Kingfish Have Arrived in St. Pete Beach!

Kingfish Have Arrived in St. Pete Beach!

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The peak of the Kingfish fishing season is here in St. Pete Beach, FL! Many of our recent fishing charter guests have got their hands on these beautiful, fun and delicious King Mackerel.

That’s because water temperatures are rising, sending migrations to Tampa and the surrounding areas. We’re hyped to get our hands on some big catches this year.

How to Book a Kingfish Fishing Charter in St. Pete Beach

If you’re interested, we recommend advance booking as spaces are going fast. Families, friends, groups and individuals are all welcome to join us. Regardless of your age and experience, we’d love to help make your own private fishing charter dream come true. Whether you’re trying to get a personal-best sized Kingfish or want to experience your first Kingfish in the boat, we can help make it happen!

You can call us at (727) 433-4200 or simply fill out our online St. Pete Beach fishing charter booking form here.

We guarantee a catch! Let’s go!

Kingfish St. Pete Beach Fishing Charter Report

As spring arrives in St. Pete Beach, bigger species are making their arrival. We’ve seen Cobia, Tuna, Tarpon and now, Kingfish!

Tarpon bite is still hot and is one of our most popular requests. We’ve only got a few spaces left! As the water temperatures increase, the hungry Silver Kings will be providing plenty of hookups each day. They’re all about heart-pounding action, with dramatic leaps and jaw-dropping fights.

Inshore and nearshore fishing excursions are great fun in March, April and May. Not only will we most likely encounter King fish and Tarpon, but we’ll see more and more Redfish, Snook, Trout and Cobia. Further offshore will provide plenty of Grouper, Snapper, Mahi Mahi and maybe even Sailfish in the deeper waters!

But we’re all hyped for King Mackerel this month!

While the Kingfish fishing season in St. Pete Beach varies, there is no closed season – we find them from January to December. But, April to October is the high season! So if you’ve been waiting to land those blue beauties, then the time has come!

What Makes Kingfish So Great?

King Mackerel (A.K.A “Kingfish”) has a beautifully streamlined body with a tapered head. They have a distinct blueish, greenish, silvery shine that takes your breath away once they surface.

They also tend to have big, wide eyes and can weigh 50 pounds plus! On average, we’ll catch around 5-20 pounders. But we dare you to impress us with a bigger catch!

Kingfish usually require some patience before you get a bite, but they’re great fun once the fight is on! We guarantee you’ll come away smiling once you hook up to one of these legends of the Gulf.

What to Know Before You Go on a Kingfish Fishing Charter

Kingfish fishing charters can last anywhere from a few hours to a full day. This means you’ll be spending a lot of time on the water and will need to prepare in advance. You’ll need to have:

  • Appropriate footwear (something that will keep you from slipping)
  • Clothing for the hot weather but potentially cooler winds
  • Shades
  • A hat to shield you from the sun
  • Sunscreen
  • Some snacks and drinks (that can be stored in our onboard cooler).

Read our full ‘what to pack for a fishing charter’ guide here.

When Is The Best Time to Catch Kingfish in St. Pete Beach?

Spring and fall are considered the best times to go fishing for Kingfish in St. Pete Beach – with high season from April till June and Thanksgiving until around Christmas.

Where Is The Best Place to Catch Kingfish in St. Pete Beach?

The best way of knowing when and where to catch Kingfish is to track water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico. Kingfish love waters that are around 68-72 degrees. Any high or lower Kingfish will migrate to other areas.

Your next criteria is to go wherever the most bait is. Usually, we’ll find a lot of bait near hard bottoms, passes or even near St. Pete Beach itself.

Here, Kingfish love to generally spend their time off the beaches, piers or chasing schools of baitfish in deeper waters.

You can also look out for birds diving into the Gulf to feed on baitfish. Birds like Pelicans are great indicators of where the surface bait is. Bait comes to the surface when there’s a predator below. And the predators in this instance are Kingfish!

Our Captains know exactly where the current Kingfish hotspots are and will take you to them on our private Kingfish fishing charters!

How Do Kingfish React When They Bite?

Kingfish are great fun. When they hit your line, you’ll feel it! They don’t take little nibbles. They’ll send your reel screaming! Patience is required here. We often let the rod do the work until the initial run slows down. If you react too quickly and aggressively, you might tear the hook out of the fish’s mouth and never see him surface.

