How to fish in salt water, Salt Water Fishing

Natural Baits and How to use them

2008-01-16T06:22:00.000-08:00

Although each year more and more salt-water anglers are using artificial lures, the great majority still depend on natural baits for their fishing.

Indeed, many salt-water fish will not take artificial lures, except on rare occasions, and must be tempted with live bait. This is especially true with respect to bottom fishing, which is the most popular form of salt-water angling, where many so-called game fish will often ignore artificial lures and can be taken only on natural bait. Even fish which strike on artificial lures readily have certain periods and conditions when they prefer live bait.

It is true that fishing with artificial lures is sporting and a lot of fun and that it requires quite a bit of skill, but fishing with bait can also furnish fine sport and requires considerable knowledge, for you must know what baits to use, how to obtain them, how to keep them and how to hook them. The angler who knows his salt-water baits and how to use them generally catches more fish than the man who lacks this knowledge.

The bait fisherman should also remember that for best results his bait should be as lively and fresh as possible.

Another important thing to remember while bait fishing is to use the sharpest and strongest hooks possible. Hooks which are dull or which straighten out or snap off when a large fish takes hold account for the loss of many fish each season.

Salt-water bait fishing can be done with almost any type of rod and reel. For bottom fishing, the most popular rod is the one- or two-piece boat rod, but big-game, surf-casting, bait-casting, spinning and even fly-casting tackle can all be used with natural baits. The terminal rig used in bait fishing is important and this subject is covered in the previous chapter on using the right rig.

While most of the baits covered here can be bought from tackle stores, bait dealers or fish markets, many anglers prefer to obtain their own. The angler who gathers his own bait should check with his state and local laws. Many states and areas have laws governing the taking of such baits as sea worms, clams, crabs and bait fish.

A cast net like this is useful for catching mullet and other bait fish.

Sea worms are a favorite bait with salt-water anglers since most fish take them and they are easy to obtain or buy and handy to keep and carry. The most popular sea worms are the "clamworms," also called "sandworms," along the Atlantic Coast and "mussel worms" along the Pacific Coast. Those commonly used belong to the genus Nereis, and there are several species on both coasts. One of those along the Pacific Coast reaches more than 3 ft. in length, but most clamworms average from 5 to 12 in. in length.

Clamworms are found in shelly sand and mud flats, among mussels and barnacles or piles and under stones. At night they leave their burrows and hiding places and can be picked up on tidal flats or scooped up in shallow water. At other times they can be obtained by digging deep with a clam hoe or fork on tidal flats at low tide.

Another popular sea worm is the bloodworm, also known as the "beak thrower," "four-jawed worm" and "proboscis worm." A number of species of bloodworms are found in the mud flats along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They can be dug up with the same tools used for obtaining other sea worms. Like clamworms, they can be found near the low-water mark, but they usually lie deeper in the mud than clamworms.

Sea worms can be kept in damp rockweed in a cool cellar or icebox for several days. Occasionally, they should be sprinkled lightly with salt water, and any dead worms should be discarded each day.
Sea worms are used for striped bass, weakfish, croakers, flounders, porgies, tautog or blackfish and many other fish.
For large fish one, two or three whole worms on a hook are usually used. For trolling, one or more worms are hooked behind the spinner so as to leave the ends trailing through the water and fluttering attractively. A gang hook can be used to catch fish which strike short. And for small fish with tiny mouths, pieces of worm 1 or 2 in. in length are best.
There are many other kinds of sea worms, such as ribbon worms or tapeworms and lugworms, which can be used for bait. In fact, almost any sea worm of good size will be taken by salt-water fish. Even earthworms like night crawlers and garden worms are used at times to catch salt-water fish such as flounders.
Another popular bait with salt-water anglers are clams. These bivalve mollusks are numerous along both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, where they live in the mud and sand of beaches, inlets, bays and the ocean. There are many species and almost all of them make good bait. One of the most widely used on the Atlantic Coast is the big surf clam, also known as the sea clam and skimmer clam. Another common and popular clam is the ordinary hardshell clam found in restaurants and fish markets and often referred to as quahog, round clam and littleneck. Still another clam is the soft-shell, also known as the long-necked clam, steamer clam and sand clam. It is found in sandy mud flats along the Atlantic and parts of the Pacific. There are also many other clams, such as the pismo clam, gaper clam, goeduck clam and the razor or jackknife clam, which can be used for bait when available.
Most clams can be bought from bait dealers and fish markets or they can be obtained along beaches or in bays, where they bury themselves in the sand or mud. You can wade in shallow water, look for them or feel them with your bare feet and then dig them out. On exposed flats at low tide you can also dig many clams with a clam hoe or fork.

Clams will stay alive for several days if kept in a cool spot or on ice. For longer periods, they should be submerged in salt water in a box. Clams, of course, must be shucked or removed from their hard shells. This can be done by inserting a knife blade between the two shells and cutting the muscles which hold them together. But to save time, work, and a possible injury to the hands most anglers crack the shells by just hitting them against a hard object.
For big fish such as striped bass and cod the insides of one or more large clams are draped on a hook. The siphon or neck of most clams makes a good tough bait if the dark skin is removed to reveal the light meat. For small fish such as blackfish or tautog, porgies, flounders and others with small mouths, tiny pieces of clam are best.
Mussels, which are found in the ocean, bays and other salt waters, can also be used as bait. They can easily be gathered from jetties, pilings and rocks at low tide. Mussels are a soft bait and do not stay on the hook too well, but they can be tied down with thread. Some anglers steam, boil or dry out mussels a bit to toughen them. They are also used as chum to attract salt-water fish and can either be crushed and thrown overboard a little at a time or placed in a chum pot or wire cage and lowered into the water.

Then there are many other mollusks, such as conchs, sea snails, abalone, whelks and periwinkles, which are used as bait. In fact, almost any salt-water shellfish, if large enough to make a practical bait, can be used.
Crabs are eaten by many salt-water fish and make good bait in any of the various stages that they occur. Crabs shed their hard covering at regular intervals as they grow, and most fish prefer to eat them when they are in the soft, helpless stage. Just before they shed their hard covering, they are known as shedder or peeler crabs. After they shed their shells they are known as soft-shell crabs, and when their new shell starts to harden but still caves in when pressed, they are called paper-backs or leather-backs. Finally the shell hardens completely and they become hard crabs again. While crabs can be used as bait in all their stages, those which are in the soft-shell or shedder stages are best.
Among the crabs popular for bait are the blue crab which is the one found in restaurants and fish markets along the Atlantic 'and Gulf coasts. Other crabs used for bait are lady crabs, also called calico crabs, fiddler crabs, hermit crabs and green crabs.
Crabs can be bought in fish markets and from bait dealers. They can also be caught by hand with long-handled nets, on lines baited with meat or fish and in various types of traps. For short periods of time, crabs may be kept in damp seaweed on ice, while for longer periods they should be put in wire cages and submerged in salt water.
Crabs will catch striped bass, channel bass, weakfish, blackfish or tautog, sheep’s head, bonefish and many other salt-water fish. Whole large crabs are best for big fish. Small whole crabs or sections of large crabs are best for smaller fish. Hard crabs can be hooked through the body, between the legs or in the hole left when the large claws are removed. Hermit crabs can be removed from their shell homes and threaded on the hook with the point and barb reaching into the soft tail-section. Soft-shell crabs and shedder crabs are often lashed on the hook with fine thread.

If you can resist eating them, the common lobster and the spiny lobster can be used for bait. The tail sections are used after the hard covering has been removed. Shrimps and prawns are numerous in species and numbers in practically all salt waters. All shrimp make good bait, from edible or jumbo shrimps to tiny sand shrimps, grass shrimps or common prawns. They can often be purchased at fish markets or bait dealers.

A tandem hook such as this can be used to hook dead bait fish.

Or you can search for the smaller varieties in bays and tidal creeks among the eelgrass, where they can be caught in fine-meshed dip nets or seines.

Shrimp can be kept in a wire cage submerged in the water or in damp sawdust or seaweed on ice. Large shrimps are usually removed from their shells and the meat from the tail threaded on the hook. Smaller shrimps are used whole and are hooked through the body or tail segments. Shrimp will take striped bass, weakfish, flounders, tautog or black-fish, bonefish, snappers and many other salt-water fish. Small shrimps are also good as chum when thrown overboard a few at a time and will attract fish such as weakfish and striped bass. Sand bugs or sand fleas, which are found in the sand where ocean waves break on the beaches, can be dug out of the stand or caught in special traps and used for striped bass, blackfish and pompano.

But of all the baits used for salt-water game fish, bait fish as a group are no doubt the most productive. These small fish usually average from 3 to 12 in. in length and include many species. Silvery mullets are near the top of the list with respect to both popularity and productivity. Two species—the striped mullet and the white mullet—are most commonly used. Menhaden or mossbunker is also highly favored because of its abundance and oily flesh, which attracts most salt-water fish. It is especially popular as chum when ground or chopped up and used to attract bluefish, tuna and mackerel.

Dead bait fish can be hooked by the methods shown here.

Other members of the varied and prolific herring family, such as the common herring, Pacific herring, sardines, pilchards and alewives, are widely used. Anchovies make good bait, especially in the Pacific Ocean, where they are used as chum and bait for barracuda, yellowtail, albacore and halibut. Minnows of the sea along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts include the many species of spearing or silversides. They travel in large schools and are effective for striped bass, weakfish, bluefish, summer flounder or fluke, silver hake and other fish. The hardy killifish or mummichog, found in bays and inlets, lives a long time on the hook. It is favored for summer flounder, small bluefish and sea bass. Sand eels or launces are also numerous and popular baits. The common eel is occasionally used alive or cut up into chunks for bottom fishing. But it is more commonly used for striped bass, rigged whole with two hooks so as to give it a motion like an artificial lure. Eel skins, when attached to eel skin lures, are also used for striped bass, bluefish, weakfish and other fish.

Bait fish can be bought in fish markets and tackle stores, and from bait dealers and commercial fishermen. They can also be caught with seines, cast nets, funnel-type traps and drop or umbrella nets. Most bait fish are rather delicate and to keep them alive for any length of time you must put them in live boxes submerged in water. But some of them, like the common eels and the killifish, are quite hardy and can be kept alive for hours in damp seaweed placed in a cool spot.

