Tips99


		FISHING PRODUCT TIPS FOR 2007 #1 SHIMANO has two new hot products. I have used them and think they are great. The “Baysteel” Multi-fishing tool is a superb piece of equipment to have on board and their “Evair” fishing boots are exceptionally comfortable and light. Be sure to check my website at www.skimmeroutdoors for the latest daily fishing reports. Skimmeroutdoors.com now has a site specifically for PDA users with fishing reports generated while I am on the water. Check it out at www.skimmeroutdoors.com/pda. #2 “Gibbs” wooden fishing plugs are some of the best plugs on the market. They have just updated their famous “Danny Surface Swimmer” plug to the “Pro Series” adding better VMC hooks, glass eyes, “Spro” swivels and a larger tie-off eye for easier swivel attachment. Skimmeroutdoors.com is selling the big 3 1/2 oz. yellow plug at a very competitive price. #3 If you are going to target a high quality game fish like big striped bass, it is wise to use high quality tackle. I use 8- foot Rogue rods and Shimano Tekota 600 reels spooled with 25# Sufix hi-vis yellow line. This combination provides what it takes to land a 54-pound striper like Greg Sandler did this past week. Scott Leonard of Augie’s Custom Tackle in Babylon is building custom rods using Rogue blanks. I have been using one of his rods this season and it performs beautifully on the big fish. What is nice about a custom rod is that you can specify thread color, guide quality and all the other features that will make it a one-of-a-kind product that you will enjoy using for many years. #4 GPS/sonar combination units are now considered a must on every fishing boat. Choosing one could be difficult as there are so many that are affordable and easily available. I have been using “Lowrance” products www.lorwance.com for over 20 years. Their new LCX 113C HD unit is really incredible. All mapping is built into its 30 gig hard drive and the 10-inch color screen is viewable in direct sunlight. The sonar is powerful and really shows fish distinctly and this unit is very affordable compared to other large screen units. #5 The “Boga-Grip” is the ultimate fish handling and weighing device. It is a stainless steel lip-grabbing device that works like a charm and is almost indestructible. It has been imitated but never equaled by any other company. It is available in 15, 30 and 60 pound models and can be certified by the IGFA for weighing world record catches. It is a little costly but worth the money. I keep two on the boat at all times, the 30 and 60 pound models. I would recommend one for any serious angler. Most quality tackle shops carry them or they can be ordered online direct at www.skimmeroutdoors.com. #6 Using a cast net is the best way to catch a good supply of bunker for bass fishing. A good cast net should sink quickly and open easily. I use a 10-foot radius net with 1 ¼ inch mesh. It will catch live bunker and that is the bait that will make for a great day of fishing. At www.skimmeroutdoors.com we offer top quality cast nets for sale for all types of bait catching needs. In addition, my cast net DVD will show you how to throw the net so that it will be most effective. #7 Mercury Marine produces the finest outboard engines on the market today. The “Verado” line of four stroke engines is the benchmark of excellence in outboard technology with integral supercharging to produce the most power from every gallon of gasoline. These engines are extremely fuel efficient, reliable and are the most quiet of all outboard engines. A noteworthy product is the newly introduced four cylinder series of Verado engines. They are available in horsepower from 135 to 200 and most importantly for small boat owners is that they are 120 pounds lighter than the six-cylinder version. These engines will reduce your fuel bill and give your boat much greater range. When repowering or looking for a new boat, check out Mercury “Verado” engines. #8 When fishing in the ocean the water is often crystal clear. In these conditions the fish will often be able to see your terminal tackle and will shy away from your lure or bait. In clear water it is wise to use fluorocarbon leader material and minimal hardware. Sufix makes a product called “InvisiLine” which is 100% fluorocarbon and comes in 33-yard spools from 2 to 425 pound test and in 110-yard spools from 20 to 80 pound test. It is a great product and I use it all the time. I also downsize my connecting swivels using “Spro” swivels that are less than half the size of a normal swivel of the same breaking strength. #9 At this time of year I am fishing for fluke almost every day. I like a rod that is light enough to use in the bay with a light sinker but strong enough to fish in the ocean with up to 10 ounces of weight. “Rogue” makes a great rod for this application, the LSW 705C. This rod is light and lively enough to use for inshore bottom fishing but can handle doormat fluke. I use it while slow trolling in the ocean with 10 ounce fluke balls and a double hook rig set a foot above the ball and have had nice fluke up to 10 pounds using this rod. #10 The half-ounce “Crippled Herring” metal jig is a favorite at this time of year. I rig them with a foot of 15# fluorocarbon leader and a small 50# “Spro” barrel swivel. With this lure you can catch snappers galore and if the bonito, false albacore or mahi show up you can catch them and have a ball on light spinning tackle. FISHING TIPS FOR 2007 #1 When fishing live bait for bass it is common for bluefish to chop at the tail and body of a live bunker. They will eat everything but the head on most occasions, sometimes they eat it all. When you feel a bluefish biting at your live bait do not pull back to set the hook. Leave the bait, or remaining head drifting in the water and often a striped bass will take the head that remains. They are used to picking up the pieces that the bluefish leave behind and like bunker heads. #2 When fishing a bucktail for fluke, cut back the hair on the jig to just behind the hook to prevent missing the short biters. A bucktail just heavy enough to bounce along the bottom is best. In most areas this will be about 1 ounce. #3 When bluefish start attacking live bunker baits and chewing off the tails I add a tail hook on a short piece of wire to catch those toothy critters. Instead of just bringing back heads, it is fun to hook into one of these big “alligators” for a first rate tug-o-war. #4 Bluefish schools roam the bay all summer long and are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. They can be caught easily with spinning tackle casting metal jigs. Weakfish often feed below the bluefish so if you want to connect with weakfish, let the jig settle to the bottom before beginning to work it. Also, a small bluefish is excellent eating contrary to what most people think. The trick is to bleed it immediately after catching by cutting into the gill and then put it on ice to keep the meat fresh and firm. They are great on the grill. #5 When the dogfish are harassing you while fluke fishing in the ocean, do not use meaty baits like squid or fluke belly strips. When I encounter this problem I use just a plain spearing or killie for bait. The dogfish will be less prone to chasing these baits but the fluke will still jump on them #6 Sometimes striped bass fishing is better when the tide is running slow. Bluefish will feed in hard current but bass do not like to fight hard moving water. If the bluefish are killing you, try fishing near slack tide. You will have a better chance of connecting with a bass. #7 When heading out in the ocean on a shark or tuna trip be sure to carry a couple of spinning outfits to target any mahi that you might come across. Mahi (dolphin fish) like to hang around floating debris and buoys in the ocean. If you spot something floating or pass near an ocean buoy, cruise near to it and cast a small metal spoon or jig next to it. If a mahi is lurking nearby, it will surely jump on your offering. They are great acrobatic fighters and probably one of the most delicious fish in the ocean. #8 During this time of the season, striped bass can get a little lazy with the warm water temperatures. To get them interested in my bait offering I will cast whatever bait I am using whether it be the whole live bunker or chunk, or a head so that it makes a big splash when it hits the water. Bass will hear the big splash and come to investigate and usually eat your bait whereas a silent drop will probably not get them interested. Try it, it works. #9 Triggerfish are fun to catch and great to eat. The problem is that they are tough to clean. Their skin is like leather. I use a sharp pointed knife to puncture the tough outer hide. I then run the point of the knife under the skin along the mid-body bone and work it outwards, cutting the skin from the inside to the outside. I do the same thing on both sides of the fish cutting the fillet from mid body and out through the dorsal side and then again on the ventral side. They are one of the best eating fish we have in our area. #10 When trolling for tuna it is best to not back off the throttles when you get a fish hooked up. Keep the boat at trolling speed as long as you can and you will connect with multiple fish hook-ups as you continue to work the lures when you are on top of a feeding school of fish. I keep running the boat until I am in serious jeopardy of getting spooled on the rod that is hooked up. FISHING TIPS FOR 2006 #1 High visibility fishing lines (Hi-Vis Line in the industry) add a new dimension to precise fishing. These lines are fluorescent and allow you to easily see your line and it’s entry point into the water while you are fishing. This allows you to keep track of