CAROLINA WRECK FISHING

The Crystal Coast of North Carolina holds plenty of salty maritime lore, after all, Blackbeard’s shipwreck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge was discovered here. With myriad shipwrecks and hard glacial rock outcroppings lining the coast, there’s plenty of habitat for opportunity targeting wreck beasties. I jumped on with Captain Stewart Merritt of Salt Air Ventures […]

The Crystal Coast of North Carolina holds plenty of salty maritime lore, after all, Blackbeard’s shipwreck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge was discovered here. With myriad shipwrecks and hard glacial rock outcroppings lining the coast, there’s plenty of habitat for opportunity targeting wreck beasties. I jumped on with Captain Stewart Merritt of Salt Air Ventures and Wayne Justice of the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores this past week to ply some of the rocky ledges.We were equipped with Shakespeare Tiger Stik rods and Penn 113 reels spooled with 65-pound Power Pro Braided line. Rigs were made of 130-pound test monofilament in a dropper style with a large 300-pound Barrel swivel to a dropper with 16-ounce bank sinker, then on the tag end was crimped a size 10/0 Gamakatsu Circle Hook.Baits were of live pinfish, frozen sardines and Spanish mackerel heads. Fishing in 65 to 115 feet of water , the hits kept on coming. Punishing pounds on bottom brought us up some fine gag grouper in the 10 to 15-pound class, 30-pound Almaco jacks, Greater Amberjacks, black sea bass, and quality red snapper that had to be released but were nonetheless fun to fight. One drop Justice hauled in a massive Stingray from the depths, but it came with a surprise as two 8-pound class cobia followed it up. With a bit of quick thinking I grabbed a Spro bucktail tipped with A Band of Anglers Dartspin and cast right past the stingray. The flash of the Dartspin’s tail blade was too much to resist for the cobia and the hook came tight with a spirited battle.NC wreck beasts remind me of when doing battle with large blackfish, as after the hook is set, you need to quickly raise the rod and reel the fish up out of the wreck before he gets a chance to bulldog you back down into the structure which eventually leads to a cut or stuck line. High speed reels are most definitely preferred. By day’s end on the Crystal Coast, we filled the fishbox with gags, sea bass, triggerfish and cobia. Anyone searching for logistics to a southern wreck fight should check out www.emeraldislerealty.com and www.crystalcoastnc.com. Please, only serious wreck fishermen apply! [vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6226,6225'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">

NORTHEAST BOTTOM BRAWL

Some serious cooler-filling type of fishing has descended upon the New Jersey/New York Metro region. I hopped on the party boat Dauntless out of Point Pleasant, NJ this past week on word that the bottomfishing has been lights out. It most certainly was. On tap were a smorgasbord of species, highlighted by red hake, (aka […]

Some serious cooler-filling type of fishing has descended upon the New Jersey/New York Metro region.I hopped on the party boat Dauntless out of Point Pleasant, NJ this past week on word that the bottomfishing has been lights out. It most certainly was. On tap were a smorgasbord of species, highlighted by red hake, (aka ling), cod, winter flounder and black sea bass. When I say it was drop-and-reel fishing, that’s no exaggeration.Bottomfishing weaponry came in the form of Shimano Teramar TMCE70MH rods and Shimano Torium 16 reels, spooled with 50-pound Power Pro and a 8 foot top shot of 40-pound Triplefish leader. Ammunition came in the form of size 2/0 to 3/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks, rigged with Berkeley Gulp! 3-inch swimming Mullets and 2-inch Gulp! Alive Minnows as well as fresh clam baits cut in 1-inch pieces doused with FinEssence shrimp oil. 1-inch bits of clam claimed all the ling we could handle, while Gulp! Swimmin Minnows attracted most of the sea bass bites.After swinging and missing on some rat-a-tat hits, I scaled down my baits to using clam ribbon strips and proceeded to connect with some absolutely huge winter flounder up to 5 pounds. To that mix were a couple of just keeper cod caught on the boat. All said and done, the cooler was filled with over 60 fish to bring home for fillets. Most of the action on keeper sea bass, flounder and ling started in about 85 feet of water but then we ended the day in about 140 feet where the ling were thick as thieves.On any bottomfishing day out, be sure to bring along a throwaway cloth rag as baits and ling can get really sloppy and slimy. As well, a pair of Calcutta Needlenose pliers or a Dehooker makes for fast unfastening of fish either to return back to the water or into the cooler. If you want to fill the fridge with fillets for summer Bar-B-Ques, now’s the time. [vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6213,6214'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">

