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OFFSHORE SPECIES
Bluefin Tuna without a doubt have more
power per pound than any other fish found in the mid-Atlantic offshore
waters! In the history of big game angling, no other game fish has whipped
more anglers. It's the one fish that takes all your strength from you.
Bluefin feed upon their lesser relatives, including members of the
mackerel, skipjack, and bonito families. Along their Atlantic range,
Bluefin Tuna will take mackerel, bonito, bluefish, menhaden, and herring.
These all make good baits, especially alive or at least fresh. Bottom
dwelling species such as whiting have been successfully used for baits.
The local method of using baits revolves around Chunking from a drifting
or anchored boat. Fishermen will find a
White Marlin restricted to the Atlantic, is
considered by many local Captains as the top offshore light tackle fish.
It will crash trolled baits; and when hooked, often leaps successively by
"gray hounding." Due to this penchant for wasting energy by leaping, a
characteristic of all billfish, the White Marlin seldom initiates a
bull-dogging battle. Showy fish, unlike tuna, are easier to handle on
light gear. The usual fishing method is trolling along the continental
shelf, although anglers can occasionally encounter casting situations.
Also, fly fishing opportunities can be had when the fish are running thick
and brought to trolled hook less belly-baits. This usually occurs in late
August or September in area referred to as the triple 0 east of the
Virginia Carolina border. Due to tag-and-release, the species has made a
fortunate comeback, although never found in the great numbers of former
times. White Marlin
Blue Marlin are probably the most sought
after game fish. Surly a world record fish finds her way into
Virginia-North Carolina waters annually. Catching her is the trick! They
feed upon squid, cero and Spanish mackerel, bonito, and skipjacks. These
prey make excellent enticers, the mackerel whole and the lesser tuna
rigged as slab or belly baits. We recommend the use of natural baits for
Blue Marlin. The ratio of hook-ups to strikes is higher than with
artificials. A number of Florida-based bait companies sell flash-frozen
versions, rigged or unrigged. Live bonito, bridled through the "hole" at
the top of the eye-socket, make excellent baits for large Blue Marlin.
Slow-trolling, by kicking alternate engines in and out of gear, allows the
bait to live for a surprisingly long time. Usually the bonito must be
caught well
What's
Wahoo fishing like? Explosive. What a hyper fish!
Found worldwide in subtropical and tropical waters, this exciting opponent
is one the greatest of light tackle game. Sometimes taking to the air,
Wahoo can exceed 100 pounds and tow a fly line in excess of 40 miles per
hour. They take you to the backing in 3 seconds! On the East Coast, most
Wahoo are caught on trolled baits, natural or artificial-- being
The Dolphin is one of the world's
premiere light tackle fish. When hooked, it'll leap, often consecutively.
And then it bears down, turning its flat-sided body against you. Large
schools of
The Yellowfin is perhaps the most colorful
of all the tuna. Found in Virginia spring, summer and fall, it's one of
the most popular fish. Yellowfin are mighty tasty. A pelagic species,
Yellowfin are fond of deep blue water. In the Atlantic, they will be found
in the Gulf Stream year-around. They seem to prefer the cooler edges of
the Gulf Stream. The flesh of this fish is light, not dark like the
Bluefin or white like the Albacore. Yellowfin can sometimes be
distinguished from near cousins, Blackfin and Bigeye Tuna, by their long
second dorsal and anal fins, but not all individuals have this
exaggeration. In a sense, Yellowfin are an eating-machine, putting on
pounds like no other fish. A year-and-a-half old Yellowfin can weigh 8
pounds, and by its fourth year the fish will scale out at a whopping 140
pounds. Striped Bass, please take note! For Virginia
Once again there are to many possibilities to cover them all, but also worth mentioning are the King Mackerel and the Amberjack. Contact one of our sponsors and he or she will see that you get in on the action! Back to top
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location where Bluefin frequent and then they'll anchor and chunk. If the
spot proves good, semi-permanent anchorages are set by using 40-inch
polyballs. When a fish is hooked, a boat drops from the ball and fights
it. Another popular method is trolling Cedar Plugs. Hot spots include but
are not limited to, the Hot Dog, 26 Mile Hill, the Lumps and the Boomerang
(offshore bottom changes). Typical tackle for Atlantic school Bluefin is
not overly large yet substantial. The Penn International II 30 and 50 are
popular reels, as is the Shimano Beastmater 30/50. These models will hold
600 yards of 30-lb line, slightly less when loaded with 50-lb test
monofilament. Ideal rods for school Bluefin are patterned around the 30/50
stand-up model, 5 1/2 to 6 feet in length, and designed for 30 to 50-lb
test lines. Stand-up rods combined with one of the trolling reels
mentioned above will give maximum sport with Bluefin that average from 30
to 100 pounds.
are taken on a number of naturals. Perhaps one of the top baits, often
overlooked, is a rigged eel. Whites love eels. Place a small plastic skirt
over the eel, green, pink, or blue, for added appeal. Our second choice is
the popular 12-pack ballyhoo. Again, add a small skirt for a little extra
pizzaz. The third choice would be a split-tail mullet, also finished off
with a plastic skirt. Troll all three styles in your configuration,
staggering the baits so they will tow long and short. Some anglers prefer
30-lb class trolling tackle for Whites, just in case they get hit by a
yellowfin tuna. A 20-lb class outfit is more suitable where other species
are less apt to jump on the trolling rigs. White Marlin are often taken on
standard 7-ft trolling rods, matched to suitable reel. The graphite models
are lighter than gold reels and certainly have the guts to tame Whites.
