Downriggers are important for successful Kingfishing. Dave uses two downriggers - one on each side of his boat - that are staggered 15 to 20 feet above the ocean floor using a six pound downrigger ball or fish weight on each.

High-speed planers can be used in lieu of downriggers. This less expensive method requires a little bit of math as planers cannot be dialed in like downriggers. But once you've learned the techniques, you'll find that planers can be just as effective as downriggers.

Both methods work by bringing the bait down the water column and adding a different presentation to the bait spread which entices larger fish to strike.