North Carolina

[MohawkJD]

I have a friend going on a 24 hr trip on the Continental Shelf this weekend & was wondering what tackle to bring. The boat recommended 4/0 reel with 80lb test line. This seems very heavy. He already has reels filled with 50 & 65 lb braid, would these be OK? Also wondering about hooks, are circle hooks required?

[AquaDawg]

I have gone out with them a few times over the years. If the boat is not chartered, expect it to be elbow-to-elbow, and people who don't fish on a regular basis. This most likely why they are suggesting 80lb mono. If he gets tangled with the braid expect to lose line or have to cut it free. He should be fine with the 65 lb braid, just set drag accordingly because on the shelf you may hook into a 2 pound red snapper or a monster grouper. As for the circle hooks, I don't recall them being required, but a quick call to the boat should answer that.

[bunker dunker]

bring some 47's and 67's.fillet a grunt or sea bass and add strip to jig.drop to bottom and take 2 cranks off the bottom and hold on.we used to catch allot of grouper and amberjack that way

[MohawkJD]

I just got a report back from their trip. 2 guys & 2 kids, over 100 fish & the pool winner! 51 lb King Mackerel. Also 20-30 lb amber-jacks. Trigger, silver snapper, Sea Bass, Chocolate porgies, grunts, grouper & a couple others. From 2lb to 40lb fish were caught. They threw back or gave away most of the small fish. They're going back again next year, I'll probably join them.

4/0 reel, 16oz, 3/0 - 6/0 hooks. The boat required circles.

Thanks to all for replies. Trip was limited to 40 people.

[beerbelly]

fished with them before good boat, u will catch lots of trigger fish an lots of porgies and grunts not as many grouper as there used to be, lot of little fish