Large bait fish should be scaled and filleted, so that the two slabs of flesh can then be cut into any size or shape desired. Big bait fish can also be cut crosswise into steaks.

There are many other fish which are used as bait. These include common mackerel, Spanish mackerel, halfbeak and its relative, the ballyhoo or balao, flying fish, bonito, dolphin, albacore, barracuda, bonefish, grunt, catfish, butterfish and whiting or silver hake. Most of these are used offshore for salt-water fish such as sailfish, swordfish, the tunas and marlins.

These fish are rigged in various ways depending on the fish sought, the methods and tackle used and the area being fished. For still-fishing or drifting, the bait is usually hooked through the back or lips. In trolling, to give the bait a natural wriggling movement the backbone is either broken in several places or removed. The hook can be hidden entirely inside the bait or it can protrude from the belly, side or back. The hooks should be sewn in and if the fish has been slit open the belly cavity should also be sewn up.

Live, delicate bait fish such as herring, anchovies and sardines can be hooked as shown above.

The mouth and gills can be sewn up to keep the water out and prevent the bait from revolving when trolled.

Many of these same fish are also used for strip bait, which are trolled through the water in offshore fishing. Here the shiny sides or white belly of the fish are cut into long, narrow, thin strips anywhere from 8 to 14 in. in length-wide in the middle and tapering to points at each end. The edges of strip bait are usually thinned down. Next a wire leader is attached to the hook, forming a safety-pin catch. Then the strip is slit in two spots, one near the center of the bait and the other near the head. The hook is run through the slit near the center of the bait and the safety-pin catch is fastened to the other hole. Strip bait can also be cut into any shape desired and used on single or double hooks.

If you have chartered a boat, whole bait or strip bait will be prepared for you by the mate. It pays to follow the advice of the captain or mate since they are familiar with the way of the fish in their waters and are usually more expert at rigging baits than most anglers.
Although squids and octopuses are considered mollusks like clams, oysters and mussels, their habits and uses as bait are different from other shellfish. There are many species of squids found along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from tiny 1-inchers to giant 50-footers. But almost all of them can be used as bait for salt-water fish.

Squids can be bought at fish markets, from bait dealers and from commercial fishermen. When they come close to shore they can often be caught with a dip net or by hand, especially at night under lights. You can also try snagging them with a treble hook baited with a small bait fish.
Squids are difficult to keep alive, but they can be frozen whole or cleaned and cut into strips and salted down in jars. Fresh squids are used whole for swordfish, marlin and striped bass, while the head, tentacles or strips from the body can be used for striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, channel bass, cod, summer flounder and other salt-water fish.

The squid's cousin, the octopus, also can be used to catch salt-water fish in the waters where it is found. They can be caught in shallow pools at low tide with gaff hooks or spears. You can also turn over rocks and look for them among coral reefs in tropical waters. It makes a tough bait and the tentacles can be cut to any size.

Finally, almost anything that crawls or swims and is large enough to make a practical bait can be tried for salt-water fish. It pays to experiment and try several kinds of bait when you go fishing. The angler who brings along a variety of baits stands less chance of being skunked. In the vast ocean' with its innumerable varieties of fish that come and go with the tides, you never know what kind of fish to expect and what kind of food or bait is present. By carrying several kinds of bait you are better prepared to meet these changing conditions.

Hooking Fish while drifting

2008-01-16T06:08:00.000-08:00

There's a certain knack to hooking fish while drifting.

Some species will grab a bait and get hooked without any effort on the angler's part. But most of the time, when you feel a bite you should let out slack line and give the fish a few seconds to swallow the bait. When using a conventional-type reel, you should keep it in free spool so that you can let out line in a split second. With a spinning reel the bail should be opened, for the same reason.
On a slow drift in deep water you can often keep the sinker bouncing under the boat. If the water is shallow or the wind or tide fairly strong, you should let out more slack line so that the sinker and bait move some distance behind the boat.

In recent years party boats and private boats fishing for bluefish have found that they can take these fish while drift-
ing and chumming with ground bunker or menhaden. You can also drift and chum for such fish as mackerel, bonito and false albacore. Here it is usually best if the boat moves sideways with the wind and tide and the hook, baited with a piece of butterfish, menhaden or a small bait fish, is let out in the chum slick without a sinker.

My favorite method of drift-fishing is to cast into a school of fish with a light spinning outfit. In this case, of course, you have to locate a school feeding on top and then cast a lure into it. This can be done with most species which feed on top and chase bait fish. Such fish as bluefish, weakfish, striped bass, channel bass, bonito, snook and tarpon can often be caught this way. Naturally, the type of tackle you use will depend on the size of the fish. Light spin outfits are used for small fish, while surf squidding or popping sticks can be used for larger fish such as striped bass, channel bass, tarpon and school tuna.

One of the easiest ways to fish a bonefish flat in the Florida Keys is by drifting.
You merely run your outboard boat up on a flat during the incoming tide and let the wind or tide move you slowly until you spot a bonefish.
Then you cast a buck tail jig or other bonefish lure in front of the fish. It's a lot less work than poling the boat or wading a flat.
Casting while drifting also produces fish on many occasions when they are down deep. Here you use a jig such as the buck tail type or a chrome-plated diamond jig. If the water isn't too deep and if the tide and wind are not too strong, you merely let the jig down to the bottom under the boat. When you feel it hit bottom you start jigging the lure up and down as the boat drifts slowly. If the wind or tide is strong try casting the jig ahead of the moving boat to allow slack line to develop. This permits the lure to sink toward the bottom. A light spinning outfit with an 8- or 10-lb. test line is best for such fishing.

One of the best ways to catch that big tarpon in Florida is to drift with live bait fish such as mullet, pinfish or catfish. This can be done by attaching a cork float about 10 ft. above the hook and letting it out in the current. For best results, your boat should stay some distance away from the cork float.

At Boca Grande Pass and Captiva Pass on Florida's west coast they drift for tarpon using a blue crab for bait and tie a sinker weighing anywhere from 3 to 8 oz. about 8 ft. above the hook. This sinker is tied on with light line so that it breaks off the line when the tarpon first leaps.

At Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys the tarpon fishermen drift with the tide toward the bridge and cast plugs or spoons into schools of rolling tarpon. This, of course, can also be done in other areas where tarpon are showing on top.
If you want to catch a big amberjack in Florida waters try drifting over the reefs with a live mullet, grunt, pinfish, snapper or blue runner on the hook. Here it's a good idea to chum with ground fish or pieces of fish to attract the amber-jack. When they are sighted or believed to be in the area you let out the live bait fish about 40 or 50 ft. behnd the boat as it drifts along. If you try this sort of fishing use sturdy tackle and fairly heavy lines. Amberjack are tough scrappers and are difficult to hold on light tackle.

Some eye-opening catches of big striped bass have also been made by the live-bait drift-fishing method. Capt. Dick Lema of Galilee, Rhode Island, fishes this way on his charter boat with live eels and mostly at night. The eels are drifted naturally over rocks and reefs, where big striped bass are known to lie in wait for such tidbits. The angler casts the live eel, hooked through the jaw, about 50 feet from the boat and lets out slack line. When he feels the eel stop or move away very fast he feeds some more slack line.

Rig "A" is popular with drift fishermen seeking tarpon. When a tarpon jumps, the sinker comes off. Rig "B" is for bottom drifting over rocky areas. If the sinker gets caught it breaks off.

Then, a few seconds later, he reels up the slack line, and when it tightens he comes back with the rod to set the hook. Most of the stripers hooked by this drifting method run from 30 to 60 lbs. in weight.

Drift-fishing practiced in deeper offshore waters also accounts for big-game fish at times. When sail fishing, for example, if the fish aren't showing or refuse to take a trolled bait, try drifting with a live blue runner. At first, you can try letting the blue runner down to about 10 or 12 feet below the surface. If this fails you let your bait fish swim down to 40 or 50 feet below the surface.

Tuna fishermen also know that drifting often catches big tuna when anchoring or trolling fail to produce. Here, a live whiting, a mackerel or a herring can be used with or without a float. Drifting for giant tuna is mostly practiced when the tide is slack or not too strong. In shallow waters inshore, a cork or small balloon can be attached above the leader to keep the bait near the surface. In deeper offshore waters the cork is not used to permit the bait to go down until you find the proper depth.

Catches of big-game fish such as giant tuna, marlin, sword-fish and sharks have been made via the drifting method in very deep water. Commercial fishermen off Cuba and Peru have caught some huge marlin and swordfish by drift-fishing with hand lines. Big-eye tuna of the Pacific are also caught by drifting with fish baits at depths of from 100 to 300 feet. These fish rarely come to the surface, so deep drifting is best for them.

In fact, many big game fish, such as swordfish and marlin, are believed to feed more often well below the surface than on top. When swordfish are found on the surface they are rarely feeding but usually resting. Their stomachs are often full and they aren't too interested in additional food, so it's difficult to make them strike. Also, sword fishing on the surface requires calm water conditions because these fish are sighted first before the bait is put out.

Generally, the big-game angler who resorts to deep drifting stands an excellent chance of hooking a big fish in the deeper offshore waters. He also spends more time actually fishing and less time cruising around, burning up gas and straining his eyes for signs of fish. He can also fish on days when the water is too choppy or rough for sighting the fins of swordfish or marlin.

All in all, drift-fishing is a versatile and deadly method for almost all kinds of salt-water game fish. Try it as often as possible this coming fishing season.

If you're like me you'll spend more and more time drift-fishing and less and less time fishing at anchor or trolling.

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Drift Fishing vs. Fishing at anchor

2008-01-16T06:06:00.000-08:00

Drift-fishing offers several advantages over fishing at anchor.

First, of course, you cover more territory. As the boat moves along, the baited hook follows and is seen by more fish than if it is left in one place.
Second, a moving bait attracts more fish than one which lies on the bottom, where it often gets buried in seaweed and sand or falls into a crevice.
Third, a moving bait seems to attract larger fish than a stationary one. Small bottom fish tend to congregate in compact schools around stationary bait and either steal it or get caught. But a moving bait is often overtaken only by the larger members of most species. It also attracts more so-called true game fish than a stationary one.
Last, but not least, drift-fishing eliminates the necessity of dropping an anchor and then hauling it up again.

