PELAGIC MAGIC LONG RANGE FISHING TRIP 2008 SCHEDULE
Personal Gear
Small Duffle bag - for storage
Pants – Light weight material is best
Shirts – If you are sun sensitive, long sleeves would be in order
Socks – Definitely bring a pair for every day – plus EXTRA
Shorts – For the hot part of the day to keep cool
Light Jacket – For those cool nights
Sneakers – Bring 2 pair so you’ll always have a dry spare
Rubber Boots – One pair of short, comfortable boots is best
Hats – Wide brim, baseball caps, etc
Light Rain Gear – Very seldom used, but appreciated when needed
Sunglasses – Polarized to cut the glare. Security steps to keep them
from going overboard line is best.
Toiletries – Bath towels, shampoo, soap, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste,
etc.
Tools – Dikes, duck bill pliers, holder and belt, hook sharpener &
hyseas mono crimper
Rod Belts – A personal choice as to what is most comfortable for you
Harness – Should be the kidney belt type
Camera & Film –Have plenty of film and a good supply of batteries. Video
Cams are also welcome.
Entertainment –Books or magazines. We have a VHS and a DVD player on
board you are welcome to bring along your family oriented action movies
for everyone to view. No Walkmans, I-Pods, MP3 Players may be carried
aboard. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Writing Material – Notebook, stationary, pens and pencils for making
notes on what to bring next trip
Sea Sick Medication & Remedies – Check with your physician for preferred
method of prevention.
TACKLE RECOMMENDATIONS BASICS
Rods & Reels:
20-30 lb. big spinner outfit for bait and possible dolphin
30-40 lb. live bait outfit Newell 338f-440f, Shimano TLD 20 for small
tunas, wahoo, snapper
50-60 lb. live bait outfit Newell 550f, Shimano LTD 30, Penn 4/0 for
amberjack, tuna, wahoo, billfish
60-80 lb. Chunking/live bait/trolling outfit, TLD 50II LRS for billfish,
tuna, wahoo, sharks
80-100 lb. Chunking/live bait/trolling outfit, TLD 50II LRS for
billfish, tuna, wahoo, sharks
80-100 lb. Rigs using electric fishing reel outfit for deep water Queen
Tile fish
When choosing your rods, keep in mind we are using our regular tackle
for bottom fishing. These rigs can be converted for the lighter classes
of rigs 30 to 50lb. For the 60-80 and 80-100 lb. class of rigs we will
need more specialized rod and reel rigs. For example traditional stand
up tuna rods with roller guides. All rods in the 50-lb. class and up
should have a 4-way gimbaled rod butt. When choosing reels in the
lighter line class up to 50 lbs., Shimano, Newell and Penn all make a
wide range of reels. For 60 lbs. and up you need to stick with Shimano
and Penn and go to their 2 speed solid frame reels. Shimano definitely
has the lead in quality and reliability here. The Shimano TLD 30 II and
TLD 50II LRS two-speed is perfect for a 50-80 lb. rig to land tuna,
billfish and sharks in the 80 to 200 pound range.
TERMINAL TACKLE:
Hooks
You’ll need a wide selection of sizes. For live-baiting pelagics,
go with a heavy-duty live bait hook. You’ll need everything from a 2/0
up to an 8/0.
Sinkers
Besides a collection of egg sinkers from one to 12 ounces, large
sinkers 3, 4, 5 lb for deep water bottom fishing, it will also pay to
have some smaller, crimp-on weights when trying to get free-lined baits
to swim down. I’d go with split-shots in the 1/4 oz. & 3/8 oz. size and
some rubber-cores in 1/2 oz. & 3/4 oz. for trolling torpedo sinkers
6,8,12 oz. will be needed.
Line
Monofilament line is the only way to go. Stay away from
high-visibility, florescent colored line; choose clear or blue. Braded
line can be used as a backing on the larger reels (ex. 1000 yds. of
braided under 100 yds. of monofilament on a TLD 50II LRS or a 50 SW).
You’ll need leader from 30# up to 300# for big tunas and small swords.
Also bring some #6 (small wahoo) to #12 (sharks) wire. Wind on leaders
are the best. Web link for Top shots and wind on leaders
www.bhptackle.com
Trolling Lures
We’ll be doing some trolling and every angler will have a chance on
the rod. There are 27 anglers rotating 9 at a time dragging tasty fast
running lures. The productive tuna lures are cedar plugs 4” to 6”, brown
or red and small “jet” and rattling smoking jet type plugs 4-6-8 oz.
