Double Threat Charters

Daytime Swordfishing Equipment

2021-08-02

Revolutionizing the Technique

Just because we discovered that swordfish can be targeted during the day doesn’t mean it is an easy task. Daytime swordfishing involves the presentation of a bait 1,000-2,000 feet below the surface. In most regions, this includes a wall of current you have to penetrate if you hope to get into the strike zone. With the advent of new equipment, specifically, super braid and modern electric reels, came the advancement of daytime swordfishing as we know it. Braided line has impressive breaking strength and narrow diameter which allows it to cut through the water column and makes fishing these depths much more tangible. Electric reels allow you to retrieve your bait quickly with up to 12 lbs of lead which is a necessity, not a luxury when you are looking to efficiently work the strike zone.

Getting Started with Daytime Swordfishing

If you are looking to get started with daytime swordfishing, it’s important to understand that this is one of the most expensive styles of fishing you can possibly embark on. It’s important to charter with an expert on at least 1 or 2 occasions before you even think about trying this on your own. You will save thousands of dollars by leaning on their insight rather than relying on your own learning curve. With every mistake while swordfishing comes the potential loss of a fish of a lifetime along with hundreds of dollars of terminal gear. You can read more about swordfish here: https://www.fishmiamicharters.com/fish-species/swordfish

Daytime Swordfishing Equipment

You’ll quite a bit of specialized equipment if you are hoping to get started with swordfishing. This includes a 50-130lb class electric reel, a purpose-built swordfish rod with good backbone and a soft tip, 1500 yards of 65 or 80 lb braid, a 150-foot wind on, some stick leads ranging from 6-12 pounds, 300 lb leader, some large J Hooks, a few lights, and your bait. In addition, you’ll need a harpoon and some rope for the end game, a block and tackle if you are fishing with fewer than 3 people, a fish bag to keep the fish out of the sun, some gaffs, and a meat hook. Sure, some of these accessories are “optional” but if you hope to close on 200+ pound fish with any kind of consistency, they are more of a requirement.

Daytime Swordfish Electric Reels

There are quite a few reels on the market for swordfishing but only a few that truly stand out. The first is made by Lindgren Pittman and the second by Hooker Electric.

LP makes purpose-built, commercial-grade deep drop reels with a host of features that come in handy while fishing in deep water for big fish.

Standard features on an LP include a digital line counter (that literally never misses a beat), a gear-driven level wind, auto stop, interchangeable high capacity spools, 0-100lb of drag capability, and more.

LP makes a 12-volt and 24-volt reel that is about 50% faster. The 12-volt version has two speeds, slow retrieve, and max speed, while the 24 volt has variable speed capabilities.

The interchangeable spools are an awesome feature because they allow you to switch techniques at a moment’s notice. You can use the same reel for deep dropping, dredge fishing, grouper trolling, and more. Having a spare spool can also save time if you break off and want to skip the rigging.

The LP is quiet, has a robust build, large buttons, easy to use drag lever, and is designed for continuous use. This is by far the most reliable, durable, efficient electric reel on the market and our choice for swordfishing.

Hooker Electric Reels

Hooker electric is an additional option, especially if you are looking for something that has a manual option. This is a popular reel among charter boats because it is an electric/manual hybrid. In addition, it can be paired on your favorite conventional reels, namely Penn Internationals or Tiagra.

For swordfishing, you should specifically consider an 80w. Some people in South Florida use the 130 and some in the Gulf go as light as a 50w for lighter current applications. Overall, we believe the 80w is the most versatile especially when fishing deeper than 1500 feet or dealing with current over 2 knots.

Some of the newest hooker electric 80 wide reels come with auto stop features, digital line counters, level winds, variable speed settings, and even Bluetooth remote technology. These are fast reels but I’m not sure who can claim to be the fastest with the newer high-speed 24 volt LP. Feel free to learn more about Hooker Electric reels here: https://www.fishmiamicharters.com/log/product-review-hooker-electric-reels

We use an LP for our tip rod and a Hooker Electric 80w for our buoy rod.