The fact that your bait is always moving into a new area while drift-fishing also works in your favor in another way. When you anchor you may attract a few fish to your bait, but after you catch a few fish and miss others, the remaining ones often become suspicious. Then it's difficult to make them bite. But when you are drifting you are continually showing your bait to new fish which haven't been alerted.

Drift-fishing is most productive for bottom fish when there are large areas such as banks, sand or rock bars, reefs, mussel beds, oyster beds, and etc., where fish are dispersed over a wide area. This is often the case when you seek such species as fluke or summer flounder, halibut, cod, haddock, sea bass, porgies, snappers, groupers, grunts and croakers which often tend to disperse themselves over a broad area.

Drift-fishing is less productive with species which tend to congregate around sunken wrecks, rock piles, holes or other obstructions which do not cover a wide area. However, you can often locate such spots while drifting and then anchor there to fish.

Best results are obtained in drift-fishing when there is a light or moderate wind or tide. The boat should move steadily—not too slow or too fast. If there is no wind and the tide is weak, the boat stays almost in one place. If there is a strong wind or tide, the boat moves too fast and it's difficult to keep your sinker and bait on the bottom.

I remember on one occasion while I was drifting for fluke off New Jersey the wind was about 25 m.p.h. We moved so fast that the sinker was off the bottom most of the time. We tried dropping the anchor to slow down the drift, but one anchor wasn't enough. So we dropped another anchor, and with both anchors dragging we slowed down enough to catch a mess of fluke.

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How to Drift Fish

2008-01-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

We had spent most of the morning cruising around in my friend's 22-ft. boat, searching for bluefish. We were off Rockaway Point, New York, where schools of small blue-fish had been seen a couple of days earlier.

My friend, Jack, suddenly pointed inshore and yelled,
"Look—birds working!"

I peered toward the spot and saw a big flock of gulls wheeling and diving about a half a mile away. Jack pulled on the gas throttle and the boat shot forward at full speed.
As we neared the area I could see terns diving into the flat, glassy water, and every so often I could see a swirl or splash that indicated a feeding fish. I rigged up a couple of rods after trolling, with a spoon on one and a rubber-tube lure on the other. I let the two lines out behind the boat, and we slowed down to trolling speed as we neared the edge of the feeding school of fish.

I could now see that there was a big school of fish because the swirls and breaks covered an area of several acres. When the boat reached the first few feeding fish we started to troll along the edge of the school.
A minute later one of the rods dipped and the click on the reel started to screech. I grabbed the rod and could feel a fish fighting on the end.
Then the other rod bent into an arc and I yelled to Jack, "Grab the other rod! There's another fish on!" Jack stopped the boat and took the other rod out of the holder.

We had a hectic time keeping the two lines from fouling but managed to land two bluefish, each about 3 or 4 lbs.

By this time we were surrounded by other boats trolling through the school, and most of the fish had disappeared. The commotion had driven them into deeper water. Then we saw birds working again a few hundred feet away. We raced toward the scene and started to troll again. We picked up another bluefish before the other boats arrived and scared the fish away again.

Now I took out my light salt-water spinning outfit and attached a surface popping plug to- the end of the leader. Jack rigged up a similar outfit and we started searching for the bluefish again. We saw the birds working in the distance and sped toward the spot as fast as possible.
"Let's try drifting this time. Run the boat up to the edge of the school of fish and cut the motor," I suggested to Jack.
He did exactly as recommended, and when the boat stopped and started to drift slowly with the tide we could see bluefish breaking all around us; some of them only about 20 ft. from the boat
.
I cast out the small popping plug and started to work it back toward the boat. I reeled and jerked it so that it threw a big splash.

Almost immediately there was a swirl behind it, but the fish missed the lure. However, a second later it came back, grabbed it, splashed around the surface and then ran all over the place. On the light salt-water spinning rod it put up a much better scrap than it would have on the heavier trolling rod.
Finally, I got it close to the boat and Jack netted it. It was another bluefish—about 3 lbs. in weight.

Then Jack hooked a fish on his light rod as the boat drifted through the feeding fish. Unlike the notice they would have taken of a trolling boat, the feeding fish paid little attention to the slowly drifting boat, and we had a half hour of fast action before the fish went down. We soon found another school and repeated the procedure over and over until we had caught a dozen blues and one bonito.

Similarly, on many other occasions I have found that when a trolling boat scares fish away, it is wise to resort to drifting. This is especially true when fish are feeding on the surface in clear, flat, calm water. At such times a trolling boat will often put them down. But a boat drifting quietly through the school rarely frightens the feeding fish.

The art of drift-fishing is not as well-known as trolling or fishing from an anchored boat.

Of course, party boats which seek certain bottom fish often drift for these fish. Among these are the boats seeking fluke or summer flounder on the East Coast and the California halibut party boats on the West Coast. The so-called "drift" party boats in Florida waters also do a lot of drift-fishing for groupers, snappers, grunts and similar fish.

However, anglers fishing from private craft or rented skiffs tend to overlook drift-fishing. They know that fluke or summer flounder are usually caught by drifting, but they rarely try this method on other fish. Yet it has been my experience that almost every kind of bottom fish that swims can be taken by drift-fishing.

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The Deadly art of Chumming

2008-01-16T06:04:00.001-08:00

The basic idea behind chumming is to encourage fish to eat something with no hooks attached in the hope that they will later take something with a hook.

Chumming also attracts fish in large numbers to a certain spot. Instead of the angler moving about in search of fish, he can stay in one spot and wait for the fish to come to him. Mainly, however, the idea is to fool the fish with a free handout and dispel his suspicions so that he will more readily take a baited hook.

Various methods and techniques are used in chumming, and the angler who knows and practices them will often catch fish when ordinary casting or trolling methods fail to produce. You'll find a long list of game fish and bottom fish which respond to chumming like a gang of hungry ranch hands to a dinner bell.

In fact, to catch certain fish chumming is almost a must.
Take the giant tuna, for example.

Although a few big fish are caught by trolling or drifting with whole fish baits, the great majority of tuna fishermen depend on chumming to get results. They use ground menhaden or mossbunker, called "bunker" for short. This flat, deep bodied fish, which averages about a foot in length, is seined commercially for its oil. Millions of pounds are caught annually. And each year more and more of these fish are being diverted for use in chumming. In three days, the U. S. Atlantic Tuna Tournament has been known to use up 85,000 lbs. of bunker chum.

Menhaden or bunker can now be bought fresh, iced or frozen, either by the bushel or in cans or blocks. Whole bunker are sold by the bushel and must be ground by the angler. Those sold in cans or frozen in blocks are already ground and ready to use.
The usual method of chumming begins with the acquisition of a big container, such as a garbage can, filled with sea water. The ground mossbunker is then added and the whole mess is stirred around until it is the consistency of a thick soup. Then one or two anglers start ladling the stuff over the side of the boat in order to form a chum slick. In this slick, the oil spreads in a broad band on the surface of the water and extends for several hundred feet behind the boat. The particles of bunker sink to varying depths under the chum slick. Tuna and other fish get the scent of the oil and juices and follow it up to the boat.
Most tuna fishermen also get whole bunker and cut them into big chunks, which they toss overboard into the chum slick as an added attraction. Butterfish, mackerel, herring and whiting can also be cut up and thrown out. This gives the tuna something to swallow and holds their interest.

Next, of course, you bait up a big tuna hook with a whole bunker, herring, mackerel, butterfish or whiting and let it drift out naturally in the chum line.
Finally you hope a big tuna will take it.

Another method of chumming for tuna is practiced at Wedgeport, Nova Scotia. Here, instead of ground chum, they use whole herring. These are tossed out into the water in the tide behind the boat. The fishermen also make up
a "teaser" or "grapevine" consisting of a dozen or so herring tied about a foot apart on a cord. These are trailed behind the boat, where the tuna are attracted by the splash and ripples the herring make on the surface. To the fish it looks like a school of bait fish, and they will often come up and grab a herring from the teaser. In the meantime, the angler
lets out a hook with another herring on it and hopes a tuna will come up and swallow it.
Whole bait fish are also used on the "live-bait" boats which leave from many ports in Southern California. These boats are equipped with big bait tanks, where sardines and anchovies can be kept alive. The live bait fish are thrown into the water a few at a time.
This brings around such game fish as tuna, yellowtail, albacore, bonito and barracuda. When a fish is hooked or seen swirling behind the boat, the anglers put a live anchovy or sardine on a hook, cast it out and let it swim around in the water. In this type of fishing, it is important to use small hooks and fine leaders in order to fool the fish.

When it comes to catching bluefish, chumming is by far the most effective and productive method.

Here, too, ground menhaden or bunker is used, and from June to October tons of chum are dumped into the water along the Atlantic Coast to attract blues.
This chumming is mostly done off the coasts of New York and New Jersey. On a weekend you'll often see a fleet of several hundred boats all chumming for bluefish. And the fishing is not only done during the daytime but continues into the night. During the day the boats usually drift with the tide and wind while dispensing the chum. At night they usually anchor. However, if the tide or wind is too strong, anchoring is the best procedure, day or night.

