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Is it pretty common to have kings hanging out under the spanish and bonita that are chaseing?????


We left the dock, in The Little Tramp, at sunrise out of Lanark. It was just random beater chop all the way to K. We picked up some pins and one hardtail at Dog Island Reef and headed to K. We were the only ones there for an hour or so picked up an AJ and then proceeded to feed the kings. I was rigged for AJs and had three poles out with fluro leaders holding two pins and a large hardtail. The pole on the back right sounded a very short zing, followed by the middle ones short zing and then the hardtail started dancing around before zinging its short death knell, followed by the biggest king I have seen jumping a foot or two out of the water just behind the boat. I guess he was just saying thank you for the grub. We then switched to wire leaders but had no luck. We spent the rest of the afternoon chasing schools of spanish and bonita around large patches of floating weed and having great luck with small silver spoons. We dropped down to the bottom under the schools with bottom rigs and hooked on king that got cut off at the boat. I have only been fishing out here for a couple of years so I am still pretty new to the game.
Is that pretty common, kings hanging out under the spanish and bonita?????

I would expect any toothy pelagic to be around bait offshore but I don't have a lot experience with critters out there. That said, I have a plan to go out of Lanark Wednesday and Kings are the target. Your report is encouraging. Anybody else that can add some current info would be appreciated.
I also have an official academic reason to bring back a decent size shark so suggestions on where and how to do that would be appreciated.

What size shark are you targeting?

The spanish and the bonita were feeding on one to two inch bait but I never got a really good look at them to see exactly what they were. I would imagine that bonita and spanish would be about the right size for the kings? I have just never used either of them for king bait, they may work???

Chewy- Yes, there are kings mixed in with the spaniards and needers. Sounds like you had the bait figured for them, just having a hard time getting one hooked right. When this happens to me, I first try some 125 lb mono. I have found this to be just about enough. You will be cut off now and then, but many more hits than straight wire. If the mono is still being cut too often for you, then try a really short (6-12") piece of really light coffee colored wire. If you are using the broomstick tackle, back way off the drag and sharpen the hooks.

Littoral- Umm, it's a bit far from you, but there always seems to be a large bull shark or two hanging around Cedar Key #B. I say this with 100% sight seen account on two different (and only) spearfishing trips. When you clear them out, please let me know as there is more than one really nice gag that is dying to eat some spring steel....

Thanks nautigator,
I appreciate the advice. I will give that a try.

this info may be too late, but one of the biggest tiger sharks i have ever seen was at lanark right out in front of the lab there in 2 to 3 ft of water the week before scallop season opened 2 years ago. we were in a 16 ft lowe john and he came right up to the boat to look at us and swear a foot was hanging out of both ends of the boat. we got back to the yacht club and told the guy at the register and his response was showing us a picture of a guy that had a 125 - 150lb. tarpon on and bit clean in half right behind the Gill plate. the only other place i have seen a shark of this caliber was on the discovery channel. needless to say my days of scalloping ended 2 years ago!!!!!!!