School Me On Sea Bass Fishin!

[Cape Cod]

Guidance needed from all you salty seasoned Sea Bassers. Life long angler here but next Monday will be my first trip specifically targeting Sea Bass. I’ve always caught them as bycatch while togging and fluking. I always like to be prepared. I usually tie all my own rigs. 30lb - 40lb leader material? 4/0 - 5/0 baitholder type hooks? What size/color jigs? Silver or gold? Ava’s with tails? Gulp? Should I just keep it simple hi-low bait rigs?
Thanks in advance 👍

[AndyS]

Clam, hook, sinker, don't overthink this stuff. Bells, whistles and shiny trinkets big sand sharks.
Simple hi-lo rig with the line and hooks you mentioned.

[IrishAngler]

Clam will slay em. I like Gulp too, but why shell out the coin when a nice stinky bivalve will do the trick. :)

[porgylber]

What the others have said. Simple hi-lo with a clam. If the dog fish become a nuisance, don’t bait the top hook, only the bottom. That will somewhat reduce their bites.

When you near your limit, switch over to an Ava 27 to try to jig larger sea bass.

[Gerry Zagorski]

All great advise above but just know you might be drifting. If you are and it's over sticky stuff, if you're not careful and leave your rig dragging on the bottom, you can get hung up a lot.

Love fishing AVAs for them on the drift as well...

[damnyankee]

Diamond jigs with a bare 4/0 baitholder hook about 2 to 3 feet above on a dropper loop, no need for bait. I think it's a lot more fun too to jig than it is to just sit there and wait for something to bite.

[bunker dunker]

what he said,throw the iron and have fun

[bulletbob]

Diamond jigs with a bare 4/0 baitholder hook about 2 to 3 feet above on a dropper loop, no need for bait. I think it's a lot more fun too to jig than it is to just sit there and wait for something to bite.

Agreed, but a lot depends on the day.. Some days, the jiggers go hitless or close to it, and the bait fishermen get most of the hits... Also, remember, there are usually a lot of Ling and Tog on the sea bass grounds.. They are fish that want meat, and jiggers typically don't catch them, unless they foul hook them here and there.. Thats something to consider.

If those sea bass are on small bait such as sand eels, jigging is usually better..

Lots of guys say bigger fish hit the jigs, and smaller ones hit bait, but I have never seen that personally, and often I have seen exactly the opposite.
Rig a bait rod, AND a rod with jig and teaser, and see what the fish want that day.. They are a lot more fun on the jig, IF they are hitting them . Also, when jigging, I see guys yankin' crankin' and yo yo'ing to beat the band, when all the fish want is a slow and steady reel up... If in doubt on that day, ask the captain or mates.. They will often yell at the guys jigging telling them the fish want less movement, and less speed...

Personally I typically start with bait, and switch to jigs when I see them coming over the rail on jigs.. Can't tell you how many times I have watched guys jigging and catching very few fish but refusing to switch to bait, while bait guys were catching Sea bass and Ling at a steady pace.. I would not be that stubborn, and typically do what the cap or mates say to maximize my chances.. These days inshore, there are a TON of throwbacks too.. Sometimes its like 20 to 1 or better.. Maybe this year those numbers will improve,, We'll see.. Hoping to get out in a few weeks myself.... bob

[tunajoe]

Inshore seabass in recent years has been a challenge and that is putting it nicely. Average ratio of keepers to those caught is ~10 -1. Try to get on a boat that targets them a further offshore. Most boats just sit a few miles off the beach and drift from sandy hook to roughly deal. Yes, there are some keepers in there, but all in all it's a challenge to land a decent amount of keepers when all you have are 100's of boats drifting the same areas over and over again.

[BugEye Chris]

The jig is the way to go. It may take a bit to figure out because every day is different. Some days Yo-Yo works others just a small lift off the bottom. Some days nothing on the jig but a teaser is hot.

[hammer4reel]

Jigs , jigs and more jigs .
2-3 Oz metals , try to keep under 3” in length .
.

[hammer4reel]

Agreed, but a lot depends on the day.. Some days, the jiggers go hitless or close to it, and the bait fishermen get most of the hits... Also, remember, there are usually a lot of Ling and Tog on the sea bass grounds.. They are fish that want meat, and jiggers typically don't catch them, unless they foul hook them here and there.. Thats something to consider.

If those sea bass are on small bait such as sand eels, jigging is usually better..

Lots of guys say bigger fish hit the jigs, and smaller ones hit bait, but I have never seen that personally, and often I have seen exactly the opposite.
Rig a bait rod, AND a rod with jig and teaser, and see what the fish want that day.. They are a lot more fun on the jig, IF they are hitting them . Also, when jigging, I see guys yankin' crankin' and yo yo'ing to beat the band, when all the fish want is a slow and steady reel up... If in doubt on that day, ask the captain or mates.. They will often yell at the guys jigging telling them the fish want less movement, and less speed...