Good choices are the Shimano TLD-15 or 20 and the Penn 45GLS. Remember, if
you over-gun for Whites they won't give you their best show.
inshore of
the Blue Marlin grounds. As soon as the Bonito is caught, the bait is
either wrapped in a towel or placed in the live well. For Blue Marlin up
to 250 lbs, a 30-50 Stand-Up Class rod will do well. It has enough beef in
the blank to avoid an extended battle. Most rods run from 5 1/2 feet to
5-feet 9-inches in length, allowing the angler good leverage; and they
should have Heavy Duty Aftco roller guides. Reels must have a good proven
drag, such as the Penn 30W International II, or the Shimano TLD30II, heir
to the original 20-50 Beastmaster. Both reels can spool 600 yards of 30-lb
test monofilament. Double the last 30 feet of the line with a Bimini
Twist, making a 15-foot section below the knot, and attach a BX5 or 6
Sampo-styled ball-bearing swivel with an Offshore Swivel Knot. For
comfortable stand-up angling, choose a rugged harness and belt that fits
you comfortably. Whether made by Reliable of Braid, these are important
items and should be chosen carefully. Large Blue Marlin require a chair
and heavy tackle. Machined aluminum reels are standard, the 80STW Penn
International II or a comparable Shimano Tiagra or Fin Nor. Trolling rods
for big critters are in the 80-lb Class, usually 7-footers with either
Aftco Big Foot or Fin Nor Heavy guides. With the big outfits, an angler
has the choice of dacron or monofilament line. Although there are
advantages to both lines, most boats use 80 or 100-lb test mono. Many
light-tackle (30 to 50-lb test outfits) anglers like to attach a Venezuela
Rig to the end of the doubled mono line. Many coastal tackle shops will
make a 20-foot rig by using 80-lb black dacron. A Venezuela Rig can be
wound onto the reel, just at the end of the battle, and when you want to
control the fish at boatside. Leaders for Blue Marlin vary according to
the size of the intended target. Smaller Blues may require no more than
150-lb test mono, while big brutes call for 400-lb test mono. Some
skippers use a terminal section of 49-strand wire. Good leader lengths run
between 12 and 15 feet for smaller fish, longer for the huge Blues.
towed for Sailfish, Albacore, and Yellowfin. Sometimes you may get a
strike at a shiny swivel, losing an entire leader and bait. Wahoo are
fairly pumped-up when they hit. You know when they're around. A number of
artificials have been developed for Wahoo, notably the Cairns Swimmer and
Marauder. This style of lure draws hits, but a good many fish are not
hooked, the reason being the depth of the lure-body and its double hooks.
Still, when Wahoo are around, the Marauder and Cairns will take the big
ones. Although less generic, the Rapala CD18 and MirrOlure Deep Diver are
deadly on Wahoo. The trebles aid in hook-ups, and the action of both lures
works magic.
smaller Dolphin
are encountered while blue-water trolling. The schoolies are usually 2 to
10 pounds, yet fight well on light tackle. Since these delicious fish are
distributed worldwide in tropical waters, they are popular quarry. In a
sense, they fill the same niche in the ocean as the small Bluefish do in
the bay, although found further offshore. Most Dolphin are kept to eat,
the smaller ones released. They are oceanic by nature, growing quickly and
spawning prolifically. Unlike so many of our premium saltwater game fish,
Dolphin do not need drastic conservation measures to restore their kind,
but let's not get carried away!
trolling, good Yellowfin Tuna outfits fall between the 30 and 50-lb class
stand-up styles. The souped up reel is available from Shimano as the
Tiagra 50WLRS. It's a heavy reel designed for the extreme muscular end of
the sport. By far, the standard Penn International II 50TW and Tiagra 50W
have a drag designed for the physical capabilities of the average angler.
Any tuna reel should have two gears, high and low. The advantage of a
two-speed reel will be discovered just as soon as the Yellowfin sounds
directly under the boat. Most rods are 5 1/2-footers, fitted with Aftco
roller guides, and designed for 50 to 80-lb mono. On the East Coast, these
stand-up rods are designed with a detachable Aftco Unibutt. Preferred over
a single-piece model, with its lower hypalon grip, the Unibutt model is
easier to grab from a rod-holder while under the pressure of a hooked
fish. A good rugged stand-up belt and harness makes all the difference in
the world, as far as comfort and efficiency goes. The heaviest models by
Braid and Reliable will do the trick. Yellowfin are often handled on 30-lb
gear. Excellent graphite two-speed reels, such as the TLD30 II by Shimano,
will handle either 30 or 50 lb monofilament. Matching rods run between
5-ft 6-in to 5-ft 9-in in length, rated for 30/50-lb line. Remember to
double the end of the line for 15 feet, using a Bimini Twist. Most lures
that are purchased come unrigged. It's easier for the makers to let
fishermen rig the lures to their preference. Tuna lures usually carry two
hooks 5/0 to 8/0, rigged one behind the other and pointing 180% away from
each other. The most important step is often forgotten-- sharpening the
hooks to a diamond-point. The most popular set up in Virginia is the
ballyhoo rig. A sea witch trailed by a ballyhoo fish with hook inserted
and wired in place.
