Tile fish question

[AtoZ]

OK, so I am interested in trying to catch some tiles here of SC(anyone here fish them of sc before?) while I am offshore. My questions is about locating them. I have a book of numbers from a old comm fisherman who has been out of fishing for 15 years or more. There are some tile and snowy numbers(loran or course) which I have put in my machine to convert(only so-so accurate). Do you think these numbers are still productive? and given the limited accuracy of converting loran numbers and the fact that tiles live in burrows would you drop on the numbers even if you were not marking anything?? The tile numbers are all in 90-110 fathoms, a long way up for manual reels while most of the snowy numbers are in 40-70 fathoms.

[capt. jakeg]

Yes those numbers are still likely to be very good places to fish, especially if no one has fished them in fifteen years. In virginia we start looking for tiles anywhere over 275 feet on preferrably a clay bottom.

[hotrodmarlin]

Hmmm not sure if those numbers are any good. Send me the book and I'll check it out for you
They are probably still productive and guard those snowy numbers with your life...

[Edge Sportfishing]

For what it's worth, down here in Florida tilefish aren't particularly tough to catch. As far as numbers go, as previously mentioned- find the clay or mud bottom and you'll find the fish. Tilefish live in patchy areas of clay bordered by shell bottom. The shell bottom provides cover that the tiles can "punch" into and bury. The clay bottom holds the various bait which they feed on. All kinds of crazy looking green eels, crabs and fish you won't find in a fish ID guide live in the clay and the tiles sit on the perimiter of those areas waiting to ambush them.

When you are checking out your secret stash of numbers pay attention to how the rig sits on the bottom. When you get into the muddy bottom, your lead will "stick" in the mud as though you were hung up. The rod will load up like you're snagged and at a certain amount of pressure it will break free and spring up like it broke loose. Dropping the lead back down to the bottom you will likely repeat the process until you get to the edge of the mud and that's where the bite usually happens. Anytime you start "sticking the lead" save those numbers whether you are getting bites or not. This is where they live and they may not be there right now but you'll eventually compile a string of waypoints in the area that will produce.
As far as the depths you mentioned are concerned, that is right in the ball park where you will find them and where that kind of topograhy is normally located.
I have experienced great success using this approach to find Tilefish from South Florida to the Northeast canyon area and everywhere in between. I hope this helps you out some. Tilefish are scrappy fish, even on power reels and good eating to boot. If you have an area up there that hasn't had a lot of pressure for a while, you might be in for some exciting fishing until your secret gets out.

Finally, almost all of your bites will come at or very close to the bottom. You might use a standard guppy rig for deep dropping with five hooks on it and never catch a fish on the top four hooks. For that reason, you should think about using a 90 degree bar to attach the line on top, the lead on the bottom, and have the hooks lay out horizontally to maximize your bites.

Good luck and let me know when dinners ready!

G.L.

[AtoZ]

For what it's worth, down here in Florida tilefish aren't particularly tough to catch. As far as numbers go, as previously mentioned- find the clay or mud bottom and you'll find the fish. Tilefish live in patchy areas of clay bordered by shell bottom. The shell bottom provides cover that the tiles can "punch" into and bury. The clay bottom holds the various bait which they feed on. All kinds of crazy looking green eels, crabs and fish you won't find in a fish ID guide live in the clay and the tiles sit on the perimiter of those areas waiting to ambush them.

When you are checking out your secret stash of numbers pay attention to how the rig sits on the bottom. When you get into the muddy bottom, your lead will "stick" in the mud as though you were hung up. The rod will load up like you're snagged and at a certain amount of pressure it will break free and spring up like it broke loose. Dropping the lead back down to the bottom you will likely repeat the process until you get to the edge of the mud and that's where the bite usually happens. Anytime you start "sticking the lead" save those numbers whether you are getting bites or not. This is where they live and they may not be there right now but you'll eventually compile a string of waypoints in the area that will produce.
As far as the depths you mentioned are concerned, that is right in the ball park where you will find them and where that kind of topograhy is normally located.
I have experienced great success using this approach to find Tilefish from South Florida to the Northeast canyon area and everywhere in between. I hope this helps you out some. Tilefish are scrappy fish, even on power reels and good eating to boot. If you have an area up there that hasn't had a lot of pressure for a while, you might be in for some exciting fishing until your secret gets out.

Finally, almost all of your bites will come at or very close to the bottom. You might use a standard guppy rig for deep dropping with five hooks on it and never catch a fish on the top four hooks. For that reason, you should think about using a 90 degree bar to attach the line on top, the lead on the bottom, and have the hooks lay out horizontally to maximize your bites.

Good luck and let me know when dinners ready!

G.L.

Do you literally mean a "string" (in a row) of numbers, cause the numbers I have seem to form short lines(3-4 numbers in a row) parrallell to the depth contours 1/10 of a mile or less apart?

I have rigged some 3 hook rigs with 4/0 circles and 24 ounce weights, but have seen the type rig you are descibing, they use those types of rigs supersized for wreckfish here.

[Edge Sportfishing]

Yes I mean a string as in a long stretch of bottom. A 1/10th mile stretch would only be 500 feet long and you would cover that bottom pretty quick with any wind or tide. I don't think it would be useful in 600' of water to have waypoints in the mud every 150' unless you weren't moving at all. The bottom in that depth range can be good for a long stretch and you might find areas that go on for a half mile or more where you keep hitting the mud and getting bites.

As far as your rigs are concerned, if you intend to hand crank them in that depth you better eat your Wheaties if you want more than a fish or two. While it is done regularly, I haven't seen many people with the sack to do it all day. We use power reel with 5-10 lbs. of lead and five hook rigs with 13/0 mustad circle hooks on the spreader bar I described to catch them as the normal outfit. Incidentally, you may hear all kinds of theories about what kind of bait to use. Skin fish such as Bonito or Barracuda meat are popular down here since they stay on the hook good when the little fish are nibbling. In my opinion however, baiting up with Squid is tough to beat. You'll get more bites and catch many more fish with squid for bait than any other bait I've ever used for deep dropping.

G.L.

Do you literally mean a "string" (in a row) of numbers, cause the numbers I have seem to form short lines(3-4 numbers in a row) parrallell to the depth contours 1/10 of a mile or less apart?

I have rigged some 3 hook rigs with 4/0 circles and 24 ounce weights, but have seen the type rig you are descibing, they use those types of rigs supersized for wreckfish here.