Daytime Swordfish Rods

For daytime swordfishing, we like to use an 80-130lb blanks with a bent but and a Winthrop roller tip. These rods should have a light tip for great action so you can easily detect a bite. Regardless of the builder, go with a longer rod as this leaves more room for error while fishing.

RJ Boyle makes a great rod, as does Barrett Rods, Connley, and more. We recommend RJ Boyle rods because they have different blanks for different styles of fishing depending on your region.

Daytime Swordfishing Line

If you are looking to get into swordfishing, you will need to stock up on braid and a lot of it. Many people prefer 65lb braid as it has the smallest diameter you can get away with while still possessing the breaking strength needed to get a big fish to the boat. We believe 80lb braid is ideal in most places as it gives you a bit more room for error.

The best brands for braided lines for swordfishing include Diamond fishing line and Suffix. Either of these options is excellent if you are looking for a quality line. For our hooker electric, we like to spool the reel with a few hundred yards of 80 lb monofilament filler, then finish it off with 1500 yards of 80 lb braid. If we break off, we strip it down and refill it.

For the LP, you can use some mono backing then top it off with 3500 yards of braid, or simply a 1500 yard section, especially if you have multiple spools. There are quite a few ways to manage your braid just make sure you always have the freshest line possible and you are ready if you break off because this is a reality that everyone faces while swording.

Daytime Swordfishing Windons

Once you have an electric reel stacked with braid, your next step is to top off your braid with a 150-foot wind on. If you are looking for a bit of stealth, you can go as light as 150lb for the wind on but we prefer 250lb, especially during the end game (when you have a harpoon in the fish and it twists up with the wind on, you’ll thank us).

R&R tackle makes a great wind on and they also make buoy sections which we’ll talk about later.

Terminal Gear for Swordfish

When it comes to terminal gear, Diamond makes high-quality ball-bearing swivels. Do NOT use a snap swivel to connect your wind to your leader. We like to use a 300-500lb ball bearing swivel.

When it comes to the leader, 300lb will work and everything should be secured using crimps. We have never lost a sword because it got through a 300lb leader so I wouldn’t worry about that. If you want to blow money, you can use fluorocarbon leader as light as 200lb but I don’t think it makes much of a difference.

For lights, use a diamond-shaped, water-activated strobe. We like to put 2 lights on the wind on, one about 15 feet away and one 30 feet away. We use a blue or green light close to the bait and a white light further away.

Best Hooks for Swordfishing

For swordfish hooks, J-hooks work much better than circles. Regardless of brand, you’ll want a 9/0, 10/0, or 11/0 hook with a southern tuna style bend. We like to use Pakula Dojo Extra Strength hooks with a size 35 for foldovers and a size 40 for belly baits. 10/0 Mustad 7691S works great as well. For dink baits you can go as small as a 9/0 and for big belly baits, as heavy as an 11/0.

Lead and Longline Clips

Some people cheap out and use rebar or other creative styles of weight. This is fine if you are doing a break-away rig but we prefer using traditional lead. If you have 1.5 knots or less of current, 8 lbs is fine. For 2-3 knots of current, 10 lb usually works great. For 3+ knots of current, you may need a 12lber depending on how thick the current is and how much you are scoping between drops.

Longline clips are a must for securing the lead to the floss mark on the wind on. You’ll be doing this over and over throughout the day and you need to be able to quickly remove the lead when you are fighting a fish.

Harpoons and Gaffs

For harpoons, Hooker Electric makes a great dart. RJ Boyle also makes a good harpoon. Your harpoon should be 8-12 feet in length and pretty heavy so it throws true and sinks quickly.

Your harpoon should be paired with a stainless dart and bail of line. We have 1,000 feet of line in a basket that we fasten to our harpoon. For big fish, we always keep our second harpoon and basket ready (yes, we have 2 harpoons, and yes, you may need them). We once hooked a 460lb sword that came straight to the surface. We harpooned it in the first 10 minutes before it took off to the bottom. The hook pulled and we fought the fish on the dart line for 4 hours before sinking a second harpoon in it.