Personally I typically start with bait, and switch to jigs when I see them coming over the rail on jigs.. Can't tell you how many times I have watched guys jigging and catching very few fish but refusing to switch to bait, while bait guys were catching Sea bass and Ling at a steady pace.. I would not be that stubborn, and typically do what the cap or mates say to maximize my chances.. These days inshore, there are a TON of throwbacks too.. Sometimes its like 20 to 1 or better.. Maybe this year those numbers will improve,, We'll see.. Hoping to get out in a few weeks myself.... bob

You catch a higher ratio of shorts fishing bait .
Jig guys fish 95% of the time are going in the ice hotel .
Stubborn is continuing to fish bait just to throw back fish that aren’t legal

[hartattack]

Small jig with Tsunami split tail teaser above. You can use a light jig if u cast into the drift or upcurrent if anchored; sometimes yo-yo works, sometimes retrieve up the water column; keep experimenting, beats bait + 8 . . .

[bulletbob]

You catch a higher ratio of shorts fishing bait .
Jig guys fish 95% of the time are going in the ice hotel .
Stubborn is continuing to fish bait just to throw back fish that aren’t legal

Sorry, disagree.. I realize you are a captain, but I have been at this for 60+ years... Yes at times the jigs will catch bigger fish, especially when they are on sand eels... However, i have just been out there too many times over the decades seeing exactly the opposite.. As stated in my post as well, if there are Ling and tog in the area, you watch the bait guys catch them... I will agree with your viewpoint on jigs offshore, but inshore where most of the boats will be fishing???.. Not something I have seen on a consistent basis... Last couple years on all my seabass trips,I have seen bait fishermen do as well or better than jiggers, often better.. I use jigs a lot, but often have to switch to bait simply because the bait guys are doing better.. Last year a captain yelled at me for jigging when guys were doing way better on bait... Jigs are great for seabass, but are not an absolute.. Depends on the day, the weather and sea conditions, and what the fish are eating.... bob

[Ol Pedro]

Inshore I like a hi low with an orange or green glow bead. Offshore same deal but I jig more. I have never caught a short jigging offshore. I like a diamond jig with a chartreuse hoochie squid teaser. Slide the hoochie on the line, slide on a bead, then attach the hook. Pull the bead into the head of the squid. It will look better and the hook will be more exposed. I also like to go to a 3/0 or even a 4/0 hook on my hi low when the Porgies are thick.

[bunker dunker]

i have jigged ling and blackfish on plain ava 27's w/ no bait.i think most of the
jiggers who fail or don't catch are the ones who quit because the peeps next to them are catching.you have to stay at it and find out what they want.i fish them inshore and offshore with jigs with some days good and some not but thats just fishing.

[hammer4reel]

Sorry, disagree.. I realize you are a captain, but I have been at this for 60+ years... Yes at times the jigs will catch bigger fish, especially when they are on sand eels... However, i have just been out there too many times over the decades seeing exactly the opposite.. As stated in my post as well, if there are Ling and tog in the area, you watch the bait guys catch them... I will agree with your viewpoint on jigs offshore, but inshore where most of the boats will be fishing???.. Not something I have seen on a consistent basis... Last couple years on all my seabass trips,I have seen bait fishermen do as well or better than jiggers, often better.. I use jigs a lot, but often have to switch to bait simply because the bait guys are doing better.. Last year a captain yelled at me for jigging when guys were doing way better on bait... Jigs are great for seabass, but are not an absolute.. Depends on the day, the weather and sea conditions, and what the fish are eating.... bob

We limit out every trip with ease fishing jigs inshore .
You just need to see how they want it moving .
Makes No sense to me to be handling all those small fish and watching them float on top from getting the Benz hoping they make it back down .
If guys around you work fish up using bait , you ABSOLUTELY can pick the cream of the crop using a jig right next to them the right way .
.

[bulletbob]

i have jigged ling and blackfish on plain ava 27's w/ no bait.i think most of the
jiggers who fail or don't catch are the ones who quit because the peeps next to them are catching.you have to stay at it and find out what they want.i fish them inshore and offshore with jigs with some days good and some not but thats just fishing.

Look, I have caught tog on jigs a time or two myself.. However lets face facts... If a person is fishing for seabass this time of year on a party or charter in an area where there are also decent numbers of Blackfish, Ling, Winter Flounder, and maybe a Cod or two, he is reducing his chances of a nice mixed bag.. I have seen too many days in May when the bait guys had a nice mixed bag and the jig guys that stayed with hardware went home with a lot fewer fish.. That water is still pretty cold and sometimes the fish want meat.

