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"I was hoping you could possibly shed some light for me on these inshore sailfish around here. you obviously have them dialed in pretty daggone good. we have been looking for one the past two summers with limited success, raised one or two but no hook ups."
"as for the spread we pull....dredge off one corner, squid chain off the other. all naked baits...some splitbilled, some skipping."
"thanks in advance for any info...just wanting to know if we are on the right track for finding one of these fish close to the hill."
You are on the right track. Remember this, mark each place you get a sailfish bite or see one in the baits. There are there for a reason. The places you named are good ones but there are a lot of other places that I think holds fish better. I fish where most people don't fish, sometimes a hero sometimes a zero, but I'm not fishing pressured areas and I think this makes the difference. I look for a couple of things, small ledges and hard bottom areas where large contractions of bait are. When I find it on top ( this is KEY ) then I fish it hard. I plow the rows, drill holes in it around the bait till I can't see my plot lines and then some more. I'll look at the spot different times of day and different moon phases to see if it produces. If I get bit I won't leave it alone till I get the information I need out of it. I've caught more Sails at 12 miles off the beach than any where else in our area.
I have personally moved away from Dredges & squid chains unless it is dead calm. I feel that for me, that's when they work the best as well as me being a one man show when I charter my boat. When it is grassy or ruff it is to much to deal with for one person. I had rather spend my time "watching the baits". To me this is more important than any other thing. During the tournament I let Dickey drive so I could stay glued to the baits and rod tips. It paid off with our second fish. Came up on the right flat, I had just taken over the wheel to give Dickey a break around 1:30, been at the wheel 5 minuets when he hit. Before Dickey could take 2 steps toward the rod I had it and was feeding the fish. I beat the fish back to the rod. Any tournament you fish, heck any day you fish, if you watch the spread like a hawk and react quickly you will catch more fish.
Remember this also, as said on this board many times before "Sails and Whites travel in packs". If there is one there is more than one. When you get bit and you miss it, Drop back, stop, pump the rod, drop back again and repeat the process and do it again while keeping a straight boat line. if you don't hook up, GO BACK AND WORK IT! More times than not you will get bit again If there are more than 2 of you in the boat have a game plan so the others will know what to do, how to put rods in free spool, how to get the clicker off and thumb it. Practice this before hand so they don't bird nest it. Learning all this when a fish is in the baits will lead to heartbreak and many lost fish.
Dickey and I have been targeted near-shore Sails together now for 5 years now as a 2 person team. He knows what I'm going to do before I do it. When I get him on the rod I know what he is going to do before he does it. We stay CALM and do our best not to get excited till it is picture & release time. Only then is it hi 5's. Most of the time I fish 6 lines on my boat with no outriggers and most of the time were over one line and under one line when we get a fish or 2 on. Move slow and get your tangles undone, make sure that the drags are backed off on the lines that are tangled so you won't break you fish off.
Ok a couple more things, first is on ruff days I only rig split bills, they will skip enough. On calm days I rig both skippers and split bills. I run the boat speed so they are in the water more than out but no less than 4 & 1/2 knots.
The other thing is I fish lighter than most, 20 pound main line, during a tournament 24' of 50 pound and 5 & 1/2 of 40 pound floro that is attached to a very small snap swivel ( no bigger than 70 pound) and a 6 ought pre weighed "dink" hook.
Last thing I use small medium baits, not smalls, why, I like the way they pull and swim better. I like the fact that I feel the fish can see it better in the wash. If you have confidence in something it will work better than something else for you.
This is not the only way its my way. Your way may work better for you but this as I said is what works for me and I hope it helps you guys out. If you guys want to learn more lets go fishing and I'll show you how I do it.
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Carolina Gentleman