For gaffs, AFTCO makes solid equipment. You should have a gaff with a 4-inch or 5-inch gaff that is at least 8 feet long. 2-3 gaffs are ideal. We also carry a flying gaff but this is really for mako sharks. Usually, a harpoon or 2 along with a straight gaff or 2 is enough to subdue a big sword.

Fish Bag

Get a velcro, insulated fish bag that folds up and helps keep the fish covered. A 90-inch bag should suffice in most cases.

If you want to get down and fish with us, feel free to book a swordfish charter here: https://www.fishmiamicharters.com/offshore-fishing

Ultimate Wind-on Planer Rig

2018-12-20

The Ultimate Wind-on Planer Rig

What to Buy and How to Make it

Planer fishing is a tried and true method for trolling baits deep in the water column. Many anglers utilize planers to troll for mackerel and wahoo, but few are rigging the planers so that they can be quickly detached from the leader. Here’s a better way to planer fish, and this method can also be used for trolling leads.

Why use a detachable planer?

A detachable planer allows you to reel the leader and fish all the way up to the rod tip. It eliminates the necessity to hand line the fish up to the boat. This is a major benefit, especially when dealing with larger fish like big mackerel or wahoo. The drag pressure applied to a fish with the reel is far more consistent than the pressure you apply pulling a fish in by hand. You can easily pull too hard by hand and pull a hook, or break a light leader if the fish makes a hard run. If the fish darts towards the boat, it's harder to pull up the slack by hand safely than it is to reel up the slack. Leadering by hand also risks physical injury. Additionally, the leader has to be carefully managed when leadering in a fish by hand. A 50-100 foot leader can present a hazard when laid on the deck or dragged behind the boat. It can’t be easily stowed either, most people simply wrap it around the reel. Gaffing a large fish while simultaneously leadering it isn’t for the faint of heart, and many fish are lost at this point. This technique is awesome, especially while Planer Fishing for Wahoo or Planer Fishing for Kingfish. Having two free hands for a critical gaff shot can mean the difference between whether or not the fish makes it into the boat. The extra rigging required for the wind-on planer rig is well worth it. Try fishing a detachable planer and you’ll never go back. Here’s how to make the rig.

Rigging the planer:

Parts:

planer
long line clips (size small x2)
200 lb mono
crimps (x2)

Crimp the long line clips to the planer as shown in the diagram. Once you have the long line clips attached to the planer, you can make the leader section.

Rigging the Wind-on Leader:

Cut a 6’ section of 100# mono leader.
Slide on 5 small, 100# aluminum crimps. (small crimps will run through rod guides better)
Slide on a small high quality swivel (Spro ball bearing swivel)
Run the mono back through the crimps
Lay the planer with long line clips stretched out next to your leader.
Crimp your double line sections so they are aligned with your extended planer is shown in the diagram.
Crimp another swivel to the single line end of the leader.

Once you incorporate the inline bridle, add 40-80 feet of leader to the rig. It sometimes helps to use a swivel inline on the leader to prevent line twist, especially while fishing drone spoons. For shock leaders, 80 lb works for the first section but the last 30 feet to the bait should be no heavier than 60lb test. Kings and wahoo are leader shy, even on the troll. Try presenting a classic strip bait or drone spoon as a bait and you’ll definitely get some bites.

Top Trolling Rigs for Mahi

2018-12-20

Trolling rigs for Mahi

There are a wide variety of trolling lures on the market. Which ones actually catch fish, and which ones are designed just to catch fisherman? Here are a few of our favorite rigs to pull when we’re targeting mahi.

1. Skirted artificial lures: These types of lures are widely available and catch a variety of fish beyond just mahi. Often times they are rigged and ready to go out of the package. We prefer the smaller sized lures, in the 4-6” range. Colors like a combination blue and white mimic flying fish, a favorite forage of dorado. Pink is also a color that seems to get a lot of bites in the spread. Some of our favorites include the R&R Mahi Magnet which can be found here https://randrtackle.com/collections/mahi-magnets. Feathers fished out of the outriggers and close to the boat will run or skip across the surface and remain relatively free of weeds. Try to position a new lure at different locations in your trolling spread to see how it runs.

