wreck advice - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

stugots · #1 08-31-2015, 10:23 PM

Want to give cod fishing and some jumbo founder a shot. ..never tried it before. Running out of the Highlands. Any advice on tackle, bait, location, and anchoring/ drifting would be awesome. Thanks in advance guys.

Angler Paul · #2 08-31-2015, 11:12 PM

You probably should go on a charter boat or a party boat first to get can idea how it is done. Most wrecks in at least 100' of water may have cod and flounder on them now.

TheTenman · #3 08-31-2015, 11:21 PM

It's worth it to pay a charter just to fish their numbers, not to mention how much less time and effort it takes an experienced captain to settle in on a 2-anchor pulpit directly over a loaded wreck

Capt. Lou · #4 09-01-2015, 04:51 AM

Good advice , u need some expierence best way to get it as described !

Blackfish Doug · #5 09-01-2015, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stugots

Want to give cod fishing and some jumbo founder a shot. ..never tried it before. Running out of the Highlands. Any advice on tackle, bait, location, and anchoring/ drifting would be awesome. Thanks in advance guys.

Keep it simple in the tackle high low rigs or bottom rigs. Stay away from all the jewelry or dogfish attacker's most of the time that's all it does. Drifting in the deep for Flounder? too much current plus you would need the absolute perfect conditions for that to happen & it doesn't happen often. Location? nobody over here is going to give you that info here. If you put up 1 number here you will never be able to fish it again. Most of the captains here put in years of searching just to get some productive numbers only to find private boats on them when they have a boat full of customers looking for a few fish. The best advice you got on this board is either fish a charter or party boat.

Gerry Zagorski · #6 09-01-2015, 11:43 AM

Great advice above.... Finding, anchoring on and staying on deep water wrecks is definitely an acquired skill and you need the right equipment. Most charter boats who are into this sort of fishing have double anchors. Double anchors not only make it easier to position the boat over a wreck, they also help the boat from swinging on and off the wreck as compared to a single anchor. If the wind or current shifts, it's often times as easy taking in some scope from one anchor and letting some out of the other or both.

When I say it makes it easier I don't mean to make it sound like double anchoring is easy... If however they are dropped correctly it makes it easier to make adjustments so you are on and stay on the wreck.

If you are serious about doing this sort of fishing on your own, there is definitely going to be a pretty steep learning curve and if you try to do it with a single anchor it becomes much harder to get and stay over the wreck.

stugots · #7 09-01-2015, 12:51 PM

Thanks guys

rumster · #8 09-01-2015, 03:56 PM

It`s not quite as hard as you may think. Been bailing fish for the last 2 1/2 months. There have been days this year when 2 or 3 guys catch 12-15 keeper cod, 1/2 dozen pollock 3-4 fat flounder and 30-40 nice ling. Beats bucktailing for fluke with the way things are any day.

RATS · #9 09-01-2015, 04:22 PM

From all I have read best thing to do as a novice to an area is find a buddy boat that knows their stuff and follow them out and learn from them. If you do hook up show the courtesy and ask if you can save his stop points in your GPS.

Harpoon · #10 09-01-2015, 04:49 PM

Step 1. Follow one of the 2-3 bottom fishing charter boats out of the Highlands

Step 2. Drop your anchor on a piece of the wreck near them

Step 3. Wonder why they are catching all the fish and you are not, oh and ignore their yelling/laughter.

Just kidding.

With all due respect the charter captains (and rumster since he seems dedicated to bottom fishing) know the wrecks, know which piece of the wrecks will produce, know how to handle the drift/wind on the anchor, know what bait is working best, know when to move and most importantly have the right boat and anchor for that type of fishing.

Can anyone go out and drop and anchor and get lucky? Absolutely. But there is probably a bigger chance that you could lose an anchor or catch bergals and skates all day if you are not sure what to do.

If you have your own boat I'm sure (not positive) that the $150 for fare and tip will be some of the best money you spend. You will go home with some filets, some knowledge, and most importantly you will not have to clean the boat!!!