Trolling

Trolling is a fishing technique that is used world wide by fishermen to target a wide spectrum of game fish.  Bill fish are at the top of the species list followed by many others.  Trolling requires dragging baits behind the boat.  Anglers can troll natural rigged baits, lures or even a combination of both.  Tuna are another variety of fish that fall victim to trolling and numerous predators like speedy Wahoo, Mahi and even Mako sharks.  Fish can be targeted by the speed we troll and often some fish are more aggressive hunters and require faster speeds while others will gladly eat baits that are barely moving.  Slow trolling with live bait is a technique used where fishermen drag live bait fish at speeds ranging from 1 to 4 knots.  By slow trolling live baits fishermen have a better hook up and catch ratio because predators have more time to eat baits while anglers have the ability to free spool baits back to fish and make sure they eat them down.

Kite fishing

Kite fishing is a unique fishing method used to present live offerings for surface feeding fish.  Fishing kites are deployed into the sky.  The main line attached to the kite has several release clips which slide and are 50 to 60 feet apart.  The line from the fishing reels go to each clip and down to the water with bridled bait on each one.  When a predator fish eats bait off the kite, the clip releases as the line from the rod gets pulled tight and the angler now can fight the fish with now obstacles.  Kite fishing allows anglers to control the depth their baits swim by either winding baits to the surface where they can splash and create commotion, or fishing them deeper to attract deep swimming fish that are migrating.

Deep dropping

Deep dropping is targeting bottom dwelling fish from a few hundred feet down to as much as a thousand plus.  Snapper, grouper and tile fish are just a few species that live and thrive in cracks and crevices on the bottom thru this spectrum of depths.  Most deep droppers fish with electric fishing reels or power assisted tackle.  The actual rig can be just a single hook rig or as many as 15 hooks all strung together called a chicken rig.  Generally circle hooks are used to ensure fish don’t spin off and come loose on their way up to the surface.  Large amounts of lead are required to get rigs down to the bottom in some places since the currents may be very strong.  Other locations may be completely opposite and require much less weight.  Sash weights are typically used because of their long cylindrical shape design has less chance to hang bottom then other styles.  When deep dropping, squid is the preferred bait but just about any cut bait will work fine.

Bottom Fishing

 Bottom fishing is the technique of using weighted rigs to catch fish off the bottom.  Fishing around structure where fish congregate is key.  Wrecks are great places to find fish as well as reef systems, oil rigs and sea mounts.  No matter where you fish the technique is generally the same.  Bottom fishing can consist of catching smaller fish that weigh a couple of pounds up to monsters that can tip the scale to well over 6 to 7 hundred pounds.  Since fish like snapper and grouper hang close to the bottom we use a bottom rig that is a weight, swivel, leader and a hook to ensure our baits make it down to them.

Artificial Lure Fishing

Fishing artificials is the technique and magic of fooling fish with out bait.  Lures come in many shapes and sizes from crank baits that swim when retrieved to jigs that dart when you twitch your rod tip to even larger lures that smoke and bubble when trolled.  This style of fishing does not require any natural bait at all just the illusion of making a plastic or metal lure dance with life like movements to excite fish.  Today we are seeing more high tech lures in soft plastics infused with different scents that mimic live baits and leave an odor fish respond to.  Some casting lures are surface baits that swim on top to create an injured fish while others sink down deeper for a totally different effect.  In the right environment, artificial baits can be dynamite and even out fish live ones.

Fly Fishing

Fly fishing was first developed to target freshwater fish in rivers and streams through out the world for numerous trout and salmon species.  Silent presentation of small hand tied flies and grub type bugs could fool even the wariest and keen fish and give fishermen the thrill of a life time battling unsuspecting brutes.  Today fly fishing has evolved from a fresh water sport to salt water enthusiasts all over the globe.  From bone fish and Permit to Blue marlin and sword fish and just about any species of fish you can present a fly to.  A general fly rod has a few hundred yards of braid backing and a 100 plus feet of fly line.  Fly line can either float on the surface or be less buoyant to stay in the water column or even sink down if targeting fish further down.  Attached to the fly line is a tapered leader and finishing off the rig is a fly of the angler’s choice.  The expression match the hatch runs true when fly fishing so usually a fisherman will use smaller flies for smaller fish and larger ones for bigger species.