When chumming for bluefish a chunk of butterfish or bunker is generally used on a hook and this is let out in the chum slick with the tide.
In the beginning you may have to let out up to 150 ft. of line to get a strike from a bluefish. But as the fish work into the chum slick they come closer and closer to the boat. If they are really feeding in the chum they will often come close to the top. Then you will get your strikes soon after the bait is dropped into the water. However, when the tide is strong or when the fish are deep you may have to add a clincher sinker on the leader to get the bait down to where the fish are feeding. Also, if you have to get the bait down deep, let out plenty of slack line from the reel.
If a bluefish takes the bait, the line will run off the reel rapidly. That's why the reel should be set in free-spool and held lightly with the thumb. When a fish picks up the bait, let him run for a few seconds, then throw the drag on and set the hook.
During August and September along the Atlantic Coast, when you are chumming for bluefish, you'll often notice false albacore and bonito feeding on the chum. They will often take a hook baited with a piece of bunker or butter-fish, but they are more shy of hooks and leaders than blues and consequently harder to hook. When they show up in the chum we usually put the heavier bluefish rod aside, take out a light salt-water spinning outfit and go after them with that. We attach a small white or yellow buck tail jig to the end of the 8-lb. test line. Then we cast out into the chum slick and as the jig sinks we jerk it sharply and then let it drop back again. We continue doing this until we get a strike.
I remember one day when both bluefish and bonito showed up in the chum slick and started feeding on top. We used small surface popping plugs, and after the cast we worked them through the chum slick toward the boat. Talk about action! On almost every cast the bluefish or bonito would swirl behind the plug, and every so often one would take it. This is real sport on a light spin outfit, and it was chumming that made it possible to bring the fish up to the boat and get them into a feeding mood.
Another popular game fish which is often caught by chumming is the northern weakfish or squeteague. The chum usually used here is small grass shrimp. These tiny, translucent shrimp can be bought by the quart from bait dealers and boat liveries in the popular weakfish areas in New Jersey, New York and New England. However, using them
is expensive since you'll need anywhere from 4 to 8 qts. for a day's fishing. So many weak fishermen try to catch their own shrimp in tidal bays and creeks. A seine with a fine mesh can be used for this.

Chumming for weakfish with grass shrimp is also done from an anchored boat in a channel or deep hole. It is most effective when there's a moderate tide or current running. At first you throw out a few shrimp at a time to start things going. Then, when the fish appear in the chum streak, you can cut it down to two or three shrimp at a throw, but you must work steadily without prolonged breaks. In this type of fishing you use a light spinning rod or a bait-casting rod and rig a small No. 1 or 2 hook on a long nylon leader. Then you bait it with a whole sandworm or two or more small grass shrimp, after which you pull line off the reel and let the baited hook drift naturally in the chum streak. After letting the line out about 150 ft. you reel it in again and then lit it drift out again. The weakfish will usually come to the top and take the hook.

However, when the fish are in very deep water or when the tide is slack, fishing near the bottom is often more effective. Here you fish with a sinker and a hook on a long leader tied about 3 or 4 ft. above the sinker. On slack water you can try chumming with grass shrimp, but first squeeze or pinch the shrimp so that they will sink instead of swim away. Besides shrimp, you can also use squid for chum when weak-fishing. You'll need several pounds and it must be diced into small pieces. Strips of the squid make a good bait for weakfish when you are fishing on the bottom.

The same grass shrimp can also be used to attract the smaller striped bass found in inlets, bays and creeks. This method is used in Chesapeake Bay, but it will also work in most bay waters where stripers are found.

Chumming for the larger striped bass found in the surf was widely practiced at one time.
The early striped-bass fishing clubs and private bass stands at Martha's Vineyard and Cuttyhunk in Massachusetts and along the Rhode Island coast were scenes for this type of fishing.
Here they used to hire a man who would chum for several hours or even all night before the fishermen arrived. The chummer used menhaden, which was also used for bait. They also used lobster tails for striped-bass bait, but then lobsters were cheap in those days, small ones selling for $1.50 per hundred.

Today chumming for striped bass in the surf is only done on rare occasions. It is hard work and the menhaden aren't as cheap as they used to be. Also, with more surf anglers than ever fishing, chummers have little privacy. It can be discouraging to chum all night or all day and then have other anglers fish a couple of hundred feet below you and catch striped bass which you attracted to the area. But that's a risk you take today no matter what kind of chumming you do. The waters are so crowded that it is a common thing to see your chum slick spoiled by boats cutting across it. Other wiseacres will anchor just below your boat and fish in your chum slick.

Chumming is a sure-fire method when fishing for sharks. These fish depend a great deal on their sense of smell to locate their food. So they'll soon come around if you start chumming. Here, too, the usual chum is ground menhaden, which is dispensed freely while drifting at night. Every so often a small fish or two can be tossed overboard to drift down the chum streak. If you can get a couple of buckets of beef blood you can also use this as chum. In fact, the blood of almost any fish or animal will attract sharks. You can also cut open a fish or two and suspend them alongside of the boat. The bloodier kinds of fish, such as tuna, albacore and bonito, are best for this. Chunks of these fish or small ones also make good bait for sharks.

In recent years fishermen have also discovered that mackerel, especially the common Atlantic variety, can be brought up to a boat with menhaden chum. Then they will take artificial lures, such as small spoons, metal squids and diamond jigs, under the boat.
Both summer flounder or fluke and winter flounder are attracted by chum. The angler who chums for these fish usually makes better catches than those who don't. I remember on several occasions chumming for bluefish with ground bunker when I'd hook fluke, which would take the bunker or butterfish bait on the hook if it sank deep enough. At such times you can change to a bottom rig and catch more fluke if you want to.

When fishing for smaller winter flounder, it's a good idea to bring along a bushel of mussels. You can crack the shell on these or mash them up and scatter them around the anchored boat. Another gimmick is to fill a mesh bag with cracked mussels and lower it over the side to the bottom. Some anglers make or buy special chum pots which are small wire cages and fill them with cracked mussels. Clams, oysters and scallops can also be used with or instead of the mussels. You may have to put a rock or some other weight into the bag or chum pot to sink it to the bottom in a fast current. Every so often you should bounce the bag or chum pot on the bottom to release the juices and fragments of meat in the surrounding water.

Many other bottom fishes, such as codfish, porgies, sea bass, sheep’s head, blackfish or tautog, snappers and groupers can be chummed. In fact, the most successful cod fishermen and black fishermen in certain areas bait a spot for a day or two before fishing. They scatter cracked clams and mussels to bring the fish around.
In clear tropical waters such as those around Florida, Bermuda and the Bahamas, you can see the fish respond to your chum. Larger fish such as mullet or needlefish can be cut up into small pieces and thrown overboard. Smaller bait fish can be used whole, dead or alive, as chum. Spiny lobsters, shrimp heads, crushed crabs and diced conch can also be used. As these are scattered in the water you'll see fish of all kinds rising from the coral reefs for the tidbits. Then a hook baited with small bait fish, shrimp or pieces of mullet can be lowered to the waiting fish.

Chumming isn't a lazy man's game, and it is best done with two or three anglers taking turns so that one man can rest and get a chance to fish. But as far as results are concerned it is well worth the trouble. On certain days it may mean the difference between catching fish or going home with no fish. So to be assured of sport and fun the next time you go fishing try the deadly art of chumming.

Fishing Tackle for Cod fish and Whiting fish

2008-01-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

If you'd like to try cod fishing you probably have suitable fishing tackle if you do any fishing in salt water. Any strong, fairly stiff boat rod will serve the purpose. Some anglers use surf rods because they like the extra length of the rod tip. This keeps the line away from the boat and handles the long rigs more easily over the rail. Any salt-water reel which matches the rod and holds at least 200 yds. of line can be used for cod.

Today, the most popular line for cod fishing is a monofilament nylon line testing 30 or 40 lbs. Linen and braided-nylon lines are sometimes used, but the mono lines are best. They are strong and hold bottom better in the strong tides and currents.

When it comes to rigging for cod I personally prefer to use one hook on a 2-ft. leader tied a few inches above the sinker. But most cod anglers use two hooks, one tied just above the sinker and the other just far enough above the first hook to clear it. If the cod are running small you can use hooks in sizes 6/0 or 7/0. If they are running big, hooks in sizes 8/0 or 9/0 are better. You can use any strong saltwater hook, such as the Sproat, Harrison, O'Shaughnessy or Eagle Claw.

Sinkers of the "bank" and "diamond" shapes are generally used for cod fishing. In shallow water and weak tides you can sometimes get away with 6 or 8 oz., but in deeper water and in strong tides you need anywhere from 8 to 12 oz. to hold bottom.
The preferred bait for codfish is the big sea clam or skimmer clam, as it is known. The whole insides of one or two clams are placed on the hook with the point and barb exposed. However, if there are bergalls or cunners around, they will soon clean the hook, so many codfish anglers first put a piece of whelk or conch or a strip of squid on the hook. Then they add the clam bait on the same hook to make a combination bait. The tougher conch or squid lasts longer on the hook even when the softer clam has been stolen.

Codfish anglers use a double-hook rig as illustrated by "A." They often use spreaders like the one illustrated by "B," instead of a three-way swivel, for attaching the hooks.

You can also catch cod on chunks or strips of fish such as mackerel, whiting or silver hake, ling and so on. Small whole herring and smelt can also be used as bait.

Codfish are usually caught in waters from 30 to 250 ft. deep. In New York and New Jersey waters, the fishing is usually done over so-called banks or shallow areas, where the water is usually from 70 to 125 ft. in depth. Cod are also found around sunken wrecks, rock bottoms, mussel bottoms and over kelp beds. Most of the time you have to go well offshore to find the most productive spots, but in some northern areas and when the cod are plentiful they come close to shore. At such times even surf anglers, jetty anglers, shore anglers and pier fishermen can take them.

Your best bet for a successful codfishing trip is to board one of the party boats which leave from many ports. In New Jersey such boats leave from Brielle and Belmar. In New York they leave from Sheep’s head Bay, Canarsie, Freeport, Captree and Montauk. Other boats leave from Rhode Island and Massachusetts sport-fishing ports.

Party-boat captains know the location of the best cod fishing spots and head for these areas. If the cod are scattered in a small spot such as around a sunken wreck, the captain may choose to anchor there. While anchored it is often a good idea to chum the cod with empty clam shells which have some meat left on them. Or you can crack the whole clams and throw them overboard to serve as chum.

Whether you are drifting or at anchor it is important to feel or bounce bottom at all times. Cod will sometimes take a bait several feet off the bottom, but best results are usually obtained near the bottom. Cod may grab the bait and then tug the bait or swallow it and move away. In either case you'll usually feel the fish. When you feel the first tug give the fish time to swallow the bait. Then lift the rod sharply to set the hook. On other occasions a cod may swallow a bait and then just lie there without moving. In this case it's hard to detect a bite.

That is why many cod anglers raise and lower their rod tips at regular intervals to see if a cod has taken the bait. At the same time, this raising and lowering of the bait tends to attract the cod to the baited hook. And it helps keep the rig on the bottom because you can feel the sinker bounce at regular intervals.