your line and know if it is crossing someone else’s line or in what direction the fish you are fighting is moving. If you are casting and working an artificial lure or plug you will be able to gauge its position relative to the structure or school of fish that you are targeting. When using these lines I always add a length of low-vis fluorocarbon leader material so that wary fish will not see the line. I am now using “Suffix Elite” Hi-Vis yellow or orange line. I use 12# line on my light spinners, 20# line on my heavy spinners and 25# on my conventional bass outfits. #2 When snagging live bunker make sure that you let your weighted treble hook sink to nearly the bottom. Occasionally a bunker will splash on the top but most of the school is deeper in the water column. Cast your treble hook over and past the school. Let it sink and then start your retrieve with long sweeping pulls of the rod as you retrieve. Using Sufix Hi-Vis line will help you keep track of where your line and hook is at all times. #3 Weakfishing with artificials is a very productive way to catch these great fighting and tasty fish. Casting and retrieving is more productive than just drifting and jigging. I prefer a long graphite spinning rods for this type of fishing. Long rods give greater distance on the cast and are more forgiving when the fish turns and runs. Graphite makes them light but very sensitive. I have been using Rogue “Hot Shot” salmon rods with much success. The HS 795S and HS 826S are my favorites. #4 When fishing in very clear waters, as is the case in our local waters at this time, it is essential to use leader material that is as close as possible to being invisible to the fish. This is especially true for fish with very keen eyesight such as any of the tuna species. Fluorocarbon leader material has proven to be the best solution to this problem. I am presently using Sufix “InvisiLine” which seems to be working very well. I use 25# for jigs with light tackle and 60# as leader for live bait fishing for striped bass. #5 Invisible lines are key to fooling fish. I have mentioned the benefits of fluorocarbon lines but there is another out there in the market place. Shakespeare makes a line called “Cajun Red Lightning” that is red in color. Underwater, red is the first color in the spectrum of light to disappear as water depth increases. As a result, this line is virtually invisible in only moderate depths of water. I have used it fishing offshore and have had good success. You might consider spooling up a reel to give it a try. #6 When fishing live bunker for bass it is not uncommon for bluefish to attack the bait and tear it to pieces leaving just the head. Do not be discouraged by this because bass love to eat bunker heads. In fact they are used to eating the heads, which the bluefish do not like. They stay below the marauding bluefish and wait for the discarded heads to settle to the bottom and then they suck them up like a vacuum cleaner. The moral of this story is fish bunker heads to catch bass when the bluefish are too thick and don’t be in a hurry to put on a fresh live bunker after the bluefish chopped off the body. #7 The best and most commonly used bait for fluke fishing is a spearing and squid strip combination. These baits however are very fragile, especially the spearing. If you leave them out in the sun and hear of the summer they will break down very quickly and become soft and mushy. It is very important to keep them on ice during the course of the day. Open the package and bait your hooks and then replace the package into the cooler to keep it fresh and firm. This will increase your fishing success. #8 It is now late July and about mid season for fishing. At this point if you have been fishing regularly, your tackle is probably in need of attention. As a general maintenance suggestion it is time to take care of some tackle needs. You should change line on all your reels that are used frequently. If you know how to do it you should open up the side plate of your reels and lube the gears and other moving parts. A good spray with WD-40 would also help. If you don’t know how to do it or don’t have the time, you should bring your rods and reels to a top-notch tackle shop to have everything tuned up. #9 When trolling for tuna and marlin, do not run a straight line for long periods of time. It is much better to make frequent turns of about 30 degrees while trolling. When the boat makes a turn, the lures cut from side to side moving through the wakes produced by the boat. This gives them a very attractive action and moves them in and out of the white water. This is very effective for attracting keen sighted game fish. #10 If you use top-notch products your fishing success and enjoyment will be maximized. Lots of thought and research goes into making a quality fishing product and experts in the field have done a lot of homework in developing this fishing gear and related products. I would like to mention my sponsors and must say they are some of the best. Mercury Marine and their super engines in the Verado and OptiMax series, Lowrance electronics for GPS and Sonar, Rogue Fishing Rods, Sufix Fishing Line, Shimano and Penn reels, Leatherman tools and Lee Fischer Cast Nets. These manufacturers produce superior products and stand behind them all the way. FISHING TIPS FOR 2005 #1 I use fluke bullets (chrome balls) as my sinker when fishing for fluke in the ocean. They usually have a hook attached directly to the ball. I find that removing that hook and attaching a drop-back hook about 6 inches behind the ball will catch more fish. I use 80-pound test monofilament to tie the hook to the ball. #2 When I have my sights fixed on catching a doormat fluke, I use large baits. My favorite is a whole squid. I buy the boxed type of squid because they are just about the perfect size. A 5 to 8 inch squid is ideal. I rig the squid on a tandem hook rig. I tie the hooks about 5 inches apart. I place the lead hook through the tip of the mantel and the trailing hook through the eyes in the head of the squid. I fish this bait on a 4 foot leader about one foot above the bottom. A spinner blade or a pink colored skirt will sometimes make it more productive. #3 When fishing live bait for striped bass, big bluefish often attack the bait and chop off the tail. When this happens I tail hook my bait with another hook on a short piece of wire leader. I purchase pre-rigged bluefish hooks on 6-inch wire leaders. I attach it to my rig and run the hook through the skin near the tail of the bait. A bass will still hit the rig but if a bluefish tries to chop off the tail he will usually get hooked and you can have a great time fighting a monster bluefish instead of just losing your bait. #4 When fishing for fluke in the bay it is best to work along the edges of the channels and sandbars. Fluke like to hand on the edges where they can ambush passing bait schools coming over the shallows and flats. Concentrate your efforts in depths of between 5 and 15 feet along the edges of all the channels in the bay and inlet. You will catch more fish. #5 All tuna species and their mackerel like cousins have extremely keen eyesight and are therefore very leader shy. I have expounded about this issue before in this column but with the appearance of school bluefin in near-shore waters and the expected arrival of bonito I thought it necessary to mention this again. When casting for any of these species I use fluorocarbon leaders tied directly to a “Crippled Herring” jig. About 1.5 feet of leader of no more than #15 and attached to the line with a small “Spro” #50 barrel swivel. A .75 oz., up to 1.5 oz. jig is used depending upon the size of the fish and the tackle used. Cast into or just ahead of a moving school, put the tip of the rod in the water and reel very rapidly on the retrieve. This method will put fish in the box. #6 A marker buoy is most important when trying to anchor on a small piece of structure for productive bottom fishing. Dropping a buoy on a fishing spot it makes it much easier to figure the wind and tide relative to your boat so that you can set the anchor and land on the productive bottom structure. It allows you to have a visual reference point while you maneuver the boat to set the hook. #7 Mako sharks love to feed on bluefish and squid. When targeting mako sharks, bluefish and squid make the best hook baits. If I set up a chum slick and don’t get any bluefish in the slick and there is no shark action I will move until I find some bluefish. I catch the blues and fillet them to use as hook bait. On the way out the inlet, if small bluefish schools are showing I will catch a bunch to use as shark bait later in the day. I always bring some large squid for hook bait and often will use a combination of bluefish fillet and whole squid on the hook. #8 Make sure you have a couple of spinning outfits on the boat if you are heading out to troll for tuna or to shark fish. If you see a piece of floating structure or heavy weed line, approach it slowly with spinning tackle and small metal jig at the ready. If you see Mahi hanging near the debris, cast the jig well past the fish and then retrieve the jig bringing it past the waiting fish. If you hook up a Mahi and there are others in the area they will stay with the fish that is hooked until it is brought aboard. If you want to catch more Mahi, keep one fish fighting in the water while someone else tosses another jig and hooks up with another fish. #9 When the bay waters get hot and full of weed, which is typical for August, it is wise to time your fishing trips according to the tides. Outgoing water (ebb tide) carries all the hot weedy water from the bay out towards the ocean. This is not the best time to go fishing. When the water is coming in from the ocean (flood tide) the cooler cleaner ocean water will predominate and fishing will be better. FISHING TIPS FOR 2004 FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #1 When the water is really crystal clear like it is now, fish can become line shy. When tying to any lure or jig, always use a shot of 20 or 25-pound test “Seaguar” fluorocarbon leader that is almost invisible to fish in the water. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #2 When you flounder fish, make sure the boat does not swing excessively on the anchor. If you keep swinging from side to side, the flounder will not chase after the bait and you will have a poor catch. Use two anchors to hold the boat fast in one spot. I like to drop a bow anchor first, set it into the bottom, then drop way back and set a second anchor off the stern. Pull both lines taught and you will set perfectly still and the fishing should be good. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #3 Worms are pretty expensive these days. When you are done fishing and have left over worms, wash them out in a bucket of salt water for about 15 minutes and then drain all excess water from them and the sea grass they were packed with. The washing will clean off the harmful wastes they excrete and if you repack them in the container they will live for a few more days and you might get another fishing trip out of them. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #4 Slip-gut weed makes fishing tough. This weed will build up on you line and cover your bait in a matter of seconds. If you have a problem with the weed you will have to fish a different area. It isn’t all over the bay so if you have a problem in one area, make a move to a new spot. You can see the weed in the water so just keep moving until you find a clean area and then fish that spot. The weed is concentrated around the islands in the bay so the Inlet area is best for fishing right now. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #5 Porgies like to hang around structure. Wrecks, lumps and other irregular bottom structure tend to concentrate fish populations. If you want to catch a lot of big porgies it is best to set your boat just up current from such a structure. Chumming with ground up clam will pull the fish off the structure and right to your chum pot. It is there important to use your sonar recorder to find good bottom structure and then if you catch fish, mark that position on your GPS so that you can fish it again on future trips. I have been using my new Lowrance 104C GPS/Sonar machine and it is producing some unbelievable results for me. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #6 Trying to hook up with bonito and false albacore on light spinning tackle or fly-fishing tackle is a real challenge. These fish are very wary and spook easily. Taking a direct approach toward a feeding school on the surface is sure to cause them to sound and head off to parts unknown. They best way to get a shot at hooking up with them is to head them off at the pass. When you spot a school, stay far away and observe their direction of travel. Motor the boat around them giving them a wide berth so they don’t spook. Stop the boat in what you believe is their line of travel but well ahead of the moving school. Shut down the motor and turn off depth sounders to reduce noise. Get your tackle ready to cast and wait. If all works well they should surface near enough to the boat to get at least on good cast and hopefully a hookup. If it doesn’t work at first then try, try again. Hooking up to these rockets is worth the work. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #7 When the water is hot and discolored, fish get lethargic and can’t see the bait. As a logical result, fishing will be slow. These conditions are present during the last half of the ebbing tide and the first half of the flood tide. During the last three hours of the flood tide and the first three hours of the ebb tide cleaner, cooler ocean water will be the dominant component of the water content and fishing conditions will bet best. It is therefore wise to synchronize your fishing trips with the most favorable conditions. The last of the flood and beginning of the ebb are the best for fishing in the summer. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #8 When trolling for tuna it is most important to constantly change the lures and their position in the trolling pattern behind the boat. I will change colors, lure type and distance behind the boat on a regular basis. I give each set up about one half hour before making a major change. When a fish is hooked up I then try to match the successful pattern by placing more of the successful lure type into the spread and setting most of the lures at the same distance behind the boat. A busy cockpit catches fish. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #9 Triggerfish are very tasty and the meat is very similar to Grouper however they are very difficult to fillet. Their skin is like leather. I use a serrated knife to make the initial cut from dorsal to ventral side just behind the head. Once the skin is opened with the serrated knife, a standard sharp bladed knife can be used to finish the job and remove a fillet from each side of the fish. It is excellent table fare. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #10 On days when the ocean is calm it is nice to fish the ocean for fluke. The problem is however that calm winds mean no drift. When these conditions exist, few fluke will be caught and skates will dominate the catch. The way to produce a consistent catch of quality size fluke under these conditions is to power-drift which means using the boat engine to create movement. In order to have this work properly you must use small diameter lines to reduce line drag in the water. I use 20 pound test “Power Pro” multifilament line and 8 or 10 ounce baited chrome balls with a leader and baited teaser about one foot above the ball on a three way swivel. I drop back about 150-200 feet of line in 70 feet of water and put the boat into and out of gear momentarily to just create about 1 knot of forward motion. I only fish two lines off the stern dead sticked in the rod holders. This is deadly for big fluke and will produce fish in still conditions. FISHING TIPS FOR 2003 FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #1 Weakfish like to hit a lure on the drop. When jigging an artificial for weakfish, technique is extremely important. During the jigging motion, when the rod tip is lowered to let the jig hit the bottom, it is best to do it slowly. When the tip is dropped slowly and tension is maintained on the line and a fish striking the lure on the drop will be detected more easily. If a strike is detected, the lack of slack in the line will allow you to set the hook instantly. Extra sharp hooks also will help to add fish to the cooler. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #2 When chumming bass using clams as hook bait, many fish get gut hooked. A hook in the gut is not a good thing for a fish that must be released. I strongly recommend using circle hooks. I use 6/0 Gamakatsu circle hooks and they work very well. When a fish picks up the bait, don’t strike with the rod. Let the fish turn and run and then just put the reel into gear and hold on. The leader will slide along the corner of the mouth and the circle hook will catch on its way out. The hook can be easily removed and the fish released in good shape so it can get bigger and fight again another day. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #3 Slip gut weed can make fishing very difficult. It slides down the line and covers the lure or bait. To minimize the problem, a swivel tied above the terminal tackle will help. As the weed slides down the line, it will get snagged on the swivel and allow the bait or lure to remain free of weed for an extended time. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #4 When you see a flock of terns working above a school of bluefish chopping up baitfish remember that the weakfish and bass will be following behind, cleaning up the pieces. If you want to target weakfish and bass, cast behind the working birds. The birds are directly above the bluefish that chase the bait to the surface. The weakfish and bass will lag behind. Work the area in back of the moving bluefish for a good shot at the weaks and bass. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #5 Bucktails tipped off with a jellyworm are very productive for catching weakfish and fluke. Most jellyworms are 7 to 9 inches in length and if attached to the bucktail will trail way behind the hook. This will result in short strikes that miss the hook or poor hookups that will be lost before you can get them to the boat. I like to cut the worm short leaving it about 4 to 5 inches in length. When it is threaded on the bucktail hook it will only extend past the hook about 3 inches. This setup will produce solid hookups. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #6 Fluke in the ocean are feeding on squid. Most anglers use a strip of squid in combination with a spearing or killie and this works real well however, if you want to catch a big fish, use whole squid as hook bait. Squid with a body size of 3 to 5 inches is the perfect fluke bait. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #7 When fishing bottom for porgies, it is best to use ground clam chum. When the water is hot as it is now, the frozen chum disappears very quickly. Sometimes it thaws so quickly that excess chum is released into the water and the fish gorge themselves and leave or stay too far behind the boat. During this time of year, I place my frozen chum in a laundry bag and then put it into the chum pot. The fine mesh of the laundry bag reduces the flow of the chum. It lasts longer and the fish come right up to the chum pot to pick up the tasty morsels. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #8 When shark fishing use styrofoam floats that are rigged permanently on your fishing line. You can buy them in any tackle shop for a couple of bucks. Just use a rubber band to hold them in place once you set the depth of the bait. Discarded broken balloons are ingested by sea creatures causing them severe injury and usually death. The styrofoam floats are reusable and don’t litter the ocean. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #9 When big fluke are brought close to the boat, they can become very athletic and difficult to land. Most big fluke are lost at the boat. Very often the hook is not embedded deeply but just hanging on a thread of tissue. When the fish makes a run near the boat, the hook usually pulls free. When a big fluke is raised from the bottom, the mate should have the net ready before the fish comes to the top. The angler should not attempt to bring the fish all the way to the surface where it will spook and run. The fish should be held about a foot below the surface and gently pulled toward the boat. The mate with the net should hold the net just above the surface of the water and make a quick scoop, engulfing the fish headfirst when it gets close to the boat. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #10 Bonito and False Albacore are great to catch on light tackle. Most people think that lures meant for bluefish will catch these relatives of the tuna. In reality, these fish are very selective feeders and have super keen eyesight. A typical bluefish lure like a 007 jig with a trace of wire leader will rarely get a strike. I have had good success using lures that match the small baitfish that they are chasing and I always use fluorocarbon leader material tied directly to the lure. I use 20-pound test and make my leader about 15 inches long. I then attach a small barrel swivel to the end of the leader and tie my line from the reel to that barrel swivel. Presentation is also crucial. I cast ahead of the moving school and let the lure settle a few feet down in the water column. I then employ a fast retrieve with the rod tip low to the water. I don’t jig the rod at all but just keep reeling at a rapid pace. When fly-fishing I use a Clouser Minnow fly preferably in olive and white and work it with a rapid series of strips followed by a short pause at measured intervals. It is worth the extra effort in gearing up properly for this fishing. You will have the time of you life when you hook up with these hard fighting fish. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #11 A good drift is necessary to catch fluke. In the ocean there usually is not as much current as in the bay. On a windless day there will be little or no drift. When this occurs you will not catch fluke but will be plagued with skates and sand sharks and will not cover any ground. When these conditions exist, I resort to power drifting. I use the motor putting it into gear occasionally to give the boat some forward motion and slowly troll at about one knot. I rig my fishing outfits with 20 pound test “Power Pro” multifilament line because of its lack of stretch and narrow diameter. This will let me use less weight to hold bottom with the forward motion and be able to get a solid hook-set because of the lack of stretch inherent with these lines. I fish 8 or 10-ounce fluke balls with a teaser rig about 10 inches above the ball. I fish two rods out of the stern rod holders and let out enough line to see the tips of the rod bouncing which indicates that the fluke balls are skipping along the bottom. I then watch the rod tips closely and wait for a fluke to take the bait. When the rod tip drops downward and stays down I know a fish has taken the bait. I pick up the rod and reel in the slack and then strike the fish. This method works very well and I suggest you give it a try next time you are becalmed on the ocean fluke grounds. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #12 Big baits catch big fish. If you really want to target a large fluke then fish large bait. A long strip of fluke belly and a jumbo killie, spearing or sandeel will more than likely produce a large fish. Do not forget to try live snappers during the next month. They are deadly on the big fish. Some tackle shops can order special baits of you ask them. Augie’s Custom Tackle in Babylon just got a supply of six-inch long sardines, which I think, will really do a job on the big fish. I will give them a try and let you know how they work. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #13 When fishing the ocean for fluke, try dead-sticking your rod. I like to put the rod in the rod holder and let the natural rocking of the boat impart action to the lures and bait. I watch the tip of the rod closely to see if a fish is nibbling at the bait. When I see a strike, I quickly take the rod out of the holder, drop the tip to the water to let the fish eat the bait and then strike hard when the slack is taken up. This really works well. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #14 Fishing live bait is a very effective technique for catching big striped bass, bluefish and weakfish. At this time of year however, bluefish are very numerous and with their sharp teeth, they will chop through a monofilament leader in a jiffy. To prevent such a break-off I use a trace of wire leader at the hook. The visibility of the wire may scare off a couple of bass and weakfish but at least you will be able to hook, fight and land a couple of big blues. Better to have something than nothing is my motto, and you just can’t beat the fight of a big “slammer” bluefish. FISHING TIPS – 2002 AND EARLIER FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #1 Weakfish and striped bass like to stay near the bottom when they feed. Bluefish prefer feeding near the surface. If you are targeting weakfish or stripers, you will catch more fish by working lures deep, near the bottom. For that reason I prefer to use swimming plugs that sink. When I cast a sinking plug, I count down about a second for each foot that I want it to sink. When I think it is at the desired depth, I then begin my retrieve and work the plug slowly, just above the bottom. If I am fishing in 10 feet of water, I will make my cast, count to 8 and retrieve the plug in pulses. Pull it a couple of feet to get it to wobble and send out vibrations, pause to reel up the slack and then pull it again. The strike, if it does happen, will almost always be on the pause. Be ready to set the hook and then hang on. This is technique is deadly on weakfish and striped bass. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #2 Bucktails tipped off with jelly worms are deadly on weakfish and striped bass. I use 1 to 1.5 ounce white bucktails. I tie a foot of 25-pound test fluorocarbon leader to the bucktail and a small barrel swivel to the other end. I make the hook needle sharp and thread on a jelly worm. I have had good success with white, strawberry worms. The hottest number in clean water has been the "Culprit" jelly worm in pumpkinseed with a chartreuse tail. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #3 Don’t be stingy with the worms when flounder fishing. I use a large piece of worm on the hook. At this time of year I prefer to use sandworms. If the worms are really large, I use half a worm on a hook. If they are small then I will use the whole worm. I have found that large baits catch big fish and more of them. Of course, heavy chumming with clam chum is a must. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #4 I love to fish artificial lures and a bucktail is my favorite. When the water is murky and cloudy as it is now, the effectiveness of artificial lures drops way off. To improve their attractiveness I add scent to the lure. There are two ways of doing that. Artificial scents in the form of oils and gels that imitate natural baits can be added directly to the lure. These products seem to work pretty well however I find the easiest and most effective way to improve my catch is to add a piece of natural bait to the artificial lure. I usually add a piece of squid or worm to my lures when fishing in dirty water. The addition of the natural bait now adds scent to the offering which means that you are not only appealing to the visual senses of the fish but also to its sense of smell. One added point is that bright colors work best in cloudy water. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #5 When fishing for sharks, balloons are often used to suspend the baits at different depths, acting like big bobbers. They work well but when they break during the course of fighting the fish, the rubber pieces end up as debris in the ocean. Pieces of balloon have been found in the stomach of turtles and fish and are believed to be have caused the death of many sea creatures. A good alternative to the balloon is a styrofoam float. The fishing line is run through a hole in the middle of the float. The float is held in place on the fishing line by a small rubber band or a toothpick wedged into the hole and pressed against the line to keep it from slipping. When a fish strikes, the float is pulled free from the rubber band or toothpick and is free to slide up and down the line during the fight. It is reusable and greatly reduces the amount of debris that ends up in the ocean. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #6 Having a good solid workstation to cut bait or clean fish is most important on a fishing boat. If your boat does not have a built in bait cleaning station or cutting board or has limited space, consider a rod holder mounted bait board. A number of companies manufacture cutting boards that will mount into a rod holder and have an adjustment device that will allow you to level the board and lock it into position. I use one that is made by "Fentress Marine" and it works really well. They retail for about $100 and are well worth the price. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #7 Dressing up shark baits with colored skirts sometimes improves the catch. A rigged bluefish, mackerel or whole squid are the most common baits used to catch sharks. Some sharpies add a squid imitation rubber skirt to the bait to give it more color and appeal. The skirts are usually used to make tuna trolling lures and can be purchased in any quality tackle shop. I prefer the ones with a large eye at the head of the skirt. A small hole is cut on the pointed end of the skirt and it is simply slid over the wire leader and draped over the bait. As the bait is drifted in the currents, the tassels of the skirt will flutter and add life to the rigged bait. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #8 When fishing around the offshore reef for fluke it is best to work close to the pieces of debris. Fluke are predatory and feed on small baitfish. The baitfish stay close to the pieces of wreckage and so the fluke will also be in that area. I suggest that you locate a piece of wreckage and then drop a buoy on it to mark its location. You can then easily set up your boat to drift along the edges of the wreck without drifting right over it and snagging into the debris. Make a half dozen passes working both sides of the wreck and if you do not catch fish, move to another piece and start the process over. Eventually you will hit a hot piece and catch some big fluke. Be prepared with lots of terminal tackle because it is inevitable that you will occasionally snag into the wreckage and break off your rigs. You will also catch big seabass using this technique. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #9 When fishing in the ocean for fluke, a stiff breeze can sometimes move the boat too quickly for productive fishing. I find that when the drift gets to be more that 1 mph, the fluke have difficulty catching up to the bait and an excessive amount of lead must be used to hold bottom. A way to remedy this situation is to deploy a sea anchor. A sea anchor is like a parachute. If deployed from amidships, it will keep the boat sideways to the waves and will slow the speed of the drift. With a slower drift the fluke will have a chance to catch the bait. As a form of safety device, the same sea anchor can be deployed from the bow in order to keep the boat from capsizing in rough seas if it should lose power. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #10 Triggerfish are wonderful table fare but are very tough to clean. Their skin is thick and the consistency of leather. In order to fillet them I use a serrated knife to make the starting cut through the skin along the dorsal side and a cross cut just behind the pectoral fin. I then use a regular fillet knife to separate the meat from the bone and to remove the flesh from the skin. If you don’t use a serrated knife you will find yourself pushing too hard with a conventional knife which can easily lead to getting a serious cut. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #11 Actually I have two tips regarding products that have proven themselves to be very effective. I had great success with the jumbo bluefish using the YO-ZURI "Hydro Popper" surface plug. This plug creates a tremendous geyser of water when jerked along the surface. The noise and splashing water really pulled the big fish from down deep. The finish on the plug is very lifelike and the fish crashed it and inhaled it without hesitation. The construction of the plug and the hooks are very sturdy and it held up well in the jaws of numerous "slammer" bluefish. The other interesting and effective product is the "Slickmaster Chum Bucket" made by Fishkatcher Industries. This bucket has holes drilled in it and a spin-on locking top. All you need to do is drop in a frozen block of chum, screw on the locking top and place it in the water after tying it to a cleat. The chum slowly thaws and pieces are automatically released into the water. If you want to chum deep, just add a couple of bricks or sash weights to the bucket to get it down deep or onto the bottom. I used it for chumming bluefish and it worked real well. I bought mine at Augie’s Bait and Tackle in Babylon but I am sure most good tackle shops are carrying this product. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #12 With the bonito, false albacore and Spanish mackerel now showing near the inlet and along the beach I should point out a few things that will help you to score with these great gamesters. I do this every year and now is the time to think about it and get ready. These fish are all in the tuna family and have very keen eyesight. That means that they will be line shy. They also like a fast moving presentation. I use one-half or three-quarters ounce "Mega Bait" or "Crippled Herring" jigs. I tie about a foot of 15-pound test fluorocarbon leader material to the jig and attach a small barrel swivel to the leader. I fish this on a light to medium spinning outfit. When I spot the fish, I move the boat so that the school will intercept me. Before they get too close, I make a cast ahead of them, put the tip of the spinning rod down near the water and make a rapid retrieve with no jigging action. I just reel as fast as I can. If you give this a try and manage to hook up I will guarantee that you will be amazed at how hard these fish can fight. Just hope you don’t run out of line. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #13 Shucked and salted clams are best for bait. When clams are frozen and then thawed, they become very soft and will not stay on the hook very well. If they are salted, they toughen up and will hold up well on the hook. The salting process does not seem to diminish their effectiveness. Most tackle stores will handle salted clams. If you can’t find them then you can salt them yourself using a liberal sprinkling of kosher salt. Salted clams can be thawed and refrozen several times and still remain in good shape. Clam makes great bait. Small pieces of clam will catch just about any fish in the bay and a whole clam will catch a big striped bass. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #14 Live snappers make great baits. Big "tiderunner" weakfish, "slammer" blues and "doormat" fluke can’t refuse a live snapper drifter along the bottom. An easy way to fish them is on a rig similar to a fluke rig. Put a 3-way swivel about a foot above a 5-oz. sinker and attach a 5/0 hook to the swivel on a 4-foot leader. Hook the snapper through the roof of the mouth and drift this in a deep channel or around the inlet. When a fish hits it, let it run for a few seconds to allow for it to swallow the bait, and then strike hard to set the hook. This method may not produce constant action but when you do get a fish, it will be a big one! FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #15 When drifting and fishing live bait, it is important to make note of your boat position if you should catch a fish. Gamefish tend to hang out in one area, usually near some good bottom structure. When you catch a fish, note the position with your GPS or take a fix on some structure on land or a buoy. Go back and drift over the same spot and you will usually be rewarded with more good action. ARCHIVED FISHING TIPS FISHING TIP #1: How to store live eels: Find a five gallon plastic bucket with a locking top. Drill 7/16 holes approximately every two inches in the walls, top and bottom. Place about 3 inches of golf ball size stones in the bucket for ballast. The eels really like to wiggle in between the rocks. Tie a line to the handle and suspend the bucket from a dock or your boat. Keep it down near the bottom where the water is cool. Don’t worry about feeding them. Lots of little tasty creatures will drift in through the holes and provide them with snacks. I have kept eels this way for up to two months. FISHING TIP #2 How to keep an eel from tying itself in a knot while on your hook: Before you hook the eel, give it an attitude adjustment. Grab the eel by the head with a dry towel or piece of burlap. Smack the tail against a stationary object like a cutting board or a railing. The eel will now have a different attitude. It will not attempt to use its tender tail and tie itself into a ball on your fishing line but will still swim enticingly. FISHING TIP #3 You have identical fishing outfits. You notice while fishing that there is a fray in the line. How do you know which outfit needs your attention when you get back to the dock? A numbering system is the answer. You can use an engraving tool to inscribe a small number in some inconspicuous but visible place. I prefer to use a label maker and stick a number on the side plate of the reel on all my fishing outfits that look exactly alike. When I notice something that needs my attention I make a mental note of the number for later identification. FISHING TIP #4: TIDE AND CURRENT ARE NOT THE SAME In our area, current change occurs about two hours after the high or low tide. If high tide where you fish is at 12 noon, the current will start to ebb or run out about two hours later. If low tide is slated for 4 p.m., the current will start to flood or run in at about 6 p.m. etc.. In addition, If you are using Fire Island