Dark colored skirts that work generally are Blue/white, Red/Black,
Purple/Black and Red/Purple are great all-around offering. Large
swimming plugs 6”-10” Yo-zuri big crystal minnows, blue back with white
belly and bonitas purple, orange and black or the medium to large
Marauders in Black/Purple or Black/Orange. Islander lures medium
Blue/White work well.
Rod Belts
Light leather type is fine for smaller fish. But for big tuna,
swordfish and makos, you should have the heavy aluminum type with a
gimbal bar. A harness is not a bad idea either. Knee Pads: Come in handy
when fighting large fish for extended times.
THE FISH:
Snapper
At some point in the trip, we will target mangrove snapper. 30 to
40-pound conventional gear with 30 to 50-pound leader is the standard
set-up. Hooks range from single 3/0 live bait hooks to 7/0 double Mustad
92671’s. Sinkers vary from one to two ounce sliders for knocker rigs up
to 4 to 8 ounces for standard rigs. As much as 10 to 12 ounces of weight
could be necessary on some of the deeper spots and when the current is
strong.
Amberjack
We will hit some deep wrecks and/or springs where the giant
amberjack live. Stand-up gear in the 60 to 80-pound class is the norm.
Hooks should be 6/0 to 9/0 with enough strength to withstand these
brutish battlers. Live bait are key, but anglers should bring some large
jigs as well. Four to 10-ounce slab, diamond and curly-tail plastics are
all good jack lures (Braid makes some great metal jigs). If the jigs
come with treble hooks, replace them with a single J hook. High speed
reels make jig fishing a more pleasant and enjoyable task.
Wahoo
(From Dennis Braid of Braid Tackle)
Wahoo really put medium size tackle to the test. They are the fastest
fish that swim, hitting speeds up to 60mph. They can peel line off a
reel so fast you simply can't believe it. On long-range trips, wahoo are
encountered in greater numbers than anywhere else on earth. They are
intense predators, great fun and are caught using three techniques -
live bait, casting jigs and trolling.
Live-Baiting
You'll need a conventional reel capable of handling 40-pound test
like the Penn 545 GS, my preference. Other choices include the Model
113H Senator and Shimano's TLD20. If the 113 is an older model, upgrade
it with a one-piece frame. If any reel is new, look inside for excess
grease, clean it out and apply a light spray of CORROSION X to improve
casting ability. Rods must have plenty of backbone and lifting power.
The Penn Sabre CTS665C (20- to 50-pound rated) or CalStar 865C (15- to
40-pound rated) or GFGR700M (20- to 40-pound rated) are good choices.
Braided Spectra backing has become very popular for long-range fishing
on all reels including these outfits. Five hundred yards of super-thin,
50-pound Spectra backing leave’s enough room for 100 yards of 40-pound
mono on top. To join backing to mono, use a Bimini Twist in both, simply
connecting them loop-to-loop. The reason for the backing is you never
know when "Big Mo" will hit. I've been baiting wahoo when a big
yellowfin came from out of nowhere and turned a simple 15-minute angling
exercise into an hour-long battle.
Bait rigs vary with the type and size of the bait. Preferred hooks are
the Eagle Claw 118 Mags, Mustad 94150 and Owner SSBs. The baits are
usually four to ten inch sardines or mackerel, referred to as
"Greenies," caught daily on Sabiki rigs. Wahoo have the sharpest teeth
of any fish in the ocean, so cable leaders are irreplaceable. Short 18-
to 24-inch lengths of coffee-colored cable with a hook crimped on one
end and a welded ring or barrel swivel on the other is sufficient. For
small to medium sardines and small mackerel, 1/0 or 2/0 hooks, 40-pound
test cable and a #5 swivel are used. For medium to large baits, 3/0 or
4/0 hooks on 50-pound cable and a 1/0 swivel or ring. For the largest
baits, 5/0 and 6/0 hooks on 80-pound cable and a 1/0 are needed. All
crimps must be neat, and loops snug, but they must allow the hook to
swing freely. You'll need lots of these when the wahoo fishing is hot!
Presentation is very important, so practice casting. Wahoo are
fastidious eaters. When they chop bait in two, they almost always come
back for the other half, so give them a chance to return to the bait.
One afternoon we were constantly getting short bit. After finally
boating a wahoo, we checked its stomach and found a complete skipjack
inside in tiny one-inch bites.