Once a cod is hooked it is rarely lost by having the hook pulled out of its mouth. Usually, the bait is swallowed deep
and the hook is either solidly imbedded in the tough mouth structure of the cod or lying deep in the stomach. A long hook disgorger is handy to have around. You can easily make one from a piece of wood with a notch on one end.

However, you can lose cod, especially big ones, if you are too anxious. When a cod is first hooked it should be allowed to run or surge a few times until it quiets down. Then you can start reeling it slowly toward the surface. If it tries to dive or surge once more let it go a few feet. Then resume reeling in. If you are fishing from a party boat do not wait until the cod appears on the surface before yelling for the gaff. Do this when you figure the cod is a little more than halfway to the top. If you do, the mate or one of the crew will get to your side just as the cod breaks the surface.

Cod can also be caught by jigging with a diamond jig. Here you use jigs weighing from 4 to 8 oz. depending on the depth and strength of the tide. You lower the jig to the bottom, then raise and lower it quickly. The cod come to investigate and snap at the lure. Some anglers even add a strip of squid or clam to the diamond jig. In general, when you hook a cod on a jig or on bait in shallow water you get a better fight than in deeper water.

You can also catch cod at times by trolling deep—near the bottom—with metal squids, spoons or other shiny lures. Cod are usually taken by mistake by fishermen trolling for striped bass or other game fish. However, you can often troll for cod on purpose if you use weighted or wire lines and spoons. It's a good idea to add a strip of squid to the hook and troll as slowly as possible.
One of the big appeals of cod fishing is the size of the fish. Fish running from 5 to 30 lbs. are often taken and fish up to 40 or 50 lbs. are not too rare. You only have to catch one or two big cod to feed a family. If you catch more than that you can feed the neighbors and friends. Or you can stack away cod steaks or fillets in a freezer for future eating. Cod can be fried, baked, broiled or made into a chowder.

But aside from providing some good eating a cod fishing trip can be fun and sport. Many anglers hesitate to try this type of fishing because they feel it's too cold to be enjoyable. The whole secret to withstanding the cold is to dress warmly with proper clothing. Nowadays this is a cinch, what with the availability of insulated underwear, boots, windproof jackets and parkas. Add a heavy hat or cap with ear flaps and a good pair of gloves and you will be all set for several hours of cold-weather fishing.

Of course, it's a good idea to pick a day that isn't too cold or windy. Of the two, the wind is the worst spoiler of cod-fishing trips. The cold itself doesn't offer much of a threat, but the wind can make things tough and ruin the fishing. If the wind is too strong from the wrong direction it can create rough seas with big waves. Drift-fishing will be out of the question because the boat will move too fast and you won't be able to reach bottom or stay there long. It may even be tough to hold bottom while at anchor since the boat may move and drag the anchor.

That is why I personally like to fish for cod from a party boat during the winter. If the weather looks good when I get up in the morning I can drive down and board such a boat. If it looks bad or doubtful I can call it off for the day. Sooner or later, if you wait long enough you can pick a day with fine weather and little or no wind. That is the time you can go out and really enjoy cod fishing.
Another winter favorite in North Atlantic waters is the silver lake (Merluccius bilinearis), better known in New York and New Jersey waters as the whiting. It is also called frostfish, New England hake and winter weakfish. It is a member of the hake family which is closely related to the codfish family.

The silver hake is a slim fish with gray-brown back, silvery-iridescent sides which give off a golden reflection, and a white belly. It has a very large mouth and head with tiny, needlelike teeth on both the upper and lower jaws. If you are familiar with the general shape and outline of the freshwater fish known as the walleye, you'll have a pretty good idea of what a silver hake looks like.

Silver hake or closely related species are found in many parts of the world. They are present in the Pacific and in European waters. The Atlantic species are found mostly in offshore waters from the Grand Banks to the Bahamas. They also range widely in the depth they swim at and they are often found near shore, both on the surface and near the bottom in depths up to 1,800 ft.
The amazing thing about silver hake is their sheer number. They often pave the bottom over vast areas where millions of pounds are caught by both sports and commercial fishermen. They are true "pan fish of the sea"—winter variety —and they are plentiful and easy to catch. Yet, like most salt-water fish, they are subject to cycles of scarcity and abundance. During some years they will be numerous in certain areas; then they will become scarce for several years.

The real season for silver hake in New York, New Jersey and southern New England usually starts in November and lasts into December and often January. Then it slows down a bit, but party boats fishing in deep water often catch them all winter long. In these waters there's also a spring run in March, April and May. In deeper offshore waters they are sometimes caught as late as June and July. And farther north from Cape Cod to Canada silver hake are often present near shore during the summer months. They are abundant in the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy during the summer months.

However, most of the fishing for silver hake is done during the winter months, when other species are absent. The fact that they are caught close to shore also makes them popular with salt-water anglers. They can be caught from piers, bulkheads, bridges, breakwaters, jetties and any other location where you can fish in a few feet of water.

For many years one of the favorite spots for silver hake has been the Steeplechase Pier at New York's Coney Island. New Jersey anglers have several private and public piers where they can catch silver hake. One of the best known is the Recreational Fishing Pier at Long Branch, but you have to pay a nominal charge to fish from this pier.

You don't need fancy or special fishing tackle to catch silver hake. In fact, not too long ago many anglers fished for them from piers with hand lines, and a few old-timers still use them, although most people now use fishing rods of various types. The most popular is a light salt-water boat rod or medium weight salt-water spinning rod. The reel, of course, should match the rod.
When rigging for silver hake you can use up to three or four hooks on snells or short leaders equally spaced above each other on the line. The best hooks are those with long shanks, such as the Carlisle, Aberdeen or Pacific Bass, mainly because the silver hake has sharp teeth and often swallows the bait.

For whiting or silver hake a multiple-hook rig is often used. If they are biting well you'll sometimes catch two, three and even four fish at a time.

When the silver hake are running small you can use 2/0 or 3/0 hooks. When they are running larger, you can use 4/0 or 5/0 hooks. The weight of the sinker will depend on the depth of the water and the strength of the tide. If you are using light spinning tackle, you can often get away with 2 or 3 oz. of lead. Heavier tackle and lines call for 4- or 5-oz. sinkers.

The best baits for silver hake are spearing or silversides and sand eels. These two bait fish are often sold by bait dealers and tackle stores where the whiting are running. Fish markets may also carry them at times. These bait fish are usually hooked once—through the eye. (Sand eels can also be pierced through the eye.) Next the bait is slipped up the shank of the hook and the point and barb imbedded into the body near the tail. Large sand eels are often cut in half before being used.

Almost any large fish like a herring or mackerel, can also be cut into strips and used for bait. In fact, most anglers wait until they catch the first silver hake, then cut it up into strips and use it for bait. It's tough and lasts a long time, and the greedy silver hake grab it, as well as practically any other bait.

The best fishing for silver hake usually takes place on cold, crisp, clear nights when the water is fairly calm. Along the Atlantic Coast this often happens when the wind is from the north, northwest or west. If the water is very rough or dirty it will usually keep the fish in the deeper waters offshore
.
When fishing from a pier, bridge, dock or elevated spot try to pick a location near a light. The light will attract bait fish and they in turn will draw the silver hake, which can often be seen darting around just below the surface. Some anglers bring their own lights and suspend them near the water to draw the bait fish and silver hake.
When the silver hake are present in large numbers you don't have to wait long for a bite. You can feel them take the bait. Most anglers set the hook and reel the fish right in, but many of the more experienced set the hook and let the line remain in the water. Then when they feel another bite they set the hook again. This way they often get 2, 3 or even 4 fish at a time.

On nights when the fish are running well almost everyone can catch a good mess with little trouble. But on certain nights when the fish are scarce or wary, there's one trick which often brings more bites. This is jigging the line up and down in short, rapid lifts of the rod tip to give the bait some movement. Something else you can try is casting the bait some distance away from the other lines in the water. This way you increase your chances of getting strikes. The fish present are more apt to go for your bait if it is not surrounded by competition
.
The silver hake is not a heavyweight—it usually averages less than a pound. Some may reach 5 or 6 lbs., but anything around 2 or 3 lbs. is considered a big fish. When hooked they haven't much power or speed to make long runs, and they usually circle around or run off to the side for a few feet. Most anglers haul them in without much ceremony. This is especially true if you fish from a high pier or bridge and use heavy sinkers, but if you get close to the water and use light spinning rods or fly tackle you can have more fun and sport.

In recent years more and more party boats have been sailing during the winter months from New York and New Jersey ports for silver hake, for they are usually more numerous than the cod and easier to catch. But on many trips you'll not only catch the silver hake, but cod, ling and blackfish or tautog as well. In deeper water the silver hake bite in the daytime and run larger than those caught from shore.

On the larger boats you usually have enclosed cabins, snack bars and other comforts which enable you to get away from the cold, but the best way to beat the cold is to dress warmly. Hot drinks also help to warm you up. Of course, when the fish are busy biting without too long a wait in between bites you'll soon forget about the cold. You'll be too occupied with taking them off the hook and baiting up again to pay much attention to the cold.

The nicest part of a silver-hake fishing trip comes later on or the next day when you sit down to eat your catch. Silver hake have a soft, flaky, delicately flavored flesh which is not as dry as cod or haddock. But they should be eaten as soon as possible after being caught. You can fry the small ones whole or cut the larger ones into sections. A silver hake has very few bones after you have removed the backbone. Man! After a day out in the open you can really put away a lot of fish. So eat heartily because you can always catch plenty more of these winter pan fish.

Related Articles:

Cod and Whiting-Winter Favorites

2008-01-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

If you have never tried cod fishing you may well wonder why any angler would leave a warm, comfortable room to venture forth on rough, cold and wintry seas.
Yet anglers do go out in the winter, arid they are likely to continue doing so.
Cod fishing has several appeals for salt-water anglers.

First, of course, codfish provide the opportunity to do some fishing in the winter.
Most other fish have gone south or into the deeper waters along the northern section of the Atlantic Coast.

But cod reverse the pattern and move inshore and become plentiful when these other fish are scarce or absent.