The Early Bird Beats the Heat

Ask a group of fishermen in South Florida about their favorite time of year to fish and the majority will say summer. Now, it’s not quite summer yet, but it’s aaallllmoooost heeeerrreee….and I can’t wait. It goes like this, the winds start laying down, schools of bait start to show up and bigger fish show […]

Ask a group of fishermen in South Florida about their favorite time of year to fish and the majority will say summer.
Now, it’s not quite summer yet, but it’s aaallllmoooost heeeerrreee....and I can’t wait. It goes like this, the winds start laying down, schools of bait start to show up and bigger fish show up to eat them. Find the bait and you find the fish, pretty basic stuff!!For the inshore guys, snook and tarpon become the main focus. Both species love the heat and humidity and are usually very willing to eat over the next several months with snook being less moody than the tarpon. I do prefer live bait over artificials for both near more populated areas, these are fish that see a lot more anglers and are much more cautious. I will generally use undersized strong hooks 1/0-3/0 circles for snook and 3/0-5/0 circles for the tarpon, along with 30-40lb fluorocarbon leader in the cleaner water near the coast and bump it up a little when fishing darker water further inshore. Mullet and pilchards make up the majority of the live bait used and are usually readily available for those who can throw a cast net.If you are lucky enough to fish some of our more remote areas, then lures, soft plastics, jigs and flies all work well. These would be fish along the southwest coast into Everglades National Park, areas of the Keys and some of the lightly traveled bays and rivers away from suburbia. Remote areas are fun because they are great for surface plugs or soft plastics with much more aggressive fish and very few if any other boaters. If you find yourself fishing these areas without a guide, fish as if you were looking for freshwater bass, snook feeding habits are very similar. They love structure and the edges of current.For you offshore guys/gals, you need not be jealous of the inshore action, the Mahi are ready to roll all along the south east coast and the Keys. Many will just troll until something hits, but I will either free line live baits along the drop offs (150-300 ft of water) or take the “run and gun” approach and look for birds, bait or debris. Once any of these are located, I will troll the immediate area until we get a take down. Tuna and false albacore are very common with both methods of Mahi fishing but I will have one lure further back then all the others, which usually takes the tuna. Once you find Mahi, you tend to catch a lot in a short amount of time, so be mindful of how much meat you actually need and let a bunch go for next time.People tend to stay away from South Florida during the summer, but the locals know it’s the best time to fish. Fish early or late if you don’t want to cook and enjoy the spoils of your labors on the end of the line.Until next time,Capt Mike Haines 305-505-2772[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid grid_id='vc_gid:1560795236083-4a08537a-79cc-10' include='6199,6201,6202'][/vc_column] " target="_blank">

TROLLING BLUEFIN TUNA

If you haven’t heard, bluefin tuna fishing off Jersey has been absolutely bananas. In an incredible early start to the season, BFT catches from 12 to 40 miles out on fish between 30 to 450, yes 450, pounds are making daily headlines. I recently ventured out on the Fortunate Son with Chris Driscoll to get […]