You'll need a quality light-tackle rod belt. My Braid Sailfish model
#30175 is a perfect fit. A good pair of boat sneakers is a must for sure
footing as you chase these bad boys around the boat.
Casting Jigs...this is one of my favorite types of fishing - bar none!
It's an exciting and productive way to catch these streaks of bluewater
lightning. You can use the same reels you have for live-baiting,
although longer casts are required. Rods require lighter tips and are
longer, usually seven feet. A CalStar 700XH or Sabre CTS670HC (30- to
80-pound rated) will get you in the zone. The same 40-pound test line is
fine, however, 50 allows you to apply additional drag pressure. The
traditional wahoo jigs are solid metal types made by Salas, Tady,
Hopkins and Seastrike, and they still have their use. Their drawback is
that wahoo often bite them and run without getting hooked. Only after
the fish gets within gaffing range will you notice the jig gripped
firmly between its teeth, and the hook swinging freely outside its
mouth. The wahoo then opens his mouth, the jig falls out, the fish swims
away, and the angler goes nuts. Several years ago, an enterprising
angler took a six-ounce egg sinker, glued some tinsel to it, rigged it
with a hook and a short cable leader, called it a "Wahoo Bomb" and
knocked the Hell out of the fish. Bombs are now commercially available,
and Braid offers several designs from three to nine ounces. They cast a
mile and hook-up percentages are greatly improved. Bombs of six ounces
and above are used for dropping back. Bombs come pre-rigged and some
include a tail spinner blade for extra flash. Popular colors are
black/purple, purple/pink, blue/white, black/red and green/yellow.
Only five or six rods are trolled at a time off these boats, and a
drop-back situation occurs when a wahoo is hooked on the troll. The
common practice is for other anglers to cast jigs or Bombs off the port
and starboard corners of the stern while the boat is still moving. After
the cast, line is then free-spooled for five to ten seconds, the reel is
put in gear, and the jig wound back to the boat as fast as you can. The
only problem is if 25 guys are doing this and a fish is hooked that runs
across the stern. Boy what a mess!
Wahoo in these waters run in packs. Often by waiting a minute or so and
casting off either side of the boat a hook up will occur without dealing
with the pack at the transom. Casting distance doesn't always matter -
so wing it, drop it back, put the reel in gear and crank like Hell. If
you didn't get bit, allowing the jig to sink deeper will help determine
the depth where they're holding. Wahoo often hit a jig right at
boat-side. When you get slammed, continue to crank. DO NOT raise the rod
to set the hook! This is a hard temptation to overcome, but it's the
worst thing you can do. Keep winding and let the fish set the hook or
you'll never catch one on a jig. This technique will work on wahoo in
any ocean, but long-rangers developed it and they've gotten good at it.
On a safety note, when retrieving a jig always slow it down and pause
before lifting it out of the water at the end of a cast. Don't crank
right to the boat and lift it immediately for the next cast. I've seen
wahoo come over the rail chasing a jig, flying into galley windows or
literally jumping into bait tanks to get them and on rare occasions
injuring anglers.
Trolling Gear
After 25 years, trolling from long-range boats has been refined to a
simple process. A typical outfit consists of a rod that also doubles as
your 80-pound tuna stand-up outfit. A five and a half- or six-foot
standup rod like the CalStar 6460XH or a Penn Sabre CTS6460XXHAR are
fine. It should be all roller guides, not that necessary for wahoo, but
a must for tuna. This is lever-drag territory and two-speeds are
preferred. Penn International 50S or 50SW or Shimano Tiagra 50W is
standard fare. I fill mine with 500 yards of 80- or 100-pound Spectra
topped with 80-pound mono. This is a little heavy for wahoo, but
yellowfin to well over 100 pounds live there, too. Big swimming plugs
are the best trolling lures for wahoo. Sizes may vary and colors may
differ, but I'll bet the house on plugs every time. The Braid 909 and
910 Speedsters and medium and large Marauders in black/orange, dorado,
skipjack and yellowfin colors work.
Light Tackle for Wahoo/Dolphin
You'll need a 30-pound stick for mid day fishing when the wahoo get
finicky and for smaller dorado. The Penn Sabre CTS665C (20- to 50-pound
rated) or a CalStar Grafighter 700L (15-to 30-pound rated) matched with
a Penn 535 or a Shimano TLD15 are fine. This outfit can also double for
"making bait" (jigging mackerel). Long-range boats get into very big
dorado, fish in the 25- to 40- pound and larger class, and the heavier
40-pound wahoo live bait outfit is great for them.