Also, most bottom fish in northern waters are on the small side, rarely going over 5 lbs., but cod are big and catches over 5 lbs. are the rule rather than the exception. Cod are also fairly easy to catch and they make excellent eating.

As a result of these appeals, many salt-water anglers become codfish "regulars," sailing on open party boats at least once a week when the cod are running.

Cod usually run from November to March in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey waters. Farther north and in deeper offshore waters you can also catch cod during the summer months, but here we are mainly concerned with winter fishing.

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Tackle for Channel Bass Fishing

2008-01-16T05:42:00.000-08:00

The tackle preferred in this type of fishing is a 6-ft. bait-casting rod with bait-casting reel and a 12- or 14-lb.-test braided or monofilament line.
The so-called popping rods of this type are very popular. However, light salt-water spinning outfits will also work fine. The most productive lure is a small nickel or silver spoon with a buck tail or feather, but at times the fish will also take jigs and small surface plugs.
Once you spot a school or an individual fish you should wait until you can get within casting distance. Then it's best to cast 3 or 4 feet ahead of the fish—not right at them.

One exciting feature of this type of fishing is that you can often see the fish chase the lure. So you can delay your strike a second or two to make sure the channel bass has the lure in his mouth.

No matter where you catch him you soon develop a healthy respect for the fighting power and stamina of a channel bass.

From the small "rats" up to the big "bulls" the reds rarely give up without first doing their best to smash your tackle. And they often succeed, especially with anglers who get buck fever or try to horse these stubborn mules. The angler who takes it easy and lets the fish run when he wants to lands the most and the biggest channel bass.

When you do catch channel bass, save those under 15 lbs. or so. They make pretty good eating if broiled, baked or made into a fish chowder. The larger fish can be eaten but they're coarser, stringy and have less flavor, so when the fishing for the big ones is good, many anglers keep one or two and let the rest go. After you've battled a big channel bass you can't help but feel that he has earned the right to fight another day.

Related Articles:

Tackle for Channel Bass Fishing - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/tackle-for-channel-bass-fishing.html
The big problem in catching channel bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/big-problem-in-catching-channel-bass.html
Baits for catching Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/baits-for-catching-channel-bass.html
Surf Rigs to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/surf-rigs-to-catch-channel-bass.html
Black Drum or Channel Bass? - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-drum-or-channel-bass.html
How to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-catch-channel-bass.html

The big problem in catching channel bass

2008-01-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

The big problem in catching channel bass in the surf is to locate the best fishing spots or the fish themselves.

Sometimes, especially in the fall of the year, this may be easy. The fish appear in large schools near shore and the water above the fish looks reddish.

At other times channel bass can be seen chasing bait fish in the surf or inlets.
Most of the time, however, you have to study the formation of the beach to locate the best fishing spots. Veteran channel-bass anglers search for sloughs or holes where the fish may be lying or feeding.

A slough is found between the beach itself and the outer sand bars. It can usually be spotted by the darker, deeper and smoother water. The incoming waves crash over the outer sand bar, then level off until they reach the beach where they curl over once more. Another good spot is a cut or break in the outer sand bar through which the water enters and leaves. Still other productive areas are inlets which empty into the ocean. Channel bass can also be caught from piers or jetties which jut out into the ocean.

When fishing any of these spots it's a good idea to cast your bait as far as possible. Let it lie there a few minutes, then move it in a few feet.

Again, let it lie; then move it.
Keep doing this until the bait is almost on the beach. In this way you cover the entire width of the slough or hole. If you get no results in an hour or two you can move to another spot and try there.

In bait fishing it is important to give the channel bass plenty of time to mouth and swallow the bait. Don't strike when you feel the first pickup or nibbles. Instead, wait until the fish starts moving away with the bait—then come back with the rod tip to set the hook.

Over the years surf anglers seeking these fish have found that the incoming tide is most productive. So, many of them like to get down to the beach at low tide and fish the incoming tide right up to high water. Yet there are times when the best fishing is found in the outgoing tide. So if the incoming tide doesn't produce, try the first two or three hours of the outgoing tide.
Like striped bass, channel bass aren't afraid of a heavy surf and will often feed when there are plenty of breakers crashing on the beach. In fact, some of the best channel-bass fishing takes place when there is a moderate surf. A severe or prolonged storm, such as a northeaster or southwester, however, will usually kill the fishing for a few days, especially if the water turns dirty with seaweed. But immediately after the storm the fishing often gets hot. You can catch channel bass during the day, but the peak periods are around daybreak, dusk and often at night.

If bait fishing fails to produce, try casting a metal squid, heavy spoon or underwater plug in the surf. These lures are especially good when schools of channel bass are seen lying or feeding near the surface.

Along the Atlantic Coast there are two main periods when you can catch big channel bass in the surf.
These are during the spring run in April and May and in the fall during October and November.
Sometimes the fishing lasts into December. At this time many of the beaches from Virginia south to northern Florida may produce, but North Carolina from Nag's Head south to Topsail Inlet offers the most consistent sport. The most outstanding spot of all is the point at Cape Hatteras, where big fish are taken each spring and fall.

Almost as exciting as surf fishing is casting from a boat for big channel bass.
The procedure here is for the captain of the boat to wait until he sees a school of channel bass swimming near the surface.
Then he maneuvers the boat alongside the fish and two or three anglers cast metal squids, heavy spoons, jigs or underwater plugs at the fish.
It is important not to cast into the middle of the school or the fish will be spooked.
The idea is to cast ahead of the leading fish or beyond the main body of fish and reel through it.
If two or three anglers hook fish at the same time, as often happens, there will be plenty of fun and excitement.

Instead of casting for the fish you can also try trolling on the outside of the school with big spoons or feather lures.

However, in calm, clear water this tends to frighten the fish so trolling is best when the water is rough or choppy and the fish are feeding over shoals or sand bars.

Boat fishing for big channel bass is usually practiced at Oregon Inlet, Hatteras Inlet and near other inlets or spots where schools gather to feed or migrate. This tendency to gather occurs during the spring and fall months. For this fishing, you can charter boats together with the necessary tackle for casting or trolling.

Another form of boat fishing is practiced off Cape Charles, Virginia, during the summer months.
In this case the fishing is done at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on the bottom, with a sinker and in water anywhere from 50 to 100 ft. deep.

The hook is usually baited with a chunk or strip of bunker, but other fish, such as mullet, croaker and spot, can also be used. The fish often run big here, with quite a few in the 50- to 65-lb. class taken during June, July, August and September.
So the tackle should be fairly heavy—a boat rod or trolling rod and lines testing from 36 to 50 lbs. will do the trick.

When we move down to Florida we find that it is only necessary or worthwhile to fish for channel bass in North Carolina style, that is with regular surf tackle, only in the surf from Fernandina Beach at the Georgia line down to around Vero Beach.
This is because you often have to make long casts, use heavy sinkers and baits and may hook only an occasional channel bass in the 40-lb. class. In the rest of the state the reds run mostly from 3 to 20 lbs.
A channel bass in the 30-lb. class is a whopper in most parts of Florida.

For this southern fishing I like a light salt-water spinning outfit which can be cast with one hand. A sturdy fresh-water spin reel or a light salt-water model matches this rod and is loaded with 8-lb. test line. With such an outfit you can cast the small lures used for channel bass in Florida waters. One of the best is a small yellow or white buck tail or nylon jig. Jigs are killers because they can be worked to resemble a shrimp, a favorite channel-bass food in the South. To do this you reel slowly and jerk the rod tip at regular intervals to give the jig the darting, hesitant stop-and-go movement of a live shrimp.

Other good lures for channel bass in Florida waters are small spoons, metal squids and underwater plugs. At times the bass will also come up and sock a small surface plug of the torpedo or popper type.

Whichever lure you use, the thing to remember is that most of the time Mr. Redfish is a slow, methodical bottom feeder. He hasn't got the speed of a barracuda and prefers to take lures that are moving slowly. So lures that are worked at a snail's pace and especially near the bottom get the most strikes from channel bass.

Channel bass are also taken by the thousands with natural baits in Florida waters. They'll take small pieces of mullet, menhaden, crabs and shrimp. One of the best baits is a live shrimp fished either with a free line and no sinker or on the bottom with lead. The best hook sizes to use are Nos. 1/0, 2/0 or 3/0—small enough so that you don't miss the smaller fish that hit.
In Florida you can catch bass in the surf and from piers, docks, jetties, boats and the shore. The mouths of inlets and rivers themselves are always good places to try. During the winter months channel bass often move up the rivers right into brackish or fresh water. They also feed over sand bars, oyster and other shellfish beds and along the edges of channels. Channel bass can be caught in Florida waters all year round, but peak fishing usually takes place in the fall, winter and spring.

Channel bass can also be caught along the beaches and in the bays, sounds and passes in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas with methods and tackle similar to those used farther north. However, in these areas channel bass are also stalked on the flats by fishermen wading in knee-deep water. This is similar to bone fishing in the Florida Keys, where you first locate a fish before you cast. This method calls for plenty of patience and quiet footwork. In these shallow waters the reds are skittish and you have to be careful not to spook them. Any splashing or sudden movements will frighten them and they'll take off.

Related Articles:

Tackle for Channel Bass Fishing - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/tackle-for-channel-bass-fishing.html
The big problem in catching channel bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/big-problem-in-catching-channel-bass.html
Baits for catching Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/baits-for-catching-channel-bass.html
Surf Rigs to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/surf-rigs-to-catch-channel-bass.html
Black Drum or Channel Bass? - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-drum-or-channel-bass.html
How to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-catch-channel-bass.html

Baits for catching Channel Bass

2008-01-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

Mullet

The bait usually used for channel bass in the surf is mullet. It is almost always available and makes a good, tough bait which will stay on the hook.
Freshly caught mullet is the best, but frozen or iced fish can also be used.
Some anglers also use salted mullet, which is very tough and often works well. The mullet should be scaled and if it's a small one, say 5 to 8 in. long, you can use it whole, but if the mullet is a pound or more in weight it can be cut into chunks about 2 in. wide.
Or you can fillet the mullet and then cut each fillet in half to make four good-sized baits.

