Offshore Fishing

The day should start with fueling your boat, always have adequate fuel when going offshore. This is one of the most important things to start with. You will also need to check oil levels in your engine and make sure you have extra aboard. Next, all electronics need to be checked to make sure they are correctly working, this is very important as there may be complications when you get away from land. A working VHF or GPS can be a life saver. Life Jackets and other safety devices should also be aboard.

Now you need to check your tackle. You will need a light weight rod with a Sabiki setup or a cast net. Two or three heavy rods and reels that are built for a fight. Plenty of heavy test braided line and fluorocarbon line. A lot of circle hooks and heavy weights for just in case. A gaff is a good idea if your boat has high walls. This should be a decent amount of tackle for the day.

At this point your on the hunt for bait. Pinfish is the bait of choice for offshore. When searching for offshore bait the best place to find it is next to structures or on rock piles. The way I catch bait is with a Sabiki. You load the hooks with tiny pieces of squid and cast it next to the structure or over the rock pile. This should be a quick process and after a couple casts your bait well should be full and your on your way.

Time to look for a good spot offshore to fish. There a ton of listed reefs and wrecks you can find on-line. These can be crowded with people but the best place to start. You can search for unlisted spots using a sonar but that is a whole different topic. For reading and time sake we will just say your going to a listed reef or wreck.

Once at the wreck use a sonar to get close to an underwater structure or rock-pile. Set your anchor to keep you in this spot.

Time to fish you will need to setup your rods and reels again another topic. Once your rods and reels are setup you will need to bait your hooks. The way I found to be most effective for Amberjack and Grouper is to hook the live Pinfish through his nose and cut his tail just deep enough that he bleeds. Drop your line straight down until the weight is just off the bottom. Just sit and weight and you better be ready for a fight. Once your bait is snagged you need to get the fish off the bottom so he doesn't wrap in the under water structure.

Now that you have your limit or are tired its time to head in. Follow your GPS back to where you came from. Your offshore day is complete and hopefully successful.

Haze N Ship Charters a Tampa Bay Fishing Charter. www.tampabaychartering.com www.tampabayfishingcharters.net