2. Combos: anglers have pulled the classic Ilander ballyhoo combo since well before my time, and for good reason. They catch fish! A well-rigged ballyhoo behind a skirt is irresistible to mahi, tuna, wahoo and billfish. The Iland lures brand classic Ilander and Sea Star are excellent lures which run well in a variety of positions in the spread.

3. The Naked ballyhoo is the closest thing to a live bait. There is an art to rigging a ballyhoo, and each angler has his own unique method. There is no right or wrong way as long as a few key elements are satisfied to keep the bait from swimming abnormally or washing out too fast. One key element is symmetry. For example, an off axis chin weight would cause a bait to spin or turn sideways. Additionally, failure to wrap shut the ballyhoos mouth would cause the bait to wash out.

Most ballyhoo rigs consist of a long shank hook, mono leader, a chin weight, and soft wire. The 4 ballyhoo rigs pictured include: 1. Ilander ballhoo combo. 2. Modlcraft chugger combo. 3. Chin weighted ballyhoo with copper wire. 4. Chin weighted naked ballyhoo with monel wire.

How to make a high quality trolling rig for mahi:

These are the parts and tools required.

Long shank hook: Try using an Owner brand Long Shank Hook model 5192.
Crimps: Sized according to leader material to be used.
Lead weight: Chin weights can vary in size from 1/4 to 1 oz depending on the size of the ballyhoo.
Mono leader material: Bullbuster brand monofilament in 60-100 lb.
Mono cutters
Crimping tool
Copper rigging wire
Malin rigging wire

Steps:

Cut a 6 foot section of mono leader material.
Place on your mono as follows: crimp, lead, crimp, hook.
Run the mono back through the crimps, but not the lead.
Stick a 1 foot section of Monel or copper wire into the leading crimp.
Crimp
On the other end of the mono crimp a loop in the leader.

How to set up a Kite Line- Clip Spacing

2018-12-20

How to set up a Kite Line- Making Kite Marks

Any serious fisherman in south Florida is going to be flying kites this winter for sailfish. This technique can also be deadly on tuna as well. If you have any intention of kite fishing, you’ll have to make a kite line. The basic kite line uses three different “marks” used to stagger three kite clips. This is established by having different size holes in each of the kite clips, each corresponding to a mark on the kite line.What do you mean by a “mark”??? The mark can be a swivel or a floss mark made with wax floss tied in a series of half hitches. The marks are designed so they are slightly larger than the hole in the kite clip. As the kite is sent away from the boat, the mark on the line leaves the reel and catches the kite clip. Most fishermen use a 3-clip system and refer to the marks as the “long”, “middle”, and “short” marks. The clips have different size holes with the smallest holes on the long clips (closest to the kite) and the biggest holes on the short clip (closest to the reel). Kite marks should correspond to the diameter of the clip. The long mark will be the furthest from the boat, and the short closest to the boat. It’s also possible to run a 4th clip and we often do so, even with inexperienced anglers.There are several different methods to make marks to stagger your kite clips.

The easiest way is by attaching your braided line segments together using swivels. This method works great for recreational anglers. Unfortunately, putting 3 swivels on the kite line breaks the line up into segments into with 6 knots (one on each end of the swivel). These knots are a weak point when they begin to experience a lot of stress. Another method for creating kite marks is with the use of wax floss, which are more durable than swivels because they keep the line intact. Charter fisherman and tournament fishing teams typically prefer wax floss because of the added durability and ease of use. Wax floss is tied around the kite line with a series of half hitches. A double layer of wax floss prevents the clip from sliding past the mark. The furthest floss mark will have the fewest overlapping half hitches and the closest floss mark will have the most. Always size the marks with the corresponding clips.

Spacing your kite marks

There’s no rule regarding how far apart you should space your kite clips. Some anglers prefer their baits and clips closer together and will rig their kite marks as close as 40 feet apart. I prefer to fish clips positioned in the picture below. This distance will give you a big spread, but are close enough together to allow a pack of fish to spot multiple baits in your spread for multiple hookups.

I space my kite marks as follows-

100 ft from the kite to the long mark
90 feet from the long to the mid mark
80 feet from the mid to the short mark
70 feet from the short to the super short (here I opt for a swivel).

