized fish. However, you may struggle significantly against larger models.

Finding the perfect balance between gear heavy enough to land fish and light enough to entice bites from fussy Harbour Kings can be difficult.

Off the boat, a PE4 to PE6 rod around 6 feet in length is an ideal option, paired with a 6000 to 8000-size reel spooled with 40lb to 50lb multicolour braid.

A great higher-end setup is the Shimano Grappler Type J PE5 paired with an 8000-size Twin Power loaded with 50lb Sufix multicolour braid.

Land-based setups are very similar, although replacing the Grappler with a longer rod in the 7–10ft range is advantageous. A great option is the Saltist Hyper 962, which provides enough casting distance to position large livebaits and lures effectively.

A 50lb leader is usually more than sufficient while still remaining thin enough to get bites in most situations. However, you may need to downsize your leader if the fish are especially fussy.

Hook selection is also integral. For Arrow Squid, Cuttlefish or small Calamari, a 4/0 or 5/0 Hoodlum hook is generally the best choice. If you intend to use larger livebaits, consider increasing your hook size accordingly.

Table Fare

Kingfish are an exceptional table fish when treated correctly. Bleeding the fish immediately and placing it on ice are essential steps in maximising eating quality.

While it is still generally not recommended to eat fish caught west of the Harbour Bridge, Kingfish move frequently throughout the system and are generally considered safe to eat.

Kingfish truly shine when prepared raw, with the shoulder loin being the most commonly used section for sashimi or ceviche.

Making full use of the fish helps reduce unnecessary harvest. The wings are spectacular when grilled, while the belly section is often the fattiest and most flavourful part of the fish.