inlet tide information, the farther you are from the inlet, the later will be the tide change. At Ocean Beach the current will change almost two hours after the current change at Fire Island inlet. FISHING TIP #5: SAVE THE POOR WORMS! When you fish worms and have leftovers at the end of the day, dump the worms and grass they are packed in into a bucket of salt water for a few minutes. They will freshen up and it will clean away their metabolic wastes. Put them back into their container and refrigerate them. They will last several days, hopefully until your next fishing trip. You will save money ($5 per dozen) and you will conserve worms! FISHING TIP#6: MULTIFILAMENT LINE IS HOT! Try using the new multifilament lines. They are half the diameter of comparable test monofilament line and have almost no stretch. You can fish lighter lures and hook setting power is unsurpassed. I recommend filling your spool ¾ full with monofilament and attaching a header of about 100 feet of multifilament line using an Albright knot to make the connection. This will be a sufficient amount of line for most inshore fishing applications and it cuts down on the cost for these expensive lines. I also recommend using the gel-spun variety of multifilament line. When using this variety, normal fishing knots will work well and no glue will be needed to keep the knot from working itself loose. I use Berkley Fireline in 12 or 20 lb. test. FISHING TIP #7: DIRTY WATER? MAKE IT SMELL When fishing in dirty water, (brown-tide or wind churned) fresh dead or live bait will produce better than artificials. In these conditions the fish will feed by smell rather than by sight. Natural bait produces the scent to attract the fish. If you insist on using artificials, then add a scent to them. Bunker oil is a good one to try. Chumming also will bring the fish to your offering. Anchor and chum with bunker or clam. Use fresh bait on the hook. You can catch any kind of fish that swims using this technique. FISHING TIP#8: FLUKE BELLY DANCE After catching your first legal size fluke, fillet the white belly side. Cut this fillet into strips about 5 inches long and tapering to a point on one end. Use these strips in combination with spearing or smaller strips on a bucktail. Fluke belly is an excellent fluke bait. Its is really tough and will last for quite a while on the hook. For added attraction, split the tapered end to create a fluttering action. FISHING TIP #9: EMPTY SODA BOTTLE ICE - KEEP THE CATCH COLD During the hot summer weather it is very important to keep your catch on ice. They will spoil in the heat and could actually get you sick if the heat damage is severe. The quality of the meat will diminish rapidly upon heating. I fill empty soda bottles with water and freeze them. They are reusable and this saves on the cost of ice. It is also very convenient. When filling them, squeeze out an ounce or two of the water to allow for expansion and cap them tightly. You can put a bunch in your cooler and add them to the container in which you keep your catch. I put two or three into the fish-box on my boat. I stopper the drain, and a couple of gallons of sea-water. The water will stay cold for several hours. Fish kept this way will be in excellent condition. FISHING TIP #10: SCENTS WORK Try using "bunker oil" to add scent and flavor to the waters and to your baits and jigs. "Bunker oil" is a natural scent of the Atlantic menhaden fish. I dip my bunker chunks in the oil to add extra flavor and scent. When I chum for bluefish or sharks, I add a few drops to the water to create a better smelling slick. I put some in a small squeeze bottle with a dropper tip and add a bit to my artificial lures. I really think it makes a difference. Give it a try. FISHING TIP#11: MOVE TO GET THE BEST WIND/TIDE CONDITIONS Work the tides and the current. The worst situation to have is a wind directly in-line or directly against the tide if you are drift fishing. Working with the wind will move you too fast and make it difficult to hold the bottom. Drifting against the wind will slow the boat so much that you will not cover ground. When this situation occurs, consider moving to and area where the wind will be at angles to the current. For example, if the wind is due west, it would be difficult to fish in front of Ocean Beach. You will move too fast or too slow. If you move to West Channel, the current moves north and south. With a west or east wind, your drift will be angled across the channel and you will drift at a moderate pace which is best for catching fish. FISHING TIP #12: JUST A PLAIN OLD KILLIE When fishing for fluke I usually add a squid strip with a live killie or spearing. I have found however that in areas where crabs are plentiful such as the sand bar areas near the Moses Bridge, the squid will attract more crabs than fluke. Consequently, I have been using just a plain live killie on the hook and if they are small, I put on two. Fluke seem to have no trouble locating that live killie. This past week also I have noticed that a plain hook with killie has caught more fish than a rig adorned with spinners, beads etc. This technique has really produced fish. FISHING TIP #13: CATCH YOUR OWN FRESH BAIT Nothing catches fluke better than fresh live bait. It is worth the effort to catch some before fishing. Purchase a small seine net and drag it along the edge of any beach. You should be able to capture a nice selection of killies, spearing or other small offerings that fluke can’t resist. A small cast net with ¼ inch mesh will also work well for those a little more adventurous and it works without having to get wet. FISHING TIP #14: A SEA ANCHOR WILL SLOW YOU DOWN Excessively strong tides and wind can make a boat drift to rapidly for productive fishing. I find this is a problem when fishing around the full or new moon when tides are strongest. When wind and tide are running in the same direction it is really a problem. There is something that can be done to slow the drift so that the bait is presented in an enticing way. A sea-anchor is one solution to the problem. A sea-anchor is a triangular shaped bag attached to a line. It is put overboard and fills with water. It acts as a drogue and will slow the movement of the boat through the water. It is very useful when drifting in deeper water where a lot of lead weight would have to be used to hold bottom. When drifting for fluke in the ocean in 60 feet of water, the use of a sea-anchor can reduce the needed lead weight from 8 oz. To 3 oz.. Less weight will allow you to feel the bite of a fish and make for a better fight when you hook up to a good fish. In addition, a sea-anchor is also a good piece of safety equipment. If a boat loses power in rough seas, a sea-anchor can be let out off the bow. It will keep the bow of the boat pointed into the seas and prevent swamping of the boat. FISHING TIP #15: FLUORO-CARBON LEADER WORKS When fishing artificials, try using fluoro-carbon leader material. It is almost invisible underwater. It will reduce the chance that the fish will see something that does not look natural and this is most important when fishing in very clear water. FISHING TIP #16: TWO CHUM POTS ARE BETTER THAN ONE When porgy fishing I use two chum pots. These fish are attracted to the chum and will only be caught when fishing directly behind the chum pot. Anyone fishing on the other side of the boat will hardly catch at all. By using two chum pots, one on each side of the boat, the fish will get spread across the entire area between the two pots and everyone will get in on the action. Another benefit is that when refilling the chum pots, one can remain in the water while the other is being filled. This will produce non-stop action and prevent the possibility of losing the school of fish. FISHING TIP #17: SMALL LURES FOR TUNA If you troll for tuna on the near-shore grounds, in the area from 20 to 40 miles, make sure that you have some smaller lures in your trolling spread. Bonita, small tuna and dolphin like the smaller lures. One ounce feathers in red/white and cedar plugs are real hot. I fish them in the second and third wake behind the boat and troll at 8 knots. This combination has worked very well. I also troll a few big lures farther back and they have accounted for most of the bigger fish. However, if you don’t troll the small stuff you will miss out on a lot of action. FISHING TIP #18: WHAT SINGLE TOOL CAN BE USED TO HANDLE FISH, LAND FISH, WEIGH FISH, AND SET DRAGS ON YOUR REELS? The answer is the BOGAGRIP. This is the niftiest tool in my fishing arsenal. It is made of machined stainless steel, will not corrode and is almost indestructible. Its locking mechanism will attach easily to the jaw of any fish and will not let go until you hit the release. It has a precision built in scale for weighing fish or setting drags. It comes in two sizes; small will weigh up to 30 pounds and large that will weigh up to 60 pounds. FISHING TIP #19: CAN YOU GET BACK TO THE FISH IN THE DARK? When drifting for striped bass at night it can be pretty tough to get back to the exact beginning of a productive drift. This is especially true if visibility is reduced by mist or fog or if the area has no convenient structures or lights nearby for taking visual ranges. Be prepared and always store the start of a drift in your LORAN or GPS. I always hit the "quick save" button when I begin a drift. If I catch fish I can get right back to the original starting point and repeat the same drift under any conditions. FISHING TIP #20 THE "PETRI-FISH" JIG The "Petri-Fish" is proving to be a very productive lure. It is an imitation flounder made of rubber with a lead head. It is comes in three sizes 8 inch, 6 inch and 3 ½ inch. The