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The Proper Rigging
Can't figure out how to rig up your tackle for kite fishing? The key is attaching an indicator on your line that will sit mid-air under the kite so you can quickly identify the location of each bait. They also quickly signal a bite. Here are the two dominant methods you'll find in south Florida.
The Palm Beach Ribbon
- Tie a short Bimini twist in your main line and then, using an Albright knot, attach 15' of 40-60lb leader material to your double line.
- Snell a circle hook onto the leader. I prefer using a nail knot that comes in through the hook's point side of the eye first.
- Knot a foot-long piece of orange surveyor's ribbon onto the main line in between the Albright and Bimini. This placement will help keep it from sliding up and down the line as it stops at each of the knots.
- If king mackerel are heavy in the area, attach the ribbon to a rubber band and then attach the rubber band to the line. This can help prevent losing sails to the sharp toothed kingfish eating the tape during the fight.
- Attach large split shot's onto the line 6-10 feet up the leader from the bait to keep it down in strong winds.
The Miami Bobber
- Slide a 2" Styrofoam float onto your main line. Red painted floats seem to be the most visible but some crews will use different colors to differentiate each bait. Annoying kingfish target these floats far less often than the surveyor's tape.
- Tie a short Bimini twist and using the double line tie a fisherman's knot directly to a small snap swivel.
- Windy conditions may require sliding on an inline sinker below the float to keep your baits under the kite.
- Rig up a 15' leader with a snelled circle hook on one end and a surgeon's loop or crimped loop on the other end to attach the leader to the snap swivel.
