Experienced sales professional David Alvarez serves as an area manager for ACell, Inc., in Tampa, Florida. At ACell, he leads a team that sells wound care and surgical products to medical professionals and organizations throughout Florida and southern Alabama. Outside of work, David Alvarez is an avid sport fisherman who enjoys pursuing kingfish.
Also called the king mackerel or the giant mackerel, the kingfish is a migratory species that lives in the western Atlantic Ocean in a range that runs from the US state of Maine to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During the winter months, many kingfish make their home in the waters surrounding South Florida, where they are a popular target of local anglers.
As a pelagic fish species, kings prefer spending their time in the open water at depths of 20 to 250 feet. Although they occasionally venture close to shore in pursuit of baitfish, they’re typically found in congregations near offshore structures such as natural and artificial reefs, shipwrecks, and deep ledges.
Anglers looking to land a kingfish can use a variety of methods including trolling, deep jigging, or drift fishing with live or artificial bait. Kings are particularly inclined to go after rigged live or natural bait, but they will also bite artificial lures that resemble their favorite food sources. Regardless of the bait, anglers should be sure to use a reel with high line capacity as kingfish can take out a lot of line when they are hooked.
