Here is a challenge for you captains!!!!

[gofshn]

we have discussed a million and one ways to rig, cook, repair, maintain, troll, clean fish, cook, talked about controversial matters and such.

let's get back to some basics here. when you go out, what are your tricks, and what are you looking for in the way of water condioions and temp breaks. how about some of those sea surface temp charts with arrows at temp breaks artworked in indicating where you would prefer to troll, and for what. i am sure i have some room for improvement in this area and sure there are others who will gain from this as well.

[cape_fisherman]

Not a charter capt...nor trying to be. But keep one thing in mind that is as important as the almighty temperature break...CURRENT

Haven't seen you in a while, Brian. Hope everything is going good with ya.

Jay

[gofshn]

yes jay, you are correct, i am just trying to bring to light ALL>>> of these aspects for those just starting out. current rips are something else i should have mentioned jay, thanks for reminding me. i hope to learn some new tricks on this topic as well.

[Deep C]

I aint sayin!

[gofshn]

well shucks Paul, i was looking froward to your response, i figured you would be the first post and the most enthused about this.

[ifish4tuna]

I do get the temp charts, but they have not been significant pro/con in deciding where I go. I do find them interesting though. I use oceantemp.com

The biggest factor for us up here in my humble opinion is time of year (month), and locations. There are a few repeat areas that have proven success. I have about 6 or 7 places that I'm comfortable with the bottom contour and access to reasonable bait.

Those are the dominant factors, oh and did I mention access to reasonable bait, if not one more time - bait.

If you can't get bait, then it's kind of a why-bother.

Up here bait access can be limited based upon the month, the new herring rulings will help this coming year I think. But the bait of choice is really Whiting (rare as money on trees these days), herring, mackeral, bluefish. They say the GBFT are the pigs of the sea, I've caught one on a giant pollock (30") when the pollock were stealing the herring. I figured what did I have to lose, I'd already spent the gas to go out 30 miles. Scored a nice 700lb fish on it.

The other factor is location of Dog fish, since we anchor and use live bait. I hate to have them stolen, hence my interest in the kites. We tend to go futher out to avoid them. But sometimes, it's just $300 in gas for nothing but a nice ride.

Having some friends that are willing to cooperate with shared knowledge of recent success or sitings helps out also. Most are pretty tight lipped around here for obvious reasons.

Lastly, we don't troll. We anchor, so having live bait in the well or the access to it by easily jigging is a must. The other thing is the ledge. A rise from 300+ to 200 or slightly less, is a winner. Being on the shallow side of the rise is the place to set anchor. That takes some skill in its self.

Shoe can testify to the principals of proper anchoring. Those boys set out a g'dam spiderweb with 2 anchors to hold fixed position independant of wind conditions. I don't have hydrolic puller so I haven't gone that route (YET). Nothing sucks like a wind change though when you're down to your last 4 baits, and you swing out into 320 foot water at 2:30 in the afternoon.

Hope that helps for a yankee's view.

[Deep C]

well shucks Paul, i was looking froward to your response, i figured you would be the first post and the most enthused about this.

I'm formulating a well thought out response of epic magnitude...

[gofshn]

there is the Deep that we all know and adore!

[pitch bait]

Deep tell the truth when you fish in Cape May you go to old faithful, the honey hole, or should I say "The Boobies". I have drove across that spot a few times with great sucess.

To me reading a temp shot is an art. Not only to be able to read and understand what you are looking at, but to be able to make an accurate perdiction of where the good stuff is going to be 12 or more hours from the time the shot was taken. When I see something on a SST shot that I want to fish it is imperitive that you dont stop running till you find it. This is only my opnion. I dont believe in getting close and then troll looking for the water. When I used to go trolling for women. I never once parked three miles from the bar I was going to and walked the rest of the way. Alot of time I parked right out side the door in the handicapped spot, go ahead tow my car. Im not going to be able to drive untill monday around lunch time I dont care if its only friday at 7 pm I was on a mission. I learned this from Captain Brian (THE BEAST) HE told me in the MA500 in 2002 when I fished it with him and the BOX on the Sure Power. His exact words " Bobby I would rather run all day and fish in good water for one hour then troll around and look for water all day." From then on I do everyhting in my power to keep going untill I lie what I see.

Ok, Temp breaks are another thing that are some times misleading. Have you ever worked a temp break and for hours didnt ge a bite? Then you move 500 yards away or a mile and get covered up? Some times the actual break on the surface gets either blow off or the current under the surface water is pulling the break away. What im trying to say is the "real" break might not be exactly where is appears to be on the surface. it could be paralell a coule of hundred yards or maybe a mile on either side. I learned this while fishing on the TOP HOOK with the BOX and a guy by the name of Jose Acustimendo. He had a thermometer on a small palnner with 40' of wire to a small screen that would give the reading. he would put the planner down and we would troll across the break and watch the screen to find the break. Alot of time is was way away from the surface break.

