Smart kingfishermen also have frozen baits on board, as well as Sabiki rigs - just in case. Heavier tackle will spook the biggest kings, and horsing one in will only draw more attention to its plight. B. Perhaps, but you're likely to find 'cudas wherever you find good kingfish structure and bait. Besides, you should never leave an area where you're catching fish. You may land a few more kings by putting out more baits, but you'll sacrifice a lot of fish in the process.
Kings are well down the predator chain on reefs teeming with 'cudas, sharks and giant amberjacks.
Therefore, kings often take up station over the open areas between reef structures. They're close enough to bait schools to dart in for a meal, yet are not prey to the bigger predators. The darkened shrimp boat, its crew now asleep, most likely anchored well after dawn, having dumped its bycatch while underway. Therefore, it could not attract kings. You can assume that the shrimp boat with its floodlights on has anchored while it was still dark, so there is a good chance that its discarded bycatch has had a chance to attract kings.