Tips and geometric considerations

How high should your kite fly, can it be too high or too low? Yes, try to keep your kite around a 20-25 degree angle above the water. The reason for this is that below 20 degrees, the kite line will be too close to the water to allow you to reel the short bait up in the air. This will prevent you from avoiding tangles, checking the bait, and shaking off weeds stuck to a bait.If your kite is flying too high, the distance between your baits is decreased due to geometry. Additionally, this means more line needs to come off the reel to keep a bait in the water when compared to a kite at a lower angle. This means a longer drop back when the clip pops. Furthermore, more air resistance on your main line means it will require more lead to keep the bait from being pulled out of the water. Another tip is to use a lighter wind kite than the wind conditions call for. For example, (we fish with SFE brand kites) suppose the wind is 14 mph. This speed falls within the manufacturer rating for both its light wind (4-15 mph) and all-purpose (5-25 mph) kites. By flying the light wind kite, there will be more tension on the kite line, helping to keep it straight and from sagging. This will also help when maneuvering the boat with the wind.

Rigging Bonito Strip Baits

2018-12-20

Making Bonita Strips for Trolling:

Bonito strips are deadly tools that can bring life to a troll spread. Tough and versatile by nature, these wiggly morsels work just as well up top as they do behind a planer. Whether you are trolling or live baiting, the goal while fishing is to shoot for the most natural presentation possible. Bonito strips behind a seawitch or feather can be irresistible to a variety of species as they rip through the water column.

The first step in prepping for bonito strips is the obvious: catch bonito. Bonito are ravenous little fish that can be caught on the edge from 80-200 feet of water almost year round. We catch bonito while live baiting and trolling. Bait preparation and management is crucial while charter fishing so we make sure that every bonito we catch makes it into the box and eventually our freezer.

The Little Tunny or “bonita” are widely regarded as a trash fish because they are poor table fare. They do make great baits for targeting everything from sharks, snapper, mahi and mackerel. The best way to utilize the bonita is to cut their skin into strips for trolling. A well cut strip placed behind a skirt provides a great natural action to the bait and a scent trail to get the bite. A bonita strip can be fished anywhere in the water column. On the surface behind a feather such as an Illand Lure or Billy Bait, or down deep with a planer or trolling lead. Our trolling spread always includes a planer setup with a double hook rig and bonita strip. There are a few key points to cutting a strip that you might not think of, but can make all the difference. Here’s how we cut and rig our strip baits for the planer.

Cutting the bonito strip:

First, filet the bonito. I like to make a square cut behind the pec fin then run the knife through to the tail. It's basically a standard filet but we leave plenty of meat on the fish.

Next we like to cut the filet as thin as possible. Your skin section should be no more than one quarter inch thick and should be even throughout the filet. I usually like to take the knife and essentially skin the bonito while leaving a small amount of meat on the skin.

Next, cut your strip in a teardrop type shape. This takes a little bit of practice. No strip is perfect but it definitely helps to make sure your strip has good action in the water. Long, skinny strips work just fine. If you want to get fancy with a tear drop shape that has beveled edges it will swim even more realistically. Always start from the tail section of the bonito which will be the front of the bait.

It’s very important to note the direction of the grain pattern in the bonita’s flesh (see illustration). It runs at an angle to the skin. The “head” of your strip bait will be oriented to the bonita’s tail, and the tail of your strip to the bonita’s head. Why is this important? Cutting your strip in this orientation will cause it to swim more hydrodynamic. If you do it the other way, the flesh will flake off faster, the strip will fall apart, and cause it to spin or swim erratically as well as wash out. You can also hold the knife blade at an angle to bevel the edges of the strip. Lastly, cut your strips so they are between 6-10 inches in length, and 1.5-2 inches wide.

