According to Capt. Dennis Goldstein, school-sized king mackerel are abundant this month around wrecks off St. Augustine Inlet. Photo by Rod Hunter.

Sunshine State anglers don't lack for saltwater fishing opportunities. That's true any month of the year, but as we move into the early summer, things get truly bountiful. Warming waters and increasing baitfish numbers make it hard to go wrong in just about any water that even tastes salty!

But some places are better than others -- especially if you're targeting a particular species of fish. Some spots around the coast are legendary, but you needn't fish well-known waters to enjoy success. In fact, some lesser-known waters may actually provide a better option.

Here's a look at five spots -- including a few you may not have read much about -- where it's hard to go wrong this month. Let's start in northeast Florida and work our way around the coast.

ST. AUGUSTINE KINGS
If king mackerel are your target you won't go wrong if you head out the St. Augustine Inlet. Once you do, you have two productive options.

"June is the month when the shrimp boats are allowed to drag within a mile of the beach," explained Capt. Dennis Goldstein, who has been guiding on these waters for over 25 years. "That activity, and the by-catch, along with big schools of migrating menhaden creates a big buffet and draws a lot of fish. Among them will be big smoker kings."

Twenty pounds is an average beach king, and fish to 50 pounds are taken every year. The majority of these mackerel are in 20 to 50 feet of water, and within a mile of the beach. On a calm day -- of which there are many in June -- that opens the door to boats as small as 14 feet.

The most effective technique for beach smokers is to slow troll a live menhaden. The first step is to find a pod of the baitfish, which are also called pogies, and cast net supply. These need to be held in a circular livewell, since pogies stack up in the corners of a square tank and die.

Once bait is secured the preferred rigging is a 6-foot monofilament leader, to which is attached a 2- or 3-foot, dark-colored wire leader of either 27- or 40-pound test. To the business end of that, a 1/0 short-shanked bronze bait hook is wired on, while a No. 4 or No. 6, 4X strong treble hook is added to a 6-inch piece of wire attached through the eye of the first hook. This is allowed to dangle freely alongside the bait and acts as a stinger hook to nail those kings that cut the bait in half. The initial hook is inserted in the nose of the pogy.

The rig is best fished on a 6 1/2- to 7-foot soft-tipped rod with either a spinning or trolling reel sporting 20-pound line.

Outriggers are nice if you want to run a spread of rods, but a pair of flat lines is all that is needed. One should be set 20 feet back in the prop wash while the other can run 75 to 150 feet behind that.