I still say to the OP, take two rods -one set set up with a 2 hook bottom rig for bait fishing, and another with a jig and teaser, and see what works best on that particular day.. Stubbornly refusing to ditch the jig on a day when the fish want bait makes no sense to me. Especially if the grounds being fished have a nice by catch going of Ling and Flounder, and maybe a few Tog.

A few times I have seen a nasty glob of clam and a big white Gulp on each hook outfish plain bait rigs or jigs by a wide margin as well.. Looks hideous and totally bogus, unlike anything those sea bass have seen in nature, but it works extremely well, and I would be an idiot to discount it..

Jigging is a great way to catch sea bass, and I like most others prefer it, but its NOT the only way, and at certain times it is a less effective way and the OP needs to understand that, and to keep his eyes and ears open and be ready to switch things up.

[bunker dunker]

if you jump on a sea bass boat and your worrying about your buy catch then your not sea bass fishing.i say jiggem up and have fun

[BugEye Chris]

So who is going on Saturday besides me. I’ll let you know how well the jig worked

[bulletbob]

if you jump on a sea bass boat and your worrying about your buy catch then your not sea bass fishing.i say jiggem up and have fun

To each his own of course.. Personally, if its one of those days when the Ling and Flounder are biting better than keeper size sea bass, I ditch worrying about the sportsmanlike purity of the "jig fisherman", and try and bring home a little meat.. I also don't consider Flounder and Ling a bycatch.. They are a very welcome addition to ANY bag, any day... bob

[Fishermancraig]

Hey Folks. Don't want to add fuel to the fire of this debate. But I think what makes a truly good fisherman is the ability to be versatile. To change and adapt to the conditions. There are few absolutes in fishing, but we agree both methods works great and both methods have disadvantages and some advantages.

My method for bait fishing is slightly different. For the high low rig, I put the low rig actually put it pretty close to the sinker and it is a smaller sized hook than the high rig. I usually get ling and flounder on the bottom rig.

Bulletbob also forgot to mention us bait fishermen do sometimes get cod on the high rig, which is why for the high rig it is a larger hook.

One of my greatest joys of early season seabassin is the wide range of fish for the dinner table. Cod, winter flounder flounder, ling and even some fluke/tog.

[hammer4reel]

Hey Folks. Don't want to add fuel to the fire of this debate. But I think what makes a truly good fisherman is the ability to be versatile. To change and adapt to the conditions. There are few absolutes in fishing, but we agree both methods works great and both methods have disadvantages and some advantages.

My method for bait fishing is slightly different. For the high low rig, I put the low rig actually put it pretty close to the sinker and it is a smaller sized hook than the high rig. I usually get ling and flounder on the bottom rig.

Bulletbob also forgot to mention us bait fishermen do sometimes get cod on the high rig, which is why for the high rig it is a larger hook.

One of my greatest joys of early season seabassin is the wide range of fish for the dinner table. Cod, winter flounder flounder, ling and even some fluke/tog.

I will fan the fire lol.
There sometimes us a small window to catch these fish on given day .
Spend half that window baiting and releasing sub par fish makes the difference at days end of a full box of nice fish , or just a good day of catching with little going home .

Fish that want to eat , hit bait readily .
Fish that want to eat readily hit a jig
Fish that don’t want to eat will still hit a jig out of reaction .
A jig fished right will ALWAYS catch fish .

Also deal with junk fish a little less when fishing a jig .
.

[bunker dunker]

i'll be out sat & sun with jig only.keep your bait and junk fish

[Ol Pedro]

Bullet, I guess that I'm OP. I adapt to the conditions. I always carry two rods. One to jig and one bait set up. Offshore I jig as soon as we come back on the anchors and on the wiggles. For me jigs work better on fresh bottom. I'll switch to bait if they don't want the jig.
Inshore smaller Ava's with teaser closer to jig. Some times I put a small piece of clam foot on the teaser. On the bait set up I tie 2 ganion loops between 4" and 6" long about a foot apart, put on a red/orange bead, a gold bait holder hook, and the sinker loop 6" to 8" below the bottom hook. It seems to come through the sticky stuff better with the short leaders. It's more fun to catch them on jigs.

[dales529]

If LAB was still here this thread would be headed towards a Seabass PUOSU!
Some wont get it but most will!
MIMI seabass trip master baiters vs get jiggy with it.:eek:
Kawfee

[reason162]

But I think what makes a truly good fisherman is the ability to be versatile.

There's a LOT of room to be versatile - with a jig. Cadence is probably most important, but color/weight can really matter too. Between metals and jigheads + plastics, I have never not caught seabass on jigs.

[Ol Pedro]

If LAB was still here this thread would be headed towards a Seabass PUOSU!
Some wont get it but most will!
MIMI seabass trip master baiters vs get jiggy with it.:eek:
Kawfee

Yah, I miss him. He would get bent out of shape when I would call tog sea carp. We would hang out when he dropped off his son at the boat.