Im my opnion all the high tec computer SST charts are great and they are a world of help but there is nothing more accurate and useful then local knowledge. That is my first avenue of attack before I go, I make some phone calls. I call people I know and TRUST (Johnseafood I call you to make you feel good I know how you operate) and just get general info, dont ask for exact numbers. Then use this info and transfer the position to the SST shot. Remember to call the poeple back when you return from fishing and return the favor. "Hey we caught 13, mostly on blue and crystal with meat, in the afternoon we had 3 on the pink and crystal. The guys pulling the green machines even managed to catch one or two. We were fishing in the cold side there was less current there and seemed to do alittle better. The water was pushing offshore at about three knots." Info like that, anything that you can do to help this guy out since he did help you.

Some of the things to look for from the bridge are birds, rips 9 line of rough water with a smooth spot on the other side, weeds, bait, obviously busting fish. The most important thing is your sounder. You want to be looking for two things temp breaks and bait. Your eyes should be constantly scanning spread, sounder, temp guage, 360 degrees around vessel, Gps,spread, sounder, temp guage, 360 degrees around vessel, Gps, spread, sounder, temp guage, 360 degrees around vessel, Gps, spread, sounder, temp guage, 360 degrees around vessel, Gps. All day.

Ok we got a bite immediatly man over board button (Mark your spot), write down heading, water temp, bait that got the bite. What you do here is your own preferance. Some people say keep goign dont cange the boats directions others say put the boat in a tight circle. depending on where my bite is in the spread is how I would make a decision. If the bite is close to the boat flat lines or short riggers I would keep the boat straight. Drag the rest of the baits over the spot before turning. Once the bridge pole is past then put the boat in a circle. If the bite comes on the bridge or the long riggers I will contue forward for a minute then circle. Remeber to clear the leat about of lines as possible, thats what is keeping you in the game. and as soon as the line is clear from the fish it goes back into position. I have yet to catch a fish on a bait thatis laying on the cockpit deck.

This is just my opnion, its what has worked for me. Im looking forward to some good feed back.

[WAHOONBOX]

IT WAS A PLEASURE READING YOUR WISDOM BOBBY.....I NEED TO WIPE THE GRIN OFF NOW............

I COULD GO INTO THE SAME PITCH I THREW OUT A WHILE BACK.....BUT I WILL MAKE THIS SHORT AND MAYBE SWEET....

"ANYONE CAN DRIVE A BOAT....BUT NOT EVERYONE CAN FISH A BOAT"



FROM A BRIDGE BOAT......

WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR HELMSMAN SKILLS AS A "CATCHER" ? TAKE THE UPPER CHAIR OFF YOUR PEDASTAL ONCE YOU ARRIVE AT THE KILLING FIELDS....AND REPLACE IT WITH A SIMPLE ROUND "BAR SEAT" ....NO LADDER BACK CRAP TO DEAL WITH...QUICK MOBILITY TO GRAB A BRIDGE POLE

NOW YOU ARE STANDING AND VERY MOBILE....THE SEAT IS THERE FOR YOU TO "LEAN" AGAINST..........AND NOT SIT YOUR LAZY ASS ON....

YOU CAN NOW OPERATE AND HANDLE THE BRIDGE POLE PROPERLY AND QUICKLY...NOT TO MENTION IF YOU'RE GOOD, YOU COULD RUN THE TWO LONG RIGGERS FROM THE BRIDGE ROD HOLDERS AS WELL......NOW YOU HAVE FREED UP YOUR MATE TO RUN 7-8 RODS IN THE PIT FOR THE TUNA HOTBITE...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEXT:

THE SOUNDER IS THERE FOR A REASON.....TO INFORM YOUR CREW WHEN YOU SCRATCH BAIT ...OR YOU SCORE THE BOOMERANGS

THEN...DON'T JUST GO OPEN ANOTHER CAN OF BEER.....GEEZZZ....TURN HARD ON YOUR BAITPILE....AND SINK THE INSIDE RIGS DOWN ON TOP OF THE PILE!

MOVING ALONG:

WATCH THE TEASERS...................... CONSTANT VISUAL ON THE SQUIDS BY ALL CONCERNED IS SO IMPORTANT


LOOK FOR THE SHADOWS.....AND THE "BOILS" BEHIND THE BAITS

YOU WILL NOT SEE THESE PARTICULARS IF YOUR ASS IS ON A COUCH...OR SLEEPING DOWN BELOW....OR YOU ARE SITTING IN A CHAIR WITH YOUR LEGS ALL PROPPED UP THINKING ABOUT TONIGHTS DINNER

AUTO PILOT:

IF YOU FISH A BOAT ON AUTOPILOT....PLEASE DO NOT INVITE ME TO FISH WITH YOU.........IT SHOULD BE CALLED LAZYPILOT

I BETTER STOP HERE .........BEFORE I GET ALL LATHERED UP