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whipachaw
Senior MemberCape Coral, FLPosts: 505 Officer
Offshore trolling recommendations
whipachaw
Senior MemberCape Coral, FLPosts: 505 Officer
I mostly fish from Boca Grande to Sanibel offshore waters, out to about 40+ miles. Currently I have been trolling Stretch 25 and 30, jigs and spoons with no planer. Trolled on 6500 class spinning reels with 20 lb mono to 65 lb braid. I don't troll much but I want to improve. I don't have outriggers yet, but the boat has the mounts for them so I will get some at some point. I also plan on getting some planers. For now I troll 3 rods. Usually the spoon or jig on one and a 25 and 30 on the other 2. For grouper I try to keep it at 3 mph and for pelagics I have been bumping it up to 5 or 6 mph. I'm not killing it would be an understatement. I could use a few tips on lures, speed, planer size, and even rod reel combo set ups more dedicated to trolling. Thanks in advance.
Replies
It's a directional diver that you can set to run away from the boat, giving you more space directly behind.
Jim
We are lucky enough to have the loop current in the gulf. The loop is the precursor to the magical east coast gulf stream. Lots of folks think you need to go fish the gulf stream on the east coast to find Pelagics. And if you are only willing to go 5 miles out they are right. But if you learn to identify where the fish are likely to be and then go fish that area you are likely to be rewarded. After all, all those fish you hear about being caught are in the gulf too right?
Blackfin and wahoo should be a dependable catch for those who are willing to make the runs, I'd the right water and spend the time to get the bite. If your looking for numbers of sails I would fish Jupiter in the winter. If I wanted gaffer dolphin and marlin I would begin fishing in 600 few in the gulf.
If you can find areas with structure, hard bottom, temp breaks, rips, weed lines, chlorophyll changes, altimeters changes you will find the fish
I assume when the gulf stream dips in closer will be my best bet?
What gear are you pulling the stretch 40 with?
Is this link helpful in seeing when the gulf stream comes closer to our coast? http://www.myfoxhurricane.com/custom/models/rtofs/rtofs_current_gulf.html
Thanks again.
I use Dipsy Divers up here in Lake Ontario. You can run 2 divers off each side if you set one on the 1 setting and the other on a 2.5 setting. Up here we all run divers off 7 strand steel wire fishing line. Mono has way too much stretch to run dipsy divers. You can run them off braided line also but up here we get "sea fleas" during mid summer that stick to braided line like cottonwood...
I'm going to bring a couple down with me in April and try some trolling with them. I'll run them off braided down in the Gulf.
Unless your fishing out of a sport fish trips to the main body of the loop current are normally too distant to get to consistently. You don't need to get there though. It's the loop eddys that you are looking for. The main body of the loop is normally 100 plus miles offshore, typically mor like 150 or 160. On this coast The yellowfin are usually found out there in 10000 feet with the main loop. Marlin can be found closer as they are more solitary and don't have the same food requirements of a ravenous school of yellowfin. They will chase a really nice eddy because the eddy will contain plenty of food. Similarly blackfin and wahoo don't need as much food as the yft or the marlin. As a result they will follow eddys for longer periods of time. So as the eddy spins off the main loop it travels toward the coast carrying with it the forage as well as the predators we are hunting. Sometimes the eddys can get pretty close to shore. When you here about sails and bft caught in close proximity to the beach you can take it to the bank that there was a loop eddy that brought them there. Learn to find and follow the eddies and you will find the fish.
Tha fox hurricane site isn't going to provide you with the detailed info you need to find the fish.. View the tutorials on ripcharts and Hilton's and you should understand.
Thanks - Dan
Don't run the chrome colored ones, they'll get bitten off.
Jim
the old way we pulled the stretches was straight from 130 lb braid. we are transitioning to a shck leader using 300 lb braid. we are using 300 so the same rigs can be used for high speed wahoo trolling. if you're using stretch 40's your wahoo hunting and they don't care about leader size. might want to run a short piece of wire or cable right off the lure before the leader
i currently use rip charts. used to use hiltons, but haven't seen their product in quite a while. i like rip charts very much and all my friends use it to
Good Point. I paint all of mine flat black. Even up in the Great Lakes.
Jim