Marlin/Swordfish
On long-range boats, marlin is an incidental catch. While skippers
rarely go looking for them, if they pop up, fine. The amazing thing is
they always seem to pop up sometime during the trip and often in
substantial numbers. You can use light gear, but it's not usually
recommended. I generally fish them with 60-pound tackle, pull on them,
and watch them jump and run and then bust them off at the boat. When a
large pack of marlin is encountered, any bait in the tank is fine. I
watched a guy pick up a squashed sardine off the deck, put in on a 9/0
hook and just dropped it overboard. Two hard-charging stripers made a
beeline for it under the boat. This fishing is a thrill a minute, but
does not require a whole lot of skill, which makes it a lot of fun. For
trolling, bring your favorite marlin lures capable of trolling at 11
knots.
Tuna
Blackfin and yellowfin are the primary targets and depending on the
duration of the trip, can vary from schoolies 10 lb. to 160 lb. to world
record size yellows over 300 pounds! You'll need several outfits to
cover all sizes and techniques.
Small Tuna Gear
For 25- to 40-pound tuna, the same gear you use for live-baiting
wahoo is fine. No leader is required; however, the trend has turned to
using circle hooks. Those offered by Eagle Claw, Mustad, and the new
Super Mutu's from Owner are my favorites in 9/0 or 10/0. That sounds
large, but size ratings for circle hooks are different. For jigging,
4-oz. feathers in dark purple/black, purple/red, or pink/black work
well.
Medium Tuna Gear
When the fish are running 50- to 100-pounds, switch to 60-pound
gear. The CalStar GF765L (30-to 80-pound rated) or the Penn Sabre
CTS660XHC (40- to 100-pound rated) are excellent. An International 30SW
or Shimano TLD30 gets the job done and two-speed models reduce angler
fatigue. Tuna require a good rod belt and harness, the Braid Brute
Buster belt (#30900) and bucket harness (#30950 or #30975) fit here.
With 60-pound test you can tie the hook direct or use a short length of
fluorocarbon leader if the fish are line shy.
Heavy Tuna Gear
When the fish are running 100- to 200-pounders, an 80-pound outfit
is called for. The wahoo trolling outfit we discussed will do the trick
with nothing less than a 50W two-speed reel. For rods, the CalStar
GF760M (40- to 100-poound rated), 6460SHA or the Penn Sabre CTS6460XXHAR
are fine. Use 500 yards of 100-pound Spectra backing with a topshot of
80- or 100-pound mono. Remember; use a two Bimini Twist/loop-to-loop
connection. I've never had one fail in over two years.
Obviously, you need a powerful belt and harness. The Braid Power Play
belt with contoured leg pads and matching bucket harness are designed
for heavy-weight tackle and monster fish. They have been tested by some
of the world's leading anglers over the past two years and proven to be
outstanding for really big tuna.
Anglers have different ideas about drag settings with unlimited gear.
Not everyone agrees, but I believe if you're fishing heavy tackle you
might as well pull on it as hard as it permits. If you've got gear that
will put that much hurt on a fish, use it! At strike, the pre-set should
be at 25 percent of the line rating. When a fish makes a series of
extended runs, the drag lever should be increased between them when
you're retrieving line. Don't be afraid to back off early in the fight
if the runs are hard. Just remember, it's at the end of these battles
where a lot of anglers fall short. Even on long-range trips, experienced
anglers can lose more than half of these big fish that are hooked.
Rigging For Yellowfin
With heavy or unlimited tackle, I make a 10-foot double line with a
Bimini Twist and attach it loop-to-loop to a 25-foot wind-on leader
using 200-pound test at night with a circle hook. For early morning and
daytime fishing with live baits I use 150-pound test leader. If the fish
are spooky, tie the hook directly to the running line or drop to lighter
leaders. This is different from the commonly used rigs, which consist of
a Mustad 7691 in 8/0 or 9/0 on a three-foot mono leader, tied to the
running line with a swivel. A wind-on system solves several problems
associated with this type of setup. Pre-wind-on, we lost 60 percent of
the big fish at the boat where the intense strain would cause leader
knots or crimps to fail With a wind-on, once a wrap of double line is on
the spool, I can apply maximum pressure to the fish without a failure.
