Few fish test tackle like the yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi). Fast, brutal and forever diving for structure, “kings” are one of the most addictive sportfish on the Australian coast — and they’re found right around the southern half of the country.
Where to find them
Kingfish range from southern Queensland down through NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, with strong populations along the WA coast. They hold tight to structure: reefs, wrecks, FADs, headlands, bommies and deepwater wharves.
Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and the Hawkesbury are iconic kingfish water year-round; Port Stephens and the Central Coast fire on offshore reefs and FADs; Bermagui and Eden hold quality fish through summer and autumn; and the Tasmanian east coast has produced trophy fish as stocks push south. Over west, Rottnest Island is a deepwater-jig favourite.
How to catch one
Kings respond to live baits (yellowtail, squid, slimy mackerel), fast-retrieved stickbaits and poppers, and deep mechanical jigs over reef and wrecks. The hook-up is the easy part — the moment one loads up it’ll try to bury you in the structure, so heavy drag and quick hands win. Hooked, lost, and hooked again is the kingfish story.
Wear the kingy
For the jig-and-cast crowd who keep going back for another arm-stretching, The Kingy carries embroidered yellowtail kingfish artwork on a breathable mesh-back trucker cap built for long days on the water. More iconic king water in Sydney Harbour & the Hawkesbury.