Mossbunker or Menhaden

Another good bait is mossbunker or menhaden, especially if it's fresh. It is oily and bloody and draws fish from a distance. Stale bunker is not too good because it is soft and comes off the hook too readily.
Even fresh bunker is often tied on a hook with thread or rubber bands to keep it from flying off on a cast. When using bunker you can prepare it in the same way as mullet.

Shedder or peeler crab
Still another good bait to use in surf fishing is the shedder or peeler crab. However, these are more expensive if bought and also tend to fall off the hook too easily. Hard blue crabs are also used but if you want to use them you should remove the top shell and tie the rest to the hook with thread.

Channel bass in the surf will also take clams, squid, shrimp and chunks of fish such as bluefish, croaker, spot and herring. I've even cut strips from channel bass already caught and used them to catch still more fish.

Although most channel-bass fishing in the surf is done with natural baits on the bottom there are times when they will hit artificial lures, so it pays to carry metal squids, heavy spoons, underwater plugs and jigs, to use when the fish seem in the mood for lures.

Related Articles:

Tackle for Channel Bass Fishing - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/tackle-for-channel-bass-fishing.html
The big problem in catching channel bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/big-problem-in-catching-channel-bass.html
Baits for catching Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/baits-for-catching-channel-bass.html
Surf Rigs to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/surf-rigs-to-catch-channel-bass.html
Black Drum or Channel Bass? - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-drum-or-channel-bass.html
How to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-catch-channel-bass.html

Surf Rigs to catch Channel Bass

2008-01-16T05:38:00.000-08:00

Two types of rigs are usually used to catch channel bass in the surf.
The first is
the standard three-way-swivel surf rig.

On this rig the leader will vary anywhere from 2 to 3 ft. in length. No. 8 or 9 stainless-steel wire is best because of the occasional appearance in the surf of bluefish or sharks.
The most popular hook for this fishing is the O'Shaughnessy, in sizes from 5/0 to 9/0.
Smaller sizes are used for "puppy" drum up to 15 or 20 lbs., while larger hooks are used for the big 30-, 40- and 50-pounders.
A good size for all-around use is a 7/0 hook.

The other surf rig is the fish-finder rig which makes use of a sliding ring.

A barrel-swivel acts as a stop so that the sinker won't slide all the way down to the hook.
The length of the leader and the patterns of the hooks are the same as those used with the other rig described above.

Related Articles:

Tackle for Channel Bass Fishing - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/tackle-for-channel-bass-fishing.html
The big problem in catching channel bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/big-problem-in-catching-channel-bass.html
Baits for catching Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/baits-for-catching-channel-bass.html
Surf Rigs to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/surf-rigs-to-catch-channel-bass.html
Black Drum or Channel Bass? - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-drum-or-channel-bass.html
How to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-catch-channel-bass.html

Outfits suitable for catching Channel Bass

2008-01-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

Two outfits are suitable for catching channel bass in the surf.

One is the old favorite:

the conventional surf rod and revolving-spool reel. Such a rod should go anywhere from 9 to 11 ft. in over-all length and should be on the medium or heavyweight side. The revolving-spool reel should have a free-spool, a star-drag and hold at least 200 yds. of 36-lb. test braided-nylon or Dacron line.

The other outfit is

the surf spinning rod and reel, heavy enough to take this type of fishing. That means a surf spinning rod anywhere from 9 to 12 ft. in length with enough strength and backbone to cast sinkers up to 4 or 5 oz. The reel should be a dependable salt-water surf spinning type holding at least 250 or 300 yds. of line. With the rod described above you'll need a monofilament line testing at least 15 lbs. A beginner would be better off with lines testing 20 or 25 lbs.

The heavy tackle recommended above should be used when fishing for big channel bass in heavy surf and with heavy sinkers and large baits. If the fish are running small or the surf is calm you can often use lighter tackle, or if you plan to use lighter sinkers and small baits or artificial lures you can often get away with lighter rods and lines.
But whether light or heavy your rod should be fairly long—not under 9 ft. and ideally 10 ft. in over-all length.

To make the long casts that are sometimes required and to handle the long leaders on bait rigs, you'll find the longer rods best.
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Tackle for Channel Bass Fishing - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/tackle-for-channel-bass-fishing.html
The big problem in catching channel bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/big-problem-in-catching-channel-bass.html
Baits for catching Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/baits-for-catching-channel-bass.html
Surf Rigs to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/surf-rigs-to-catch-channel-bass.html
Black Drum or Channel Bass? - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-drum-or-channel-bass.html
How to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-catch-channel-bass.html

Black Drum or Channel Bass?

2008-01-16T05:35:00.000-08:00

The black drum is a dark gray hump-backed fish with whiskers below its chin.
The channel bass or red drum is a slimmer, more streamlined fish, coppery or bronze along
the back and silvery and white along the sides and belly.
A sure identification mark is the black spot at the base of the tail.

In most fish there are only one or two spots on each side, but others may have more.

The channel bass or redfish is not a true bass but is related to the croaker family, which includes
the drums and weakfish. Like most members of this family he can make a "drumming" sound—hence his name.

By any name the channel bass is a favorite with thousands of surf anglers. From Virginia to northern Florida and again in the Gulf of Mexico, the channel bass occupies the same exalted position among surf fish that the striped bass enjoys from Cape Cod to New Jersey. More surf anglers would rather catch a big channel bass in those areas than any other surf fish.

Your chances of catching a big channel bass in the surf are pretty good if

you are properly equipped,
go fishing at the right time,
choose the best spots and
know how to use the baits or lures.

All this knowledge, of course, comes with experience, but the tips and hints outlined here
offer a short cut which, if put to use, will bring results much sooner.

I cannot emphasize too strongly that the proper equipment is very important in channel-bass surf fishing.
The combination of sand, surf, tide or current and a big channel bass on the end of the line usually
proves too much for a weak rod, reel or too light a line or hook.
These fish are real tackle busters and each year hundreds of big ones are lost because of
faulty or inadequate equipment.

How To Catch Channel Bass

2008-01-16T05:34:00.000-08:00

The surf angler heaved his chunk of mullet bait into the ocean and it landed with a splash about
200 feet from shore. Then he backed up the sand beach and put his rod into the rod holder
attached below his waist. He didn't wait too long, because a few minutes later something grabbed his bait and took off for Diamond Shoals, way out at sea off Cape Hat-teras, North Carolina.
The line peeled off the conventional reel at an alarming rate. The angler grew panicky and clamped his thumbs on the revolving spool. The surf rod dipped into a wide arc, then suddenly snapped back as the line parted with a loud crack.

"Did you see that?" the surprised angler shouted as he reeled in the slack line.
"Must have been a record drum. I'll bet he would have gone 70 or 80 pounds!"

I sympathized with his loss but I couldn't hurt his feelings by telling him how big the fish probably was.
Most likely it was a channel bass going somewhere between 20 and 50 lbs. That's the size usually
caught from the surf during the spring run in North Carolina.
But his real mistake lay in trying to stop the fish's run.
Channel bass are stubborn bulldogs and fight like demons from start to finish, no matter
where they are found.

If you want to try for them you've got a lot of fishing territory to cover.
Channel bass range from Virginia south to the Gulf of Mexico, along the surf and in bays,
sounds and rivers.
At one time early in the 1900's they were fairly plentiful as far north as New Jersey and a
few strays were even caught in New York waters. But today they are scarce in these parts and
the best fishing is from Virginia south.

Although the name channel bass is the correct one, this fish is also known by many
local names such as

redfish,
red bass,
reef bass,
red horse,
bar bass,
spot tail,
beardless drum,
red drum,
drum and a dozen others.

In Florida he's called the redfish and just plain "red."
Along the Atlantic Coast he's usually called the red drum or drum.

However, the name "drum" tends to confuse him with his bigger, heavier brother, the black drum.
Although they are related there's no comparison in appearance and fight.
Related Articles:

Tackle for Channel Bass Fishing - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/tackle-for-channel-bass-fishing.html
The big problem in catching channel bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/big-problem-in-catching-channel-bass.html
Baits for catching Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/baits-for-catching-channel-bass.html
Surf Rigs to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/surf-rigs-to-catch-channel-bass.html
Black Drum or Channel Bass? - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-drum-or-channel-bass.html
How to catch Channel Bass - http://howtofishinsaltwater.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-catch-channel-bass.html

Rigs

2008-01-15T03:14:00.000-08:00

While the more active and shallower feeding game fish can go for the upper hook the more sluggish bottom feeders can take the lower one.

Surf anglers who do bottom fishing with natural bait use two kinds of rigs.

One is the standard surf rig, which is similar to the basic bottom rig except that the leaders are longer and a pyramid sinker is used instead of a bank sinker.
The leader, which is usually from 18 to 24 in. long, is tied to a three-way swivel just above the sinker.
Hooks will, of course, vary in size and pattern depending on the fish sought.
Striped bass, bluefish, channel bass, weakfish, kingfish or whiting can all be taken in the surf with this rig.

The other rig used in surf fishing is the "fish-finder" rig.

It has a fish-finder gadget which has a round ring on one end and a snap on the other.
The snap holds the sinker. The line is then run through the hole in the fish-finder and is tied to a leather thong which has been forced through one of the eyes of a large barrel swivel. If you have no leather thongs you can also tie the line directly to a big barrel swivel. Then the leader with the hook is tied to the other eye on the barrel swivel. The leather thong or barrel swivel acts as a stop to prevent the fish-finder and sinker from sliding down to the hook.

The theory behind this fish-finder rig is that when a fish picks up the bait it can move off with it without dragging the sinker. The line moves out freely through the ring on the fish-finder and while the angler can feel the pickup.
It pays to watch closely how the veteran or successful angler makes up and uses his rig.

Two bottom rigs used in surf fishing. "A" is the standard surf rig on a three-way swivel. "B" is a surf rig with a "fish-finder."

Two types of sliding-sinker rigs are shown. "A" makes use of an egg-shaped sinker. "B" uses a snap-swivel and a bank sinker.

Check such details as

the size and pattern of the hooks being used;
the length and thickness of the leaders or snells;
the distance above the sinker they are tied; and
the weight and style of the sinker that is needed.
All of these play a part in presenting the bait to the fish properly.