large size is good for big striped bass while the smaller sizes will catch smaller bass blues and weakfish and large fluke. I work the lure by jigging it just above the bottom. I had an excellent catch of school bass and weakfish using the 3 ½ inch version during the past week. Give this lure a try. FISHING TIP #21 BRINE THE BAIT Whole clams threaded on a hook will catch striped bass. Many tackle shops sell shucked whole skimmer clams for bait. The problem is however, when clams are frozen and then thawed, they become soft and are easily torn off the hook. I like to thaw the clams a day before fishing and mix them with a good helping of Kosher salt. The salt will toughen the tissue considerably making it very difficult for the fish to steal your bait. The salt does not seem to reduce the attractiveness of this bait. Any leftover salted clams can be refrozen and thawed again without seriously hurting the quality. I always have a couple of boxes of Kosher salt handy for this purpose or just for making up a brine solution for rinsing fillets. Some bait and tackle shops do carry salted shucked skimmer clams FISHING TIP #22 DIGITAL CAMERAS FOR FISHING MEMORIES How do you keep memories of a great fishing day? With a camera of course. But now there is a new twist that I find very convenient. I purchased a digital camera, an Olympus D 400 zoom and can save all the good moments in digital form on my computer. The price of digital cameras has come way down and most people have access to a computer at work or at home. What I find most convenient is the ability to immediately see how good the picture is and delete what is not just right. It also eliminates the hassle of going to the photo lab and the results are immediate. You can then e-mail pictures to your friends and family or with a good printer and photo quality paper, produce excellent quality prints. You can also view the pictures on your TV set. If you are one that likes to capture the moment, then this is worth a look. FISHING TIP #23 WORKING WITH MULTIFILAMENT LINES I use multifilament line on many of my fishing outfits. Berkley "FireLine" and Innovative Textiles "Power Pro" are my choice in this type of line. One problem that exists with such lines is being able to cut them when rigging. The cutter on a set of fishing pliers or a nail clipper will not cut them properly if at all. A sharp knife will cut them but it is dangerous to use on a rocking boat or when near others. I find that a good sharp scissors works best. Many of the available multi-purpose tool manufacturers make a model with scissors. I use the Leatherman "Micra" and "PST II" which both have scissors. They easily cut through these extremely tough lines quickly and safely. I like the "Micra" because it can be kept in my pocket and I wear the "PST II" on my belt in a leather pouch. The "PST II" also has a diamond grit hook sharpening file with groove. These tools are an indispensable part of my fishing gear. I recommend strongly that you get hold of such a tool with a scissors feature if you use multifilament lines. FISHING TIP #24 HI-LO RIG When fishing in an area such as Ocean Beach that holds both fluke and weakfish, use a "hi-lo" rig. Set up a regular fluke rig but add another hook about two feet above the fluke rig. Fish killies or spearing on the fluke rig with a piece of squid or sand worm on the high-hook. The high-hook will catch weakfish and the fluke rig will catch fluke. It’s the best of both worlds. FISHING TIP #25 SMALL BLUES FOR SHARK BAIT If you are going shark fishing, make a quick stop in the inlet on your way out and troll an umbrella rig to catch small bluefish. A small bluefish rigged whole or a bluefish fillet is absolutely the best bait for Mako sharks. In the early morning the blues should be plentiful and a short stop to catch bait will be well worth the effort. FISHING TIP #26 NETTING FLUKE Fluke should be landed with a net. Fluke have a bony mouth and very often the hook will not penetrate or encircle a bony area but be lightly embedded in soft tissue. If you try to lift the fish into the boat, the hook will surely pull out. A net is therefore a must when trying to boat a large fish. The trick to netting a fluke is to net it headfirst. A fluke looks like a clumsy fish but is capable of a great burst of speed. If you try to net it from the tail end it will rapidly swim away from the net and probably pull the hook. To net it properly, the angler should steer the fish toward the boat allowing it to stay submerged about 1 to 2 feet below the surface. The net should be kept at ready just above the surface of the water. As the fish is pulled headfirst toward the boat the person with the net should quickly thrust it into the water and scoop the fish headfirst. Do not put the net into the water as the fish is approaching or it will see the net and dart to the side to avoid capture. When the net is in the water it produces so much drag that it cannot be moved quickly enough to catch up to the fluke. Next time you hook a big one remember, a quick scoop headfirst will put it in the boat. FISHING TIP #27 CLOUDY WATER When the water is murky the way it is now, I always add an extra attractant to my lures. I usually tip-off the lure with a piece of pork rind or strip of squid or fluke belly. I also split the strip from the middle to the tail to create a fluttering action. This definitely will improve your catch in cloudy water. FISHING TIP #28 OPTIMAX ENGINES INCREASE RANGE FOR OFFSHORE FISHING If you like to fish offshore you have probably had concerns at times about having enough fuel to go the distance to the fishing grounds and return with a safe margin for error. If you have outboard power on your boat then there is a solution to this problem. The answer is DFI engine technology. Direct Fuel Injection outboard engines burn considerable less fuel compared to Electronic Fuel Injection or Carburetor engines. My Mercury 225 hp OptiMax™ DFI engine burns approximately 40% less fuel at cruising speed than my previous engine. It burns 60% less fuel at trolling speeds. That translates into a considerable savings on fuel bills and also means much greater range. If you run long distances offshore and you are considering repowering your boat I would give serious thought to going with Mercury OptiMax™ power. FISHING TIP #29 STRIP BAITS FOR FLUKE Fluke and searobin belly strips make great baits. If I’m fluke fishing especially in the ocean where chances are good for catching a big fish, I use a piece of fluke or searobin belly on the hook with a killie or spearing. These are very tough baits and will last quite a while before having to be changed. Even the crabs can’t tear it off the hook. When you catch your first keeper fluke or searobin, fillet the belly side, slice it into strips and add it to your hook. FISHING TIP #30 BUCKTAIL-JELLYWORM COMBO An excellent artificial lure is a bucktail tipped off with a jellyworm. Use a 1.5 oz. bucktail and add a 7 or 8 inch jellyworm to the hook. Run the hook through the middle of the jellyworm for about 1 ½ inches. Slide the jellyworm all the way up the shank of the hook and expose the point. Bounce the lure along the bottom and strike hard when a fish hits. This is a very productive lure. Give it t try. FISHING TIP #31 SNAPPERS AS LIVE BAIT Live snappers are an outstanding bait for big fluke. Before heading out to the ocean fluke grounds, take some time to catch a few snappers. Keep them alive in a bucket or live-well. Hook them through the hard part of the upper jaw or in the back just in front of the dorsal fin. Fish them as you would any other bait, right near the bottom. When you get a strike, give the fluke time to eat the bait. When you set the hook, do it with authority. FISHING TIP #32 SILVER-BULLET TEASER RIG Try fishing the "silver-bullet" jig for big fluke in the ocean. Instead of using a sinker as a weight, I use a 3 to 5 oz. "silver-bullet" which has an attached hook and feathery adornment. I then tie a three-way swivel about 10 inches above the ball and from this swivel I attach a three foot leader with a teaser/fly hook. To the last eye on the three-way swivel I attach my fishing line. I bait both the hook on the ball and on the teaser with a spearing. With this rig you have two hooks fishing at all times. If the big fish misses one it will come back for the other. It has been very productive for me and I’m sure it will improve your catch. FISHING TIP #33 BAD SCENTS HURT FISHING Fish like certain scents and dislike others. Two scents proven to turn off the fish are insect repellent and sunblock lotions. If you are fishing and apply these to your body, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before touching any bait or lures. FISHING TIP #34 FLUOROCARBON FOR BONITO The ocean is alive with bonito, false albacore and some spanish mackerel but it is very difficult to hook up with these fish due to their keen eyesight. Terminal tackle must be almost invisible and the presentation must be perfect. I scored well this week with these fish by using light fluorocarbon leader material. I used a 15 inch piece of 10 lb. test fluorocarbon leader tied directly to a ½ oz. "Crippled Herring" lure and then to a small barrel swivel. The fishing line is then tied to the barrel swivel. Carefully work the boat ahead of a feeding school and wait till they are within casting distance. If you can, throw the lure right into the feeding frenzy, let it sink for a second and then begin a rapid retrieve. Keep reeling and strike hard when you feel the bite and then hang on for a real thrill. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #35 "BRIGHT COLORS" The water is really discolored at this time. If you want to score with artificial lures, they must be very bright in color. I have had the most success with white and chartreuse colors. A very effective combination has been a white 1-oz. bucktail tipped off with a red jellyworm with a chartreuse tail. This combination will catch everything. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #36 "MULTIFILAMENT LINE" I have really become a proponent of multifilament fishing lines. I recommend that you try it as soon as possible. It is unsurpassed for setting the hook when fishing with artificials. I have been using 20 pound test "Power Pro" line and I am very pleased with its performance. It holds up real well and regular knots will tie well and hold. I use the Trilene knot for all terminal tackle connections. I load my reels with monofilament until they are almost full and then add a couple of hundred feet of multifilament to the top. I connect it to the monofilament with an Albright knot. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #37 "UNCLE JOSH - NEW PLASTIC LURES" This season I have started using some of the new "Uncle Josh" plastic baits. I have always used their pork rind strips on my artificial lures but they have now started producing some plastic baits that work really well. These baits are "soft and salty" and made with "pork." I do not know the process used to manufacture them in this special way but I do know that they catch fish. I have had excellent results using them for weakfish, schoolie bass and blues. The 7 inch "Crazy Tail Worm" on a 1 oz. white bucktail is deadly on the weakfish and school bass. The "Ripple Wizard" is a strip bait that has an irresistible fluttering action in its twin tails. In pearl white and chartreuse it has also worked well on these fish but I think it will be a killer for the big fluke out in the ocean. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #38 "BIG STRIP BAITS FOR BIG FLUKE" Big fluke really like a big meal. These fish will inhale a large strip bait. When I fish the ocean for fluke, one fishing outfit almost always has a strip bait offering. I cut strip baits from just about any light colored bait that is available. Fluke belly works great but other types will sometimes work better. I have had excellent results while using strips of bunker, bluefish and searobin belly. I cut the strips about 6 inches long and an inch in width and taper the end to a point. I also split the tapered end to produce an enticing fluttering action. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #39 "SINKER BREAK-AWAY" When fishing bottom with a sinker while drifting, the sinker will often get fouled in debris on the bottom. The result is almost always a broken line, lost gear or worse. I recommend that you always utilize a dropper loop or three-way swivel for the hook attachment with the sinker attached using fairly light monofilament line at the proper depth, below the hook. You should then tie an overhand knot in the section of line attached to the sinker. This type of knot significantly weakens the line. When the sinker gets snagged on the bottom, only a moderate amount of pressure will break the line just above the sinker. You can then retrieve your hook; bait and perhaps the trophy fish that ate the bait just before you got snagged! FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #40 "LIVE BLUEFISH BAIT FOR MAKOS" Mako sharks, especially the real big ones love bluefish. If I catch a bluefish while sharking, I immediately rig it live. I use rigging floss to securely fasten the hook to the top of the head of the bluefish. I then cut off a good portion of its tail fins to reduce its swimming ability and set it out into the slick. I also use fresh bluefish fillets as hook bait for sharks. If a big mako visits your slick, these baits will be inhaled at first sight. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #41 "WEEDLESS FLY" When fly fishing in the Back Bay, floating eelgrass may be so thick that it is nearly impossible to present a unfouled, natural looking fly. To help correct this situation I use a small piece of #25 monofilament line to produce an effective weedless fly. I tie the mono to the eye of the hook with a clinch knot and then attach the other end to the back bend in the hook with half hitches. I burn the tag end that remains at the last half hitch to prevent it from coming undone during casting. This piece of line is just long enough to form a loop that lies outside the point of the hook. This loop will let the weeds slide over the fly without catching the hook but is soft enough to allow a fish to get hooked. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #42 "METAL BODY JIGS" Metal jigs such as the Mega Baitä and Crippled Herringä "live bait" lures are very effective fish catchers. They will catch every gamefish that swims, if they have an attractive swimming action. These jigs are produced with flat bodies and when new, may not have a good swimming action. This can easily be remedied by putting a slight bend in the metal body. I can usually do this by hand but on thick jigs I sometimes need to use a pair of pliers. I then toss the jig into the water near the boat and watch its action. I will continue to tweak the lure until it has a really active side to side motion that is deadly on all gamefish. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #43 "BUCKTAIL WITH HIGH HOOK" If you are undecided to fish with bait or artificials, why not do both at the same time and then switch to the one that catches best. Try a bucktail/bait combo. Setup a bucktail to be jigged along the bottom and tie a baitholder hook on a 3-way swivel about three feet above the bucktail. Fish a sandworm or squid strip on the high hook. This rig works real well and will catch just about any fish that swims in our waters. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #44 "BIG FLUKE BAITS AND TECHNIQUE" Big fish like big baits. This past week I was very successful in catching big fluke using finger mullet. These baits are about 4 to 5 inches in length. Good tackle shops will have them frozen in packages of about a dozen. I hook them through the lips. If you cannot find finger mullet then you might be able to find frozen smelts in the supermarket. Pretty soon the "snapper" blues will be the right size and they make a great fluke bait as do baby bunker. If you can keep them live they are even better. If all else fails, whole small squid will also work well in attracting big fluke. One last point on the subject of big fluke. If you fish "silver bullets" as I do, do not pump the fish to the top. The up and down motion of the weighted ball will pull the hook from the fish. After you set the hook, hold the rod steady and just work the reel. You will lose fewer fish with this technique. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #45 "DRIFT THE FLY CORRECTLY" When fishing a dry fly, the drift is all-important. By drift I mean the way the fly moves with the current. It must look totally natural, just the way it would drift if it were not attached to a fishing line. Sometimes it is very difficult to make the fly do this but if you want to catch fish it simply must. PRESENTATION is the key to fishing success. You have to constantly work your line and place the fly in the proper attitude in relation to the movement of the water so that it looks totally natural. If it doesn’t look right, pick it up immediately and recast until it drifts just right. When it does, the fish will oblige. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #46 "SMALL HOOKS - BIG FISH" Small hooks will catch big fish. When bottom fishing, small hooks work best. Most of the species caught in the backbay areas have small mouths. Large hooks will not work well with the species you will encounter in these areas. I like to use tandem tied bait holder hooks in #8 or #10 size. You can buy them in packages of 6, tied on 12-inch leaders. I attach the hooks to a dropper loop about six inches above the sinker. This rig will catch the smaller fish and will still be able to catch the occasional whopper. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK #47 "LOOK FOR THE BIRDS FOR BONITO AND ALBACORE" If you see birds working around the inlet or along the beaches, it may not be bluefish. The false albacore and bonito have arrived in our area and they break water, chasing bait much like bluefish. If you are not properly set up you will not catch these fish. They are a member of the tuna family and have very keen eyesight. To catch them I use a three-quarter ounce "crippled herring" or "mega bait" lures. I tie a one foot section of #20 fluorocarbon leader directly to the lure and add a small barrel swivel to which I tie the fishing line. Using light spinning gear I cast into the school put the rod tip low or in the water and rapidly retrieve the lure. FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK#48 "DUOLOCK SNAP FOR EASY TERMINAL TACKLE CHANGES" Did you ever get tired of tying on new terminal tackle when switching from one type of fishing to another? When I fish the bay, I might change terminal tackle a dozen times in the course of a fishing day. I discovered a simple solution to the problem. I tie on a duo-lock snap to the end if my fishing line. I then can connect almost all types of terminal gear directly to this snap without having to retie knots. I can hook my fluke rigs to the snap or put a sinker and tandem tied set of hooks on the snap for bottom fishing. All my artificials are rigged with a short leader and barrel swivel so if I want to jig a bucktail I can just attach the barrel swivel to the duo-lock snap. It makes life easy and much more convenient.

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