The king mackerel (Scomberomerus cavalla) is one of the most prized recreational game fish in the Gulf of Mexico.

From 1998 to 2008 the National Marine Fisheries Service’s recreational fishing survey showed that 11 million pounds of king mackerel were landed in Alabama. For the same time period 71 million pounds of king were landed for all Gulf States.

The king mackerel has a long slim body with almost flat sides and is the largest of the mackerel family in the Gulf. It can reach over six feet in length and weigh in excess of 100 pounds. The king mackerel ranges from New England down to Brazil and into the Gulf of Mexico where it’s plentiful in the summer months.

King mackerel are equipped with long, sharp pointed teeth, which it uses to catch its prey. Adults feed on jacks and big herrings while the younger fish go for smaller prey like sardines.

Kings spawn from late in the spring through summer months over the continental shelf. A female king is able to lay from 50,000 to several million eggs in one spawning season.

The kings don’t travel in large schools like Spanish mackerel but prefer small groups. While the Spanish can be caught right off the beach, kings like water that is a bit deeper. This is not to say that you can’t catch one off the state pier on your luckiest day. Given that they like sardines, herrings and jacks for their prey you can catch them with shiny live bait or a silver spoon.

Many anglers unfamiliar with methods of species identification often mistake a Spanish mackerel for a king.

When they’re young both may have yellow spots on their sides but the give away is the lateral line. A lateral line of scales runs down both sides of these fish and in the king mackerel it dips deeply when it passes the dorsal fin.

In the Spanish mackerel it curves under the second dorsal fin. In fish identification classes we’re taught that ‘a Chevy is still a Chevy no matter what the color.’ Do not be mislead by color or what you think it looks like.

When you are confused over the identification of a fish, rely on key indicators like the lateral line, fin position and the hard and soft fin ray counts. There are several good field guides to marine fish of the Gulf of Mexico to help you along.

Be sure and check the state and federal sport fishing regulations before you head out to fish. You can contact the Alabama Conservation Department’s Marine Resources Division in Gulf Shores for this regulation information. Given the popularity of king mackerel it has been closely regulated over the last several years and there are number and length limits.

Think Global — Act Local!

Dr. Lazauski can be seen on his television show “Eco-Bites”, which airs on Mediacom’s channel 14 and Smartel’s channel 4. To reach Dr. Lazauski for questions and comments, send e-mails to IchiOrca@yahoo.com. For more information, see his Web site, drskiponline.com.