Speaking of bait, the rig you use is worthless unless the bait you use is both correct and fresh. Try to find out in advance which bait the fish have been taking best, then buy or obtain enough bait to last until you quit fishing. If you don't know what bait is best on a given day or in a certain area it's wise to bring along three or four different kinds. Then you stand a better chance of having at least one bait which will catch fish. And nothing beats fresh bait. Buy the freshest you can obtain and change it on the hook often.

One final tip about rigs:

I find it's a good idea to make up several rigs in advance before I go fishing. It takes time to make up a completed rig on a boat or on shore when you're actually fishing. With several on hand, you won't have to waste valuable minutes tying up a rig from scratch.

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Supplies for your rigs

2008-01-15T03:09:00.000-08:00

Supplies for your rigs

For your rigs you'll need a few supplies, such as swivels, wire leaders, sinkers and hooks.

Start with some three-way swivels of various sizes. The size 3/0 is about the largest you'll ever need. For light-tackle fishing the small No. 4 swivel is about right. In-between sizes such as the 2/0, 1/0, 1 and 2 swivels should be obtained for use when needed. Some barrel swivels in sizes 3/0, 1/0, 2 and 4 are also good to have on hand.

For making leaders or for snelling hooks, nylon leader material testing 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50 lbs. will be needed for most forms of bottom fishing. These can be obtained in coils of from 10-yd. to 100-yd. lengths. If you are after sharp-toothed fish such as bluefish, barracuda, sharks, etc., you can use cable-wire leader material instead of nylon. Wire leaders are also used for surf fishing for big striped bass, channel bass, sharks and rays.

The most commonly used sinker for bottom fishing is the bank type, although the diamond-shaped style is popular too. In rocky areas, round sinkers are sometimes used, but in surf fishing on sandy bottoms pyramid sinkers hold best. For light tackle and shallow water a 1-oz. or 2-oz. sinker will often serve, but when you are using heavy tackle and thick lines in deep water with strong currents or tides, you may need sinkers up to 12 oz.

Regarding hooks: you can often buy them on short or long leaders in almost any tackle store. If you want to tie or snell your own, loose hooks bought by the dozen or by the box are the best and most economical. Buy them with eyes if you want to tie on the nylon leader material or without eyes if you want to wrap them with fine silk or nylon thread to make snelled hooks. Eyed hooks will save you time and are preferred by most anglers. The hook pattern and size you use depends, of course, on the fish you are after, the tackle you use and where you are fishing.

These are basic bottom rigs. "A" illustrates the so-called "deep sea" or "bottom" rig. "B" shows a popular bottom rig for flounders and blackfish.

The most popular patterns include the O'Shaughnessy, Eagle Claw, Carlisle and Sproat. Special hooks, such as the Virginia, are used for blackfish or tautog. Chestertown hooks are favorites for winter flounder and Sheep shead hooks are used for the sheep shead, a large member of the porgy family

The basic rig for bottom fishing—one that has been used for many years—consists simply of a snelled hook tied a few inches above the sinker.

Some anglers merely tie the loop of the snelled hook into the main line and let it go at that. But often this allows the hook and leader to get wrapped around the main line.
A three-way swivel tied on the line allows the hook to clear the main line.
Instead of using the three-way swivel, some anglers wrap waterproof tape around the line and leader at the point where the tie is made. This stiffens the section and also forces the hook to swing away from the line.

There are also various cross-line swivels and spreaders on the market which do the same thing, but the tendency in recent years has been to get away from as much "hardware" in a rig as possible.

The basic bottom rig is also made up with two or more hooks on the line.
The popular "deep-sea rig" makes use of two hooks, one tied just above the sinker and the other just high enough above the first to clear it. This rig is used from party boats fishing the offshore wrecks and banks. It is used with small, short-snelled hooks for blackfish or tautog, sea bass, porgies, whiting, ling and similar fish. With longer leaders and larger hooks it is used for codfish, haddock and Pollock. For herring, smelt and a few other fish as many as three or four hooks may be tied on, one above the other.

Another bottom rig which has become increasingly popular in recent years consists of a nylon leader about 14 in. in length tied a few inches above the sinker and another hook on a short 8-in. nylon snell tied near the center of the longer 14-in. leader.

Two types of flounder rigs. "A" illustrates the spreader type with two hooks. "B" shows a single-hook rig attached to a three-way swivel on the line.

This creates a two-hook rig which lies right on the bottom and is especially useful for blackfish or tautog, winter flounder and kingfish (northern whiting). It is also good for eels and any other species which picks or sucks its food from the bottom.
A special winter-flounder rig is the type which makes use of a spreader.
The sinker is tied in the center of this heavy-wire device and two Chestertown hooks on short snells are attached on the ends. This rig also lies on the bottom, but it is cumbersome and heavy, making it difficult to detect a bite or to get the maximum sport out of playing such a fish as the flounder.

For the more active summer flounder or fluke, as it is called, a longer leader and larger hook are necessary.

This is a fluke rig showing a fluke spinner, which is often used instead of the plain hook.
Carlisle hooks in sizes 4/0 to 6/0 are generally used, depending on the size of the fish.
Here a leader from 2 to 3 ft. long is tied just above the sinker. Small, live killifish are often used as bait for fluke, and this arrangement allows them to move around a bit. Many anglers also add a double-bladed fluke spinner or a spoon-like flasher above the hook to attract the fish. Spinners work best in a fast tide or when the boat is drifting and the sinker is bouncing along the bottom.
When there are game fish such as weakfish, striped bass, bluefish and similar active feeders around, a "high-leader" rig is often effective.
Here leaders as long as 5 or 6 ft. have been used, but 3- or 4-ft. leaders are easier to handle. If you are using the shorter version, it should be tied a distance equal to its length above a sinker which is heavy enough to reach bottom.

The hook is then baited with a whole sandworm or bloodworm, a strip of squid, a chunk of shedder crab or a strip of fish and is lowered into the water. Care should be taken to see that the leader straightens out before you release the sinker. When the rig hits bottom, you lift the rod high, then lower it, at the same time letting out some line. When the sinker strikes bottom again, you let it lie there for a few seconds, then lift the rod tip again and lower it, releasing more line. In this way the rig moves out along the bottom with the tide or current, thus covering more territory and at the same time giving the bait some movement. When the rig has been taken out some distance from the boat you can reel in and repeat the process, or you can reel in very slowly, dragging the sinker along the bottom in the hope that a fish will see it.

The high-leader rig discussed above is sometimes used with another hook on a shorter leader or snell tied just above the sinker.

This is a diagram of the high-leader rig showing the optional second hook added near the sinker for bottom feeders.

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Leaders

2008-01-15T01:51:00.000-08:00

Leaders

Two kinds of leader are usually used for this type of salt-water fishing.

One is the cable-type leader while the other is the single-strand stainless-steel wire.

The rigs used for casting and trolling are relatively simple, and the same rig can usually be used in many parts of the country and for different kinds of salt-water fish.

But when we come to bottom-fishing rigs we run into a different problem. Here, there are rigs which can be used for many species, but there are also special rigs which are only good for specific fish.

If you are party-boat fishing, ask the mate or a nearby angler for advice on rigging. Ask, too, at bridges, piers or other places where experienced anglers are present. Tackle dealers will also be glad to show you which rigs to use and how to make them. You can also buy ready-made rigs for many kinds of fish, but because these are often too elaborate and expensive, most bottom fishermen prefer to tie their own rigs. Each angler has his own ideas and preferences, and that's part of the fun in bottom fishing.

Use the right Rig

2008-01-15T01:47:00.000-08:00

Every angler who fishes in salt water should be familiar with the various rigs used for casting, trolling and bottom fishing. This terminal tackle has evolved through years and years of experimentation in presenting lures and baits to fish.

The rigs vary according to

the area being fished,
the fish being sought,
the tackle being used and
the fishing method in use at the time.

Rigs play a big part in successful fishing or the lack of it, and the smart anglers soon learn when, where and how to use each rig.

The simplest rig in salt-water fishing is used for still fishing with a cane pole. Here you merely tie a hook on the end of a line or a nylon leader and lower it into the water. Sometimes a float or bobber is attached above the hook. With a shorter leader this rig can also be used with casting tackle. Usually a split-shot or clincher sinker is added above the hook but below the float to keep the baited hook at the proper level in a tide or current.

Any time you are casting with lures in salt water, whether with a light one-handed spinning rod or a heavy conventional surf rod, it's a good idea to use a "shocker" leader. This is a length of nylon material which is tied to the end of the main fishing line. It should be a few pounds stronger than the main line.

With spinning tackle this leader should be long enough so that when the lure is reeled in all the way a few turns of it should be left on the reel spool.

With conventional tackle the leader can consist of nylon mono-filament long enough to reach almost to the reel spool when the line is reeled all the way in.

Usually a snap can be tied to the end of the leader, and the lure can in turn be attached to this. But if you are fishing where there are bluefish, barracuda or other sharp-toothed fish around, a wire leader can be attached to the end of the line or to the lure itself. This should be no more than 6 to 8 in. long when used for casting and 2 or 3 ft. long when trolled with light tackle.

When trolling for larger game fish, you may need leaders up to even 15 ft. in length for many of the larger billfish such as sailfish, marlin, sharks, etc.

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Which Fishing Tackle For You?

2008-01-09T23:43:00.000-08:00

The average person who first takes up salt-water fishing seriously is usually a pretty confused individual. He sees so many rods, reels, lures and lines in a fishing-tackle store that he becomes bewildered.

Which salt-water fishing outfit is the best and which one should he choose for the fishing he wants to do?

Through the years I have recommended fishing outfits for many salt-water fishing novices. I have found that many of them approach the sport with the mistaken notion that one outfit can be used for all their salt-water fishing. This, of course, is not true and that is why you will find a wide variety of rods, reels and lines being made and sold for saltwater fishing.
However, if you know in advance what type of fishing you like best to do, you will be in a better position to choose the proper outfit for such angling.

For example, will most of your fishing be done on the bottom of the sea, with bait and from boats, bridges, piers or the shore?

If so, then a salt-water bottom-fishing rod and reel will be the most practical and effective for this type of fishing.