What Gear Is Best for Catching Kingfish?

Kingfish are equipped with nasty, razor-sharp teeth. So we always use gear that can withstand their aggressive bites. Lots of spool capacity is required alongside good reeling power!

Kingfish are also addicted to Blue Runners. Spoons, jigs and large fish plugs also lure them in and bait such as Sardines does well. We will catch live baitfish on our journey to the current hot spots during our Kingfish fishing charters in St. Pete Beach.

Can You Eat Kingfish in Florida?

Yes! Whether you catch or release your Kingfish is up to you. But these fish are known for being delicious and also are perfect for smoking over a live fire and ending up as filets or a killer fish spread.

They’re packed with meat and can be freshly prepared at various restaurants around St. Pete Beach. However, children and pregnant women should not eat Kingfish due to high mercury levels.

What’s the Kingfish Catch Record in Florida?

The Florida and World record Kingfish catch is currently 97.8 lbs in 2020, off Fort Lauderdale!

St. Pete Beach Kingfish Fishing Season Chart

Month Fishing Quality
Janurary Weak
February Weak
March Great
April Excellent
May Great
June Fair
July Fair
August Fair
September Good
October Excellent
September Good
October Excellent
November Great
December Weak

Book a Kingfish Fishing Charter in St. Pete Beach This Spring!

If you’d like to go on a Kingfish fishing charter in St. Pete Beach during this spring’s high season, then give us a call or text at: (727) 433-4200

YACHTFISH knows all the hotspots for catching these delicious fish and would love to get your hands on them.

Book your charter with YACHTFISH today to have the adventure of a lifetime. We guarantee a catch!

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About the Author...
Matt Douglas

Matt Douglas

Captain Matt Douglas is the founder of YACHTFISH and is a licensed United States Coast Guard 100 ton Master Captain. Captain Matt grew up on the waters of Tampa Bay and lived and worked in Costa Rica for over 11 years. He has extensive experience in Central America, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Florida. Captain Matt is a tournament-winning captain who has an intense passion for boating, fishing and creating life time memories for his Clients. These passions, combined with his experience, were the catalysts for YACHTFISH. Captain Matt is laser-focused on what he enjoys the most, and knows the best, in Tampa Bay and Costa Rica.
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EPIC trip! We booked the 6-hour shark option out of St. Petersburg. Capt. Nick Diaz was excellent! We ended up with a giant Hammerhead Shark just shy of 10ft. That's exactly what we were hoping for!! Dragged her around from the boat for a while and then got her up... read more
Courtney McCord Avatar
Great day out on the water. Captain Patrick and Sam were dialed into the "secret spots" to fish as they grew up fishing these waters. We all had fun! Caught Trout, Snook, & Grouper
Nicole Metropulos Avatar
We had a great time. Captain Jessie was great. He really knew where the fish were
Nathan Danielson Avatar
My grandson is 13 and loves to fish. He took this Charter and had the time of his life. He caught a couple shark Stingray and some good eating fish. It was a lifetime experience for him and he would do it all over again. Pat and Sam took great... read more
Barb Szpara Avatar
Absolutely Amazing time I’ve been on lots of charters from Alaska to Florida . Captain Patrick and captain Sam worked so hard to get us on fish will Absolutely book again . You can tell they love to fish like fishing with buddy’s
Joe Christiansen Avatar
Captain Nick was awesome!! He went out of his way to make sure my wife and I had a good time
Jared Anderson Avatar
Took my son on charter while down for spring break. Awesome trip with captain Ethan. What a world class experience. Non stop action and would definitely recommend.
Sean Leininger Avatar
We had a great inshore trip with Ethan on 3/14/23. We didn’t spend the entire trip driving around and caught fish wherever we were. Personally, I think these trips are best when you have a captain that’s vocal and interactive. One that wants to have... read more
Wayne Webb Avatar
Patrick and Sam were awesome. Got us in the fish in no time. They were more than accommodating, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. There were 5 of us on the boat besides them and everyone spent ample time reeling in the fish. Easily caught our limit. Thank again Patrick and Sam.... read more
Steve Lambert Avatar
Had a great day on the water. The boat was first class and offered a smooth ride. Our guide Martin was very knowledgeable and worked hard to get us on some fish.
scott smith Avatar