[Duffman]

If LAB was still here this thread would be headed towards a Seabass PUOSU!
Some wont get it but most will!
MIMI seabass trip master baiters vs get jiggy with it.:eek:
Kawfee

Haha!!!! Memories. And those who “know”......”no”....:D

[henro]

I'll be out Sunday on the Down Deep throwing 6" gulp grubs on 2oz jig heads hopefully mopping up keepers like we always do. I'll have a bait rod with me but hopefully won't have to use it. Hate having that clam mess all over after. I run a slow pitch jigging spinning rod for the jigs and a baitcaster setup for bait.

[hammer4reel]

I'll be out Sunday on the Down Deep throwing 6" gulp grubs on 2oz jig heads hopefully mopping up keepers like we always do. I'll have a bait rod with me but hopefully won't have to use it. Hate having that clam mess all over after. I run a slow pitch jigging spinning rod for the jigs and a baitcaster setup for bait.

Berkley designed a bait in the gulp line up that sea bass really destroy . As it’s easy for them to get in their mouth .
It’s their paddle shad , comes in 3” to 6” .
Had really good results with it using it as a teaser .

Here is the Gulp designer himself with a biscuit on the paddle shad

[henro]

Berkley designed a bait in the gulp line up that sea bass really destroy . As it’s easy for them to get in their mouth .
It’s their paddle shad , comes in 3” to 6” .
Had really good results with it using it as a teaser .

Here is the Gulp designer himself with a biscuit on the paddle shad

No shit! Awesome thanks! I have about $300 worth of grubs to go through first but I’ll definitely try them soon!

[bunker dunker]

in order to be good at anything you have to work at it.sure there are days the fish are are keyed to bait but those are the days you learn.instead of putting the jig rod down and going to the bait stick try to figure out why.are there days
i go home with nothing,sure but those days are fewer and fewer now as i have
learned so many this about them.the way i see it is like this.i would not shoot a
squirrel if i was deer hunting.

[frugalfisherman]

It ain't rocket surgery. Any idiot can catch seabass. I do it all the time.

[Jigman13]

This is easily the most effort I've ever heard of/read re: sea bass. It's way simple. Once you mark them, you'll catch them. Two rods--one with a hi-lo rig for bait and one with a diamond jig (teaser optional). I drop bait down first. If the fish are small, or you get covered in doggies, start swinging the iron. Adjust your cadence accordingly.

I dont recall ever being on a trip where the sea bass had lockjaw. They're voracious and competitive. They #1 key is MARKING them.

I like swinging the iron on spinning gear with #20 braid. You can get down fast with lighter jigs...

[Gerry Zagorski]

This is easily the most effort I've ever heard of/read re: sea bass. It's way simple. Once you mark them, you'll catch them. Two rods--one with a hi-lo rig for bait and one with a diamond jig (teaser optional). I drop bait down first. If the fish are small, or you get covered in doggies, start swinging the iron. Adjust your cadence accordingly.

I dont recall ever being on a trip where the sea bass had lockjaw. They're voracious and competitive. They #1 key is MARKING them.

I like swinging the iron on spinning gear with #20 braid. You can get down fast with lighter jigs...

Yep - that about sums it up and if you haven't eaten a fresh Sea Bass, go get you some, you'll be in for a real treat :D

[bulletbob]

This is easily the most effort I've ever heard of/read re: sea bass. It's way simple. Once you mark them, you'll catch them. Two rods--one with a hi-lo rig for bait and one with a diamond jig (teaser optional). I drop bait down first. If the fish are small, or you get covered in doggies, start swinging the iron. Adjust your cadence accordingly.

I dont recall ever being on a trip where the sea bass had lockjaw. They're voracious and competitive. They #1 key is MARKING them.

I like swinging the iron on spinning gear with #20 braid. You can get down fast with lighter jigs...

Sea Bass are ready biters, but they shut off fast sometimes.. I have been on a lot of head boats [usually crowded!] where it was a hot bite as soon as the horns blew, and turned to nothing after 10 minutes. Reposition, move to new location, rinse repeat... Seen many a trip where 6- 7 keeper fish was high hook, lots of guys with 2, 3 even 1, and several with none... Lots of 11 inch fish out there... Private boats or small charter are the way to go for Sea Bass IMHO... Those boats with 50 guys elbow to elbow are not always conducive to a positive sea bass fishing experience..

There are typically a ton of fish caught on inshore sea bass party boats, but the keeper to short ration can be ridiculous... bob

[hammer4reel]

5 man limit on nice biscuits , nothing under 13 1/2”
All on jigs today .

[bunker dunker]

we had a 3 peep limit saturday by 8:30am all on 27's.bite was great til 10am