Rigging the strip:

We prefer to fish our strips with a double hook rig. The leading hook is used to secure the head of the strip. Hook the strip so that the hook goes through the flesh side of strip first. Next, place the second hook through the strip so that the strip lays flat. If the strip is not taut and has a “bow”, it will spin in the water. Use hooks that are sized appropriately for your strip. A good rule of thumb is to keep the hooks in the top half of the bait. This allows for the best action, as hooks placed to far back prevent the strip from wiggling naturally. The best skirt to place in front of your strip is the Sea Witch. Try adding a mylar skirt behind the sea witch to fill out the bait and add flash. This combo is our go to for targeting big kings and wahoo on the reef. Click to read more info on planer fishing

Basic Kite Fishing Rig

2018-11-21

Here are some tips and tricks to help you advance the basic kite fishing rig. First, let’s start with the basic rig.It consists of a kite leader, snap swivel, lead, cork and o-ring. If you’re new to kite fishing, the objective of kite fishing is rather simple: to fish live bait on the surface in the stealthiest way possible.

Kite Fishing allows you to keep the mainline out of the water, and fish your bait right on the water’s surface. The stainless o-ring at the top of the kite rig attaches to a tension release clip on the kite line. The cork or float is used as a visual indicator, not like a fresh water bobber. Lead is used to prevent the bait from coming out of the water.Wind pressure on the main line will blow small baits out the water on high wind days. Lastly, the snap swivel allows for rapid changing of leaders. This is the rig most beginner and advanced anglers use with some small variations. Once you understand the fundamentals of kite fishing, try some of these tips and tricks to improve your game and catch more fish.

Choosing Leads For Kite Fishing

Unless you’re kite fishing with less than 5 knot wind and helium balloons, you’ll need some lead on your rig. Typically, leads up to 2 oz is sufficient for conditions in the 5-30 knot range. Some anglers will lead their long baits slightly heavier than the mid and short and use different color floats for each position. Instead, try fishing all matching combos can save time when changing baits. This way, you don’t have to worry about which rods need to be in the short/mid/long positions after instances of multiple hookups or advancing baits on your kite line.

Put a Rubberband on the Rod Buts

Keeping a few heavy duty rubber bands on your rod buts gives you a quick release way to manage your kite leader. A 15 foot leader can be prone to tangling other tackle if not secured or wrapped up. The quickest and easiest way to stow them while fishing is to tuck the excess under a rubber band. Also, you can bridle a bait to place in a livewell and keep tension on the line so the bait doesn’t swim the leader into a knot.

Pre- Made Leader Spools

It should go without saying, but having several premade leaders is a must. I’d recommend having a 30# fluoro spool, 50# mono spool and one with wire and circle hooks for when toothy fish like mackerel are biting ferociously.

Zero Knot Wind Kite Fishing

Wind is almost essential to have when kite fishing. For a great spread with zero knots of wind try 2 balloons per kite line. One on the kite and one close to the mid clip. It also helps to bump the boat away from the kite while deploying the baits. Attach the balloon to the kite line with a piece of copper rigging wire, wax floss, or rubber band. It will give the midsection of your kite line lift and prevent it from sagging in the water. Be sure to attach the balloon securely, but also in a way that can be quickly removed so that you can access your long clip quickly.

Bridle Location

Bridle baits through the nose in weedy conditions or if you’ll be dragging baits through the water. Smaller scaled baits like small pilchards will swim more natural with a nose bridle. Otherwise, I prefer to back/shoulder bridle all my large baits. Give it a try and see the difference!

Wreck Fishing Rig for Grouper and Amberjack

2018-11-07

Wreck Fishing Rig for Grouper and Amberjack

Where to fish:

Looking for a grouper or amberjack to bring to the dinner table? Plenty of anglers try tackling big bottom dwelling fish with poor results. Modern marine electronics make secret spots a thing of the past. Shipwrecks, ledges and rock piles are marked on modern GPS chart plotters. There are also plenty of resources online if you’re willing to do the homework. These are the places you’ll want to fish to catch big Amberjacks, Grouper, Cobia, African Pompano, Snapper and other structure seeking fish. Shipwrecks are see more fishing pressure, and fish are getting smarter as a result. Don’t make the figurative mistake of bringing a knife to a gun fight when looking to catch big amberjack or grouper off a ship wreck. These fish will try and get back into the structure, whether it's a coral head, rock ledge, or shipwreck. Here's a great site, FloridaGoFishing lists wrecks in Florida by county with depth, description and GPS coordinates.