If you haven’t heard, bluefin tuna fishing off Jersey has been absolutely bananas. In an incredible early start to the season, BFT catches from 12 to 40 miles out on fish between 30 to 450, yes 450, pounds are making daily headlines.I recently ventured out on the Fortunate Son with Chris Driscoll to get on the troll for the BFT’s, and we decked two unders at 45 inches each going roughly 50 to 60 pounds, and also released two others in roughly 6 hours time. While active casting and chunk baiting has its place, right now the troll has been hot for hooking BFT.Our spread generally consists of wide tracking spreader bars, black/purple, pink, and rainbow squid color patterns with a jet trailing. As well are deployed three Ballyhoo baits rigged on blue/white and pink/white Joe Shute skirts and two Cedar plugs on the flat lines in the wash. Trolling speed is at 5.5 to 7 knots and we mainly had hits going downcurrent.Right now, water temperatures are ranging from 63 to 66 degrees in most spots. Look for temperature breaks and work ledges, edges and lumps, stitching over contour lines and flats to find fish hanging in the upwelling currents. As tuna right now in Jersey can hit 400 pounds plus, you do not want to be undergunned. Troll with Shimano Tiagra 50 wides and Shimano Tallus stand up rods.When landing fish with bulkier trolling gear, the end game is of utmost importance. Streamline your process with proper methods. When you get the word of “Color!” the angler will reel the spreader bar to where the spreader bar will exit the water halfway, then steps backward, backing off the drag as the wire man grabs the leader. After the wireman has control of the fish at boatside, the gaff man sinks the point into the head area of the tuna, where a back up gaff can be deployed if necessary. For ultimate success, the captain will always position the boat with the tuna alongside port or starboard, never behind the engines or near the bow.Get your game face on, know the plan beforehand and get in on this sick Garden State BFT bite! [vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6194,6190'][/vc_column] " target="_blank">

BLACK DRUM BRIGADE

With a new moon passing on June 3rd, black drum will be on the chew in Jersey and Delaware spots like Delaware Bay, Great Bay and Brigantine as they move in to finish up their spawning season. Generally, boomers will follow channels that are cut into flats-related areas, following the tides and currents to feed […]

With a new moon passing on June 3rd, black drum will be on the chew in Jersey and Delaware spots like Delaware Bay, Great Bay and Brigantine as they move in to finish up their spawning season.Generally, boomers will follow channels that are cut into flats-related areas, following the tides and currents to feed upon mussels and clams that get funneled through the underwater superhighway. Once you’ve found your hot spot, anchor up and get ready for battle. Before you do anything, start chumming. Drum can be trained like big old bloodhound dogs and if you get a good trail scent going, they’ll follow it right in. Fresh clams or mussels are the primo baits to attract the broomtailed battlers, and any trip out should start by sending down two chumpots off the bow filled with fresh clams and clam juice up.Rods and reels need to be pretty beefy as the barrel-chested brutes can really use their weight to their advantage. In the old days, Penn Tuna Sticks were the standard, but you can go with Shimano Tallus TLC66MHBBL rods matched with Shimano TLD 25 reels, spooled with 65-pound braided Power Pro line. Rigs are of the fishfinder variety, meaning a sliding sinker clip with 3 to 6-ounce bank sinker, a 130-pound Spro Barrel Swivel, 36-inch section of 80-pound SeaGuar fluorocarbon leader and a size 10/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hook on the business end. Bait up with big ol’ Surf Turkey gobs of fresh clam, loading up the hook, but be sure to pierce the point out so it can find its purchase on a hookset.When a black drum takes the bait, the clicker goes off and makes that heart-stopping sound. Don’t set the hook just yet. Drum notoriously sniff around and mouth baits for a few moments before getting the thing down their throat. Sometimes the drum will even play with the bait for a little bit, continually peeling off little sections of line but not committing. Let them run with it until it’s a steady pull 5 to 7 count. Engage the reel and the circle hook will do its job.Black drum are night owls by nature. Though they can be taken during morning and daytime hours, the best time to hear the drum go boom is from 5PM onward into sunset – and it doesn’t stop there. As soon as the stars come out, drum tend to get even friskier and the bite lasts solid and strong usually up until the midnight hour.Big boomer drum can really put up a tussle and behemoths that push the 100-pound mark are not rare in Delaware Bay, with average sizes in the 40 to 80-pound range. Generally, black drum over 30 pounds are not good eating, so be sure to release the beasts! Enjoy the battle.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6180,6181'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">