Is ya ready for the dolphin bite?

[BOGSTER]

willk I'll be in Edisto most of May - let's take my crappy center console to work on some spades and if it's nice, bottom fish some 100ft numbers. You down?

[willk]

willk I'll be in Edisto most of May - let's take my crappy center console to work on some spades and if it's nice, bottom fish some 100ft numbers. You down?

I'll be down there the first two weekends for sure. Second weekend is the cobia tournament. Capt Jimmy and the Fat Kids are swinging for 1st this year.

[USMCsilver]

I'll be able to give rides during the week. My schedule sucks. Bottom fishing only, probably, as I don't have riggers.

I'll post when available. I'm learning, so I can't promise much. Got good gear and a fuel friendly boat. 40 miles max.

Posted from Samsung S7 Edge via TapaTalk.

[sftull]

We're pulling to the keys in May. Hope to put my first dolphin(s) in the boat!!

[12341234]

when the yellowfin were here- everyone said blackfin were cat food

I find it hard to tell the difference in the two. I fished out of Venice for a year and had both regularly. If it's fresh no difference frozen yes. But who eats frozen fish?

[BOGSTER]

I'll be able to give rides during the week. My schedule sucks. Bottom fishing only, probably, as I don't have riggers.

I'll post when available. I'm learning, so I can't promise much. Got good gear and a fuel friendly boat. 40 miles max.

Posted from Samsung S7 Edge via TapaTalk.

Bo outriggers aren't a necessity. LOTS of people crush dolphin and wahoo without nary a clip on board.
I know a local Edisto bluewater rat that never has or ever will use outriggers and he hammers big wahoo. I use them, but spending a day on the boat with him will definitely show you that they aren't really necessary on a small ride.

40 miles max? Why did you pick that number? Another 5 miles and your in the stream in April-June. When you're 40 miles out, what's another 5?

You fished the Parking Lot last year, it's time to loosen that belt and get on out there.

[BOGSTER]

I find it hard to tell the difference in the two. I fished out of Venice for a year and had both regularly. If it's fresh no difference frozen yes. But who eats frozen fish?

Who doesn't? I like dolphin just as much in December as I do in May.
My main drive in fishing hard is so that I have fish until I can fish again.

[DUCK BUSTER 68]

when the yellowfin were here- everyone said blackfin were cat food

Man , I remember those days...and miss em a lot. Bring 6-10 yellowfin,a couple wahoo and 5-15 dolphin back to the dock and it was ON ! Many a night cleaning fish and drinkin beer at Georgetown landing marina back in the day

[Griffin]

Bo outriggers aren't a necessity. LOTS of people crush dolphin and wahoo without nary a clip on board.
I know a local Edisto bluewater rat that never has or ever will use outriggers and he hammers big wahoo. I use them, but spending a day on the boat with him will definitely show you that they aren't really necessary on a small ride.

40 miles max? Why did you pick that number? Another 5 miles and your in the stream in April-June. When you're 40 miles out, what's another 5?

You fished the Parking Lot last year, it's time to loosen that belt and get on out there.

Very solid advice here. Your boat is more than capable of filling a box at the stream. Of course with your luck that sucker will sink 2 foot behind the trailer at the boat ramp

[Whackumstackum]

Very solid advice here. Your boat is more than capable of filling a box at the stream. Of course with your luck that sucker will sink 2 foot behind the trailer at the boat ramp

And that's why there are 24 beers in a case, just lost a natty to that one!

[BOGSTER]

The aforementioned Edistonian actually snubs his nose at outriggers and how small boats fish them.
His argument is that when pulling 6 lines or less, he prefers his baits be bunched up in a ball. He pulls a dredge off one cleat and a teaser off the other.
He then pulls his rigged ballyhoo in a pretty tight group - like within 3ft of each other. Essentially another bait ball.

And I'd put him up against any fishermen in this State. I've never known him to fish a tournament, but God help them if he did.

Btw - he's way overweight, bad health, regularly fishes his 30ft beat up Cuddy solo, and has probably landed more wahoo than any big name sportfisher in SC to date.

[USMCsilver]

Bo outriggers aren't a necessity. LOTS of people crush dolphin and wahoo without nary a clip on board.
I know a local Edisto bluewater rat that never has or ever will use outriggers and he hammers big wahoo. I use them, but spending a day on the boat with him will definitely show you that they aren't really necessary on a small ride.

40 miles max? Why did you pick that number? Another 5 miles and your in the stream in April-June. When you're 40 miles out, what's another 5?

You fished the Parking Lot last year, it's time to loosen that belt and get on out there.

Yeah, I know they aren't necessary... Just every time I've ever trolled, they've been used. I had them on my 23' Wellcraft, but never had the opportunity to use them.

Another problem -- experience. I've rigged only a handful of ballyhoo in my life. It's been 3 years since I did it last.