Tackle considerations:

Almost all the big groupers we catch off Miami already have a few hooks in their mouths… These fish are capable of hard runs, often right back into the wreck to cut you off. Too light of tackle and there’s no stopping the fish, while on the other hand too heavy will spook off weary fish. So where is the middle ground? Here’s the type of rig we prefer to fish. Keep in mind that in Miami it’s necessary to use heavy tackle due to the large and aggressive shark population around the many of the wrecks. Often times a struggling fish (or struggling angler for that matter) gives the sharks enough time to grab a quick meal. In essence catching these fish is a race between the angler and the shark...

Our Rig:

We start on a 50 class reel with 130 lb braid. Next, we tie on a heavy duty 3 way crane swivel. To one end of the 3 way we attach our lead, usually a 2 lb bank sinker. Then we attach our leader material, a 40-50 foot section of 80-100 lb mono. For weary fish you can try using a longer leader section or switching to fluorocarbon leader. The majority of black grouper we catch have hooks with 20-30 lb line attached stuck in their lips. Don’t make the same mistake. Use heavy enough tackle and increase your success rate. After experimenting with a variety of size and hook styles, we’ve had the best success rate with a 9/0 Owner circle hook. Always use circle hooks. The best way to hook the bait is by bridling the bait through the eye sockets with wax floss. It will increase your hookup ratio and helps keep the bait from being plucked off the hook. If you happen to miss a bite the fish may circle back and grab it again. Choice baits include large blue runners, goggle eyes, speedos and pinfish.

Continue Reading:

For more information on black grouper or amberjack, click the links to our species profile pages. Also feel free to check out our article on Miami Wreck Fishing to see the best time of year for targeting different species.

Fishfinder Rig for Mutton Snapper

2018-10-22

One of the most widely used bottom fishing rigs is the versatile fish finder rig. It can be adapted for both inshore and offshore fishing and for a variety of different species. It’s an easy rig to tie, making it a favorite for anglers. The rig consists of a weight attached to the main line followed by a swivel. An egg sinker placed on the mainline allows fish to pull line without pulling the weight of the lead. This allows game fish a swim off with the bait and swallow it before the angler sets the hook. There are sinker sliders available on the market, and they allow you to attach different sinker types through the use of a snap.Sinker sliders are ideal for surf fishing, when a pyramid type sinker is preferred over an egg sinker. They also provide a convenient attachment point for quick lead changes.

Leader selection:

When fishing from a boat for snapper or grouper, it’s best to use 30 feet or more for a leader. For weary mutton snapper and grouper try using 40 lb fluorocarbon leaders. When we are fishing in shallow, clear water, longer fluorocarbon leaders have produced the best results. A good tip to note is that you can get away with shorter leaders in areas with more current.Another situation where a shorter leader is preferred is when you’re fishing near structure, or if you have to cast the rig.

Lead selection:

The amount of lead needed depends on a variety of fishing situations. For instance, fishing from an anchored boat in light current is the easiest scenario. It a depth of 50 feet, it may only take a few ounces to hold bottom. On the other hand, fishing in 150 feet from a drifting boat in 3 knots of current would require significantly more weight. In any case, the fish finder rig is still a great choice.

Freespool is your Friend:

The biggest benefit of the fish finder rig is that the lead slides freely on the main line. Why is this a major benefit?It allows you to feed line to a live bait so it can swim further from the lead, or allow cut bait to drift naturally. Furthermore, when a fish grabs the bait, it can swim away without feeling the pressure of a heavy lead. I like to bottom fish with a conventional reel, keeping the reel in free spool with the clicker on. While drift fishing, you can continue to feed line once the lead has hit the bottom to prevent your sinker from bouncing along the bottom and potentially spooking nearby fish.

Variations and applications:

For some applications, a 30 foot or longer leader isn’t feasible. When we’re casting baits on spinning outfits to sight fish cobia or snook, I’ll scale down to a 3-4 foot leader with heavier leader material. You can try hooking a live bait in the tail or under the anal fin to encourage it to swim away from the weight, effectively lengthening your leader. Another trick is to replace the swivel on the rig with a split shot. This can allow you to remove the split shot so your larger lead slides down to the hook. Some anglers have difficulty managing a long leader. It can be cumbersome to hand line in the fish once you get to the swivel, especially if you’re fishing alone. By replacing the swivel with a split shot, you can remove the split shot and essentially reel the fish right up to the rod tip.