Using wind-ons, I have not lost a single big fish at the boat, a
dramatic improvement.
The wind-on system is great for night chunk fishing with 200-pound
leader, but a swivel is needed to prevent line twist. I designed a rig
with a swivel attached directly to the circle hook for this purpose. The
swivel and hook are imbedded in the bait with only the top half of the
swivel exposed with no other hardware in sight.
Most long-range boats chunk all night because it is the most productive
way to catch really huge yellowfin. It can be boring if nothing is going
on. But then there are times you'll be on deck fishing by yourself,
talking to a deck hand, and just when you're about to give up, a
300-pound plus tuna the size of a nuclear sub will move into the boat
lights. There is no fantasy that can match the reality of one of these
fish eating a chunk bait almost within arms reach. When this happens,
the reel is in free-spool and your rod is pointed in the direction the
line is disappearing. If the fish is moving in a direction other than
straight away from you, the last place you need a rod is locked into the
belt and harness. Push the drag to strike and hold on tight. No set is
necessary with circle hooks; the 30 pounds of drag will do the job. Once
the fish feels the hook and drag pressure, the fun really starts!
Fighting Monster Yellowfins
Fighting these brutes requires a skill and technique that only
experience can teach. It requires you use your body weight with the
bucket harness and belt as a counter balance to the force on the other
end, with your knees braced against the gunnel of the boat. You can
practice at home by getting set up in your belt and harness and hooking
in the rod and reel. Tie off the line to something solid, set the drag
and get into a semi-sitting position leaning back against the drag of
the reel. This is how you use your weight to counterbalance the pull of
a big fish instead of your back and arms. You're in this position when
the fish is running and you should be relaxing as much as possible,
conserving your strength. When it comes time to gain line, rise up and
take a half-wind on the reel, then lean back to allow your weight to
pull the fish closer. Continue this procedure as quickly as the fish
allows, trying to turn its head and keep it coming toward you. If it
runs, drop back into the sitting position and rest. The more you feel
comfortable allowing your weight to counterbalance the fish, the less
you will use your arms and shoulders. Hooking and catching giant
yellowfin requires a tremendous amount of patience and determination. It
also requires time at the rail, paying your dues. Without this
dedication, you won't experience the thrill and sometimes agony, of
fighting these brutes.
While sitting there on the fourth day at anchor listening to the line
ripping off Fred's reel, the guides almost screaming under the strain, I
catch a glint of gold out of the corner of my eye as his rod and reel
goes flying into the beautiful dark purple water. Fred stood there with
an astonished look on his face and I could see that he had just flat-out
forgotten to wipe the sunscreen off his hands and the bug tuna had
ripped the $1,000 rod and reel right out of his grasp. So, if you ever
come out this way for Big Mo, I can guarantee you one thing - there's
not only a giant yellowfin out here with your name on it, there is the
possibility that it's got a pot of gold attached!
Bait
Before leaving John’s Pass, we’ll load all the boat’s wells with
thousands of sardines (scaled, Spanish). We’ll also bring plenty of
pinfish and other large baits. We’ll augment this supply by catching
bait along the way (if possible, when necessary) and/or at night using
sabikis and squid jigs.
Drifting with live bait (From the Royal Polaris)
CATCHING MORE FISH? The most important and simplest way is what we like
to call "go to the head of the line" system. We will try to explain:
most of the time the current will run off one quarter of the hull and
stern of the boat, so that if you were to cast out from the opposite
side and then follow your line as the current carried it you would end
up on the current side of the boat. Then if each time you and your
fellow fishermen retrieve your line, re-bait and then go to the head of
the line and cast out again. By the end of the day you will find that
you have fished longer and caught more fish with less tangles than any
other method ever used.
Gift Certificates are now available for all of our famous Fishing
Trips!
To purchase your gift
certificates, stop by the Marina office or call our reservations center
toll free at 1.800.755.0677
or locally at 727.393.1947 to order by phone or you can
Click Here to order online via our Secure
Server.
Unless
otherwise stated - your base fare on these trips includes your ticket,
comfortable bunk, and unlimited dead bait (sardines & squid). Our
all-inclusive super value
Meal Ticket is available for only $25.00. Live bait (Pinfish) is
available by advanced reservation for $9.00/doz. We suggest 2-3 doz.
per person.
All trips depart dock at
8:00 PM on scheduled date of departure and return at 6:00 AM on
scheduled return date.
back
to top
