Spanish Mackerel or Bonito?

[JusGlase]

Hey all just looking for some basic guidance here. I slip in Sea Bright and head into the ocean around the hook. Looking for something else to fish for besides fluke. Have seen some guys catching spanish mackerel, bonita, and bonito. Would love to do some light tackle trolling. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I used to go to the ridge out of manasquan and that area but was wondering if anything closer to this area (used to slip down there).

Thanks for the help, tight lines!

[Billfish715]

Be patient. The false albacore ( Little Tunny) will show up again along the beaches. The Spanish Macks and bonito are scattered. If we get a finger of bluer water spin inshore after this coming blow, things will change. Can you get out to the edge of the Mud Hole, Oil Wreck, Shark River Reef? Trolling is a crap shoot without up to date intel. Get some numbers from someone, anchor up or drift and chum. Throw some spearing into the slick and watch and wait.

[AndyS]

Troll Clark spoons with a lead drail 3 feet above the spoon.

[Gerry Zagorski]

For trolling top 3 lures are Deadly Dicks, Clark Spoons with a drail sinker tied in front of it and small Feathers. You could also run a deep diving Rapalla/Stretch in your spread to mix it up and you want to troll around 4 knots. No special rod and reel needed here... Anything you'd use to troll for Bass and Blues will work and if you're around the pots you might get a shot at some mahi too...

Trolling is kind of tedious and boring so what you might want to do is troll to cover more ground and locate them then set up on drift or anchor and chum them. Ground bunker and some frozen spearing for your hooked baits will do the trick here..

While on anchor or drift you can also cast around and jig.... Deadly Dicks work better here then Clark Spoons because of their weight and castability, not to mention they look like sand eels and there are a lot of them around this year... Cast out, let it sink some and reel like mad on the way back.

If you want to increase your chances for Mahi the closest in concentration of pots are the northern tip of the mudhole working your way SE along the western edge and it's only a 12 mile run from the tip of the hook.

[JusGlase]

Thanks guys! Ended up going out to the pots...WHAT A DAY! was using super light tackle for the chicken mahi when a monster Cobia hit. 82 degree crystal clear water. Took 45 minutes to bring in this beast!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Awesome!! What did the Cobia eat??