Second trip out of PCB, short trip

[tprice]

Well we got a late start this am, I was battling some type of stomach bug but we finally got going about 10 am.

Going through the rocks reminded me of Charleston SC today, man is was a choppy and confused but anyway once we got out of the channel and headed West it was not bad, bigger waves than yesterday but just nice big rollers for the most part not the windy chop we had yesterday.

Tried to drown cigar minnows, we drug lines every where without a bite for first couple hours. We were running two downriggers and a flat line, something hit the flat line near some structure I had marked the day before but did not hook up. After another hour we realized we had drug baits off duster rigs.

Amazing how much better it works with baits on the hook.

Did manage one small king and two remora's, saw lot of bonita but they would not stay up long at all today.
Also saw more flying fish today as well

Youngest nephew got sick so we made a fairly short trip today, he was a trooper and did not want to come back in but I was worried about him.

May take tomorrow off and take the family to Shell Island and then go back Wed

Love this clear water down here, and folks at Bay Point are very nice and helpful


Quick question, we have managed a couple of bonita but what is the best lure to catch them on, our crew has a blast when we hook up but not sure what is the best bait.

We have caught couple on very small jigs, tried gotcha's, plugs and other things with no luck

Rigged a couple rods with spoons today but not much luck with those either

[Panhandler80]

Did manage one small king and two remora's, saw lot of bonita but they would not stay up long at all today. Quick question, we have managed a couple of bonita but what is the best lure to catch them on, our crew has a blast when we hook up but not sure what is the best bait.

We have caught couple on very small jigs, tried gotcha's, plugs and other things with no luck

If your catching remoras on cigars with dusters... you need to speed up a little bit. A bait being pulled at ideal king / bone-head / dolphin speed will be too quick for a remora.

Bonito: When you see them busting the top, they are sometimes difficult to catch. If you see the actual bait they are busting, then "match the hatch" both in terms of size and color.

If you really want to traget bonito, it's hard to beat a single med sized silver clark spoon. Up top in the AM, down deep by 10:00 or so. One of the most consistent bonehed techinques is right next to the tide line in the gulf on a low tide. Try both sides.

Another good bet bet for bonita is a ceder plug. A bone colored, white, red and white, sliver, all work well.

HOw many lines you pulling for kings?

Do you have a T-top, or a center rod holder on board?

I"d put two down on the downrigger. Dark duster (purple and black, orange and black, black, etc) on one, and I like a naked bait on the other? I don't know if Half Hitch has them any more, but "widgets" make good dusters (better in my opinon than the old school lead / myler deals). WIdgets are squid shaped with about 3/4 oz lead up front and the material is rubber... which has more action than old school traditional "dusters"

Anywya, two lead lines / downriggers. Be sure to put LOTS of line (especailly as the water gets hotter and kings get more warry and leader shy) between your down rigger ball and your bait.

In addition to two deep lines, I'd run a 2 oz lead head of a swivel, about 15' of lightest possible flouro carbon, and then then your swivel and steel leader. Run this back a decent amount. Far enough to get it away form the boat, but not so far that the resistence created on the line (by the boat's forward motion) negates the effectiveness of the 2oz lead. Enought line and it will have that lead at the surface. I'd skirt that with a blue / white, or maybe a pink / white.

Then I"d run a bait up top with no lead. PUt this one about 25 - 33 % farther back than the 2 oz lead line. I'd have this bait either naked or chartruese.

This set up will allow you to turn P / S as hard as you want and the lines will all swing over each other.

Do this, and you WILL catch kings. Bonto too. One way to increase your bonito odds... In the T-Top or in the Center Rod holder with your longest rod, tie on about a 5" cedar plug and send it WAY the heck back. It'll swing over all the other lines, and a bonito will hit it. If nothing happens with that, try a medium to large clark spoon.

Other option is to get to some structure at first light and flat line live baits. My preference for sure.

THe trolling set up above is standard 4 hour charter trip set up. Can't begin to tell you how many kings I've caught doing this on 4 hour trips. It's not my favorite part of fishing, but it's always nice to see visitors have some fun out there. It gets tougher an tougher the hotter it gets. Best bet... downsize tackle.

Good luck.

SOme other fun action is looing for schools of ladyfish. Some gotchas on trout gear is a blast for youngsters. Cast to the edge and work it hard and fast. They'll hit it every time.

[tprice]

THANKS Panhandler, every time we have caught the remoras we are just dropping lines in and getting them going-actually couple of them were as we stopped for one reason or another

I am running two downrigger lines and a WTFB bait, have tried naked and with duster but all bites have come on the downriggers.

I will try the cedar plug, got a couple in my tackle so that would be fine to try

Yes boat has T top, most of my king fishing is done on live pogies out of Charleston so this trolling with cigar's is little different and faster than I am used to

I have been running about 4.6-5.0 knots, is that ok or do I need to speed up

Thanks, kids are having a blast and I am really having a ball watching them

My son's future bro in law is amazed at the first run they make, all he has ever done in saltwater is fish from the bank or pier and I am afraid I am creating a MONSTER LOL

Thanks again, we keep getting late starts, going to be out at first light next few trips but tomorrow is family day and they are all wanting me to take them
to Shell Island, we may slip out and fish a little around the bay if we can but going to play it by ear

THANKS A BUNCH for the tips

[Panhandler80]

Gosh... I couldn't begin to tell you what actual speed to troll. I just know it when I see it. What kind of boat / power? I'd probably be able to give you a better RPM than I could speed. 4.5-5 sounds about right, though. When you said remora on the troll, that just made me think too slow.

Are you pulling live ones or dead ones? YOu said duster, so I assumed dead.

Another trick that somtimes works is trolling our dead minnows upside down. THere's a little V on top of their head, put your hook point thorug that V right in in the bottom of the V and then go out through the bottom.

Also make sure you pop each vertebrae in the aft section. Each one will "click", but don' pop the skin. YOu really do't need to worry about breaking down the forwad section of the bait.

What kind of boat you in? If it's an 8.5 ft beam I'd be willing to bet that you can easily pull 5 lines if you're set up like I talked about.

IT's not even July yet. I'd recomend you take the trolling out of the equation. Get up early. Save yourself the bait catching effort and give the bait man $20. Fish those live minnows just like you would with menhaden in the MId-Atlantic when you flat line them, or do most folks troll live menhaden up there? I want to say they might. Anyway, get some small trebbles, use one up front (i never bothered with live bait hooks up front until dog days of august) and put on a stinger. GEt on the outside of a shool of bait anywhere and flip them out there.

I'd also hook a dead bait on, cast him out and let him freespool as the current and the rig's weight dictate.

[tprice]

THANKS

We are in a 21'CC with F200, small boat but this is what I fish out of in the Atlantic


By way, hate to keep asking questions, but how about sharks.

We catch them in the inlets and waterways pretty good in SC, would like to put the kids on some sharks inshore if the seas get too rough for them

Just wanting them to have fun, had a great comment from my youngest nephew today(one that got sick). I ask him if he wanted to go back
and he grinned and said "everytime ya'll go".. He also told his Mom that he wanted to fish instead of go to the water park one day this week, think I have HOOKED ANOTHER Kid on fishing which is great

[jameyd]

Pan, take them kids or go with them and put the kids on some good bottom fish, and sure enough create a monster or two on fishing! If you can?