Deep sea fishing from a party boat.

[John P]

I have been on the new buccaneer a few times. You were already assigned a fishing spot when you made reservations. The stern is already full for that date and has been for a few months. They are not going to let you change hooks on their rods and reels.
Circle hooks are required by law when fishing for red snapper.
Good luck on your trip.
John

[Hot4huntin]

Sounds like you're bottom fishing, then. Drift fishing from party boats is a pure crap shoot. Bottom fishing can get you a little more action, if you apply some skill. This is what works for me.

Be one of the first on the boat and grab a spot in one of the stern (back) corners. Tie your rag around it to "claim" your spot. Why do they catch more fish off the back? Because the boat is pointed upstream. The current carries the bait scent off the stern; the fish smell it, swim towards the boat and reach the stern first.

If at all possible, bring your own rod/reel, but it's ok if you don't. Look for a 50-80 lb. class rod with a sensitive tip. Ugly Stiks are wonderful for this kind of fishing.

Tie your own two-hook bottom rigs using 60-80 lb. clear flourocarbon. Sharp hooks are EVERYTHING. Carry a little hook file in your pocket (looks just like a regular shop file) and touch up your hook now and then. It should be sharp enough to stick you before you feel it. If you don't want to tie your own rigs, at least bring the hook file. Those party boat hooks tend to be as dull as a ball point pen. I use 6/0 or 7/0 saltwater hooks (no circle hooks, thank you).

Stand at the rail holding the foregrip in your L hand, controlling the line feed with your left. The INSTANT you feel it hit bottom, click the reel in gear and take up the slack, just enough to straighten out the line. Let the rod rise and fall with the boat to keep it straight. You will instantly feel fish chewing on the bait. When you feel a solid bite, jerk the rod upward to set the hook, then lower it back down and repeat - you'll often catch one on the other hook. If you don't anything within a couple minutes, reel up and re-bait; your bait's gone.

The important thing is that those schooling bottom fish will attack your baits instantly. Note: if you're tied up to an oil rig and you're not cranking up a fish within 30-40 seconds, your bait's gone. Many people don't realize this and sit there for hours holding an empty hook and complaining because they're "not catching anything."

An optional trick is to bring your own squid. Put it in a plastic tupperware-type dish the night before, soaked with fish attractant.

Sometimes you can catch bigger fish by cranking up 8-10 feet off the bottom. The big sow snapper will often suspend about halfway down. If you have a chance you can ask the captain if he sees any on his sonar. Sometimes I hold it at about 30-40 feet for a minute, then let it down another 10-12 feet at a time, until I get something. The main thing is to keep your rod pointed down, and be ready to set that hook instantly, and I mean instantly.

Anyway, that's my approach to party boat bottom fishing, and I consistently catch fish continuously, nonstop, the entire day. Won the boat jackpot several times. I haven't been out in a few years, since the snapper limits went to crap.

I have been on the new buccaneer a few times. You were already assigned a fishing spot when you made reservations. The stern is already full for that date and has been for a few months. They are not going to let you change hooks on their rods and reels.
Circle hooks are required by law when fishing for red snapper.
Good luck on your trip.
John

Good info!! Thanks! We are taking Hunter on a deep sea fishing trip for her 16th birthday. I have had lots of questions.

[Quackerbox]

I would say save spend a little more coin and get a private boat just for your group but yall are booked. Much better experience than the party boat in my experience

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[Ruark]

It is a federal law that circle hooks must be used when bottom fishing in federal waters.

Is this something new? I've been out many, many, many times on Dolphin Docks and Deep Sea Headquarters boats and nobody was using circle hooks. The only place I've seen those was on Scat Cat when they fished with those electric reels. But it's been several years since then, though.

[AtTheWall]

Circle hooks are a must now. The odds of hooking fat red snapper is very high. Out of season, they must be ventilated and released. So the boats now use circle hooks to remain compliant.

[Ruark]

Circle hooks are a must now. The odds of hooking fat red snapper is very high. Out of season, they must be ventilated and released. So the boats now use circle hooks to remain compliant.

Argghhh..... I guess I take back my "fishing tips," then! The old days of bringing home an ice chest full of snapper are long, long gone.... )-:

[CaptainDave]

I have been on the new buccaneer a few times. You were already assigned a fishing spot when you made reservations. The stern is already full for that date and has been for a few months. They are not going to let you change hooks on their rods and reels.
Circle hooks are required by law when fishing for red snapper.
Good luck on your trip.
John

This. Most of those boats have preassigned spots and it's no secret the stern area can be a bit more productive.

With that said, go buy a few snapper slappers. If they allow it,you can use these jigs and bait the hook on them with squid or cigar minnows, etc, that are provided on the boat. I've also been on boats where cigar minnows cost extra, but it's well worth it. Also, if someone hooks into a bonito or something, cut that sucker up into chunks and use for bait.

As stated previously, sometimes the bigger snapper are not right on the bottom. Let your bait hit the bottom and then crank up a few feet. Also, jig a bit up and down.

[kd350]

We always stopped at a bait shop and bought whole big shad and cigar minnows and brought them on board with us and used that. And if you just want to use their squid, we always put as many as we could on the hook