I need a refresher, or three, before I putz my inexperienced ass out there to try and catch some fish with two blind eyes.

I will SERIOUSLY be looking to chip in on a few rides before I go myself. I have the rods/reels, but got rid of all my offshore trolling tackle (which I, again, never got to use -- and 6 Internationals to go with that).

Anyway, thanks.

Oh, and the 40 mile number? I pulled it outta my ass. I only hold 60 gallons. I put 107 miles on the clock last year in one trip, and burned 37 gallons in some pretty crappy seas out there and back. Damn near close to the 2/3 rule. 45 or so? It "might" be doable in my little boat.

[Highstrung]

Oh don't sell yourself short.. go buy a few of those new push button 5 gallon tanks snd stretch it out.

[BOGSTER]

Yeah, I know they aren't necessary... Just every time I've ever trolled, they've been used. I had them on my 23' Wellcraft, but never had the opportunity to use them.

Another problem -- experience. I've rigged only a handful of ballyhoo in my life. It's been 3 years since I did it last.

I need a refresher, or three, before I putz my inexperienced ass out there to try and catch some fish with two blind eyes.

I will SERIOUSLY be looking to chip in on a few rides before I go myself. I have the rods/reels, but got rid of all my offshore trolling tackle (which I, again, never got to use -- and 6 Internationals to go with that).

Anyway, thanks.

Oh, and the 40 mile number? I pulled it outta my ass. I only hold 60 gallons. I put 107 miles on the clock last year in one trip, and burned 37 gallons in some pretty crappy seas out there and back. Damn near close to the 2/3 rule. 45 or so? It "might" be doable in my little boat.

I'm not trying to belittle you. I'm just trying to let you know it's not as serious as it seems. Gulf Stream fishing is scary as an immediate thought, but the reality is if you have an epirb and a working ship2shore radio, you're probably gonna make it.

Rigging - Bo dolphin are hands down the hungriest fish on planet earth. I feel completely certain that they will eat a flip flop if you towed it at 7 knots. You got this...I believe in you.

Lastly - if you don't remember anything else I ever post remember this......

There are no pussies in the Hall of Fame

[USMCsilver]

I'm not trying to belittle you. I'm just trying to let you know it's not as serious as it seems. Gulf Stream fishing is scary as an immediate thought, but the reality is if you have an epirb and a working ship2shore radio, you're probably gonna make it.

Rigging - Bo dolphin are hands down the hungriest fish on planet earth. I feel completely certain that they will eat a flip flop if you towed it at 7 knots. You got this...I believe in you.

Lastly - if you don't remember anything else I ever post remember this......

There are no pussies in the Hall of Fame

I hear ya. Thanks for the vouch of confidence. When I have friends who go, most are boating idiots. It's hard rigging, driving, coaching, etc.

I reckon I gotta drop the excuses and go for it. (I still want at least one trip out before I go at it alone.)

[Saltydog235]

Little more polishing and waxing, put new line on the outriggers, fill the boat up and I'm ready. Looking forward to trolling some and finding more bottom spots. Added another display to free up the 10" for sonar among a few other add on's. First target date I got is the 7th though.

[USMCsilver]

As a side note -- I've got a bunch of big Yo Zuri's and other things of the like. I've never been with anyone who fished such a thing. Do they work on dolphin/tuna/wahoo, or am I best to stick with ballyhoo on bullets?

[BOGSTER]

As a side note -- I've got a bunch of big Yo Zuri's and other things of the like. I've never been with anyone who fished such a thing. Do they work on dolphin/tuna/wahoo, or am I best to stick with ballyhoo on bullets?

I'm telling you - dolphin will hit anything. More times than I can remember I have run out of ballyhoo and taken a filet knife to dolphin already in the box.
Take your knife and filet a foot long strip of belly skin and literally double it on your seawitch or chugger hook so that it just flaps behind the skirt. If they are there, they will eat it.

They are probably the easiest fish to catch out there once you find them. I'm no wahoo or billfish master, but If someone said "here's 3 rods, a handful of rubberbands, 5 seawitches, and a case of beer, bring home dinner from the gulf stream" I assure we wouldn't go hungry.


And granted it's a long way from 100ft to 150ft. But - the good thing is the stream pushes way in during June and lots of dolphin are caught 25 miles offshore.
If you are bottom fishing in 100FT - put 2-3 free lined live baits out the back, you'll catch some dolphin.

[Silentweapon338]

I'm no off shore man. I'd have to tow a styrofoam island behind me if I did.

But I do love eating yellow fin tuna and dolphin. I'm beholden to my friends who do love to go to bring me some home or go for sushi.

Tell me about the missing yellow fin. What ran them off?

Surely it wasn't the lack of grass. LOL I'm picking at you BOG.

Seriously what is causing the lack of yellow fin?

[redfox]

Black aren't bad fresh, they just want freeze.