Tips for Catching Golden Tilefish

2018-10-08

Tips for Catching Golden Tilefish

Off the coast of Miami, golden tilefish commonly dwell in waters ranging from 500-900 feet. They range the length of the US eastern seaboard and have been found as deep as 1,500 feet. Golden tiles look for areas with soft bottom such as clay. They make conical shaped burrows and guard them against invaders. Catching tilefish involves dropping a heavily weighted rig to the bottom with squid or fresh cut bait. The preferred rig for goldens is a “lay down rig”. This type of rig opposed to a chicken rig consists of 2 weights, with a heavier lead close to the main line and another at the end. This allows the rig to drag across the bottom, kicking up sediment along its path. Be sure to attach a high quality deep drop light to help attract fish.

Catching Golden Tilefish

We chose to fish or rigs on electric combos with 80 pound braid, although it’s possible to go to lighter braided lines and hand crank reels. We’re typically fishing from 600-800 foot depths and require 4-6 lb lead to hold bottom. You know you’re over the right type of bottom if you can feel your lead weight stick in the mud, load the rod, and then release from the mud. Ideally you want to bounce the bottom, to stir up sediment and draw the tile’s attention. I like to keep the reel in free spool while we drift to give the fish a chance to investigate a motionless bait. The fish hook themselves against the pressure of the lead, so circle hooks are a must and required by law north of 28 degrees latitude. Dehooking tools and nonintrusive venting tools are also recommended. For bait, squid and fresh cut strip baits such as bonita and barracuda are hard to beat. I like to cut strips in a narrow triangle shape, from 6-8” long. You can try placing a glow in the dark squid skirt over the bait to help attract tilefish. For more information, click on golden tilefish to view our species profile page.

Chicken Rigs for Snapper and Grouper

2018-10-01

Deep Drop Rig for Snapper - Chicken Rig

A quick and easy bottom rig to tie is the chicken rig. The rig itself consists of multiple hooks with your lead on the bottom. It presents your bait vertically in the water column, great for schooling fish suspended near the bottom. We often use them to target vermillion snapper and yellow eye snapper off Miami. My first introduction to chicken rigs was fishing for flounder off NJ. Off NJ we would tie primarily double hook rigs, spaced closer together and with longer loops. Chicken rigs work great for catching bait too, the Japanese sabiki rig is essential to anglers here in south Florida. Sabikis are essentially a miniature chicken rig.

The rig itself can be used in numerous different applications and fisheries. For snapper fishing off Miami try making your rigs from 30-50 lb mono or flouro. I prefer 4 or 5 hook rigs with the hooks spaced around 3 feet apart. Dropper loop knots are a great choice, anglers also use surgeon’s knots to tie their loops. It’s important to lubricate the dropper loop when cinching it. I like to tie 8 or more twists on my loops, leaving a loop around 6 inches long. To attach a hook, the simplest method is to insert the loop through the eye of the hook and then back around the hook. Another method is to clip one side of the loop near the base of the knot and tie the hook onto the longer tag end. Some anglers prefer this method, but I discourage it. Besides compromising the integrity of the rig, it’s more time consuming to tie hooks than it is to loop them on. For bait selection it’s best to use fresh cut bait like bonita or squid. It’s important to cut your bait in a strip shape rather than a cunk to prevent it from spinning and twisting up the line. At the ends of the rig you can tie perfection or surgeon’s loops, making the rig easy to attach to a snap swivel or lead.

Deep Drop Rig for Grouper- Chicken Rig

When targeting larger grouper or queen snapper, scale up your leader and hooks. 3 way swivels in place of dropper loop knots can help reduce line twist. When targeting bigger fish it is important to scale up hook size and leader size. The swivels also help maintain integrity of the mainline and branch line. This rig is excellent for a variety of species including queen snapper, snowy grouper, rosefish, red grouper, and more.