First saltwater trip ???

[BurleyDog]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions guys. I appreciate it.

Hopefully I will get the time to sneak away and do some surf casting on top of the party boat trip.
I hope I catch something out of the ocean, that would be unbelievable.

Appreciate the advice.
BurleyDog

[Duayne]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions guys. I appreciate it.

Hopefully I will get the time to sneak away and do some surf casting on top of the party boat trip.
I hope I catch something out of the ocean, that would be unbelievable.

Appreciate the advice.
BurleyDog

Get Andrew and a few of the others to give you advice on surf casting for blues and stripers.

[artcarney_agr]

Party boats can be a blast! We went on two different party boats for three days straight in Islamorada, FL - It was great!

You're handed a rod, and a dish of cut mullet. There are helpers assigned to different areas/groups on the boat. The helper will help you out if you need anything like more bait, or tips on what to do. He takes the fish off for you and marks them with your identifying mark (ex: 1 slash on the belly, 2 slashes on belly, an X on the belly, etc.). It was nothing more than baiting a hook, and dropping it to bottom (on top of a reef) and waiting for a bite, which was usually instant. We caught quite a bit, and our assigned helper cleaned and bagged our fish for us, to which we gave him a $20 tip for doing so.

After the first two or three trips out, we got bored with just doing the old drop it to the bottom and wait. We found out that the back of the boat was the place to be! One of the helpers would drop a chum bag on each side of the back of the boat and had spinning rods with ballyhoo on them for anyone who wanted to try for kingfish. I caught several of those, and man they are fighters! Hooking them was so easy - put on a ballyhoo, cast it out (weightless), and watch for the flash/strike, then set the hook and it's on!

Good luck and try and come back with some pictures.


P.S. - don't get too worried about the seasick thing. Stay hydrated, and if you feel like it's starting to hit you, go up on top of the boat for some fresh air/breeze and look out over the horizon. That usually helps. I think most people seasick from taking pictures - looking through the small hole and seeing everything go up and down......I got sick once using a video camera....

[RoadToad]

So how did this trip go for ya? I went saltwater fishing in DE a couple weeks ago. Didn't catch anything but some bait (spot, too big to be much use, ending up eating them LOL), but saw a few keeper-sized flounder (aka fluke) caught, most on 3" pink Gulp minnow grubs, soaked in Alive! juice. Alive! is becoming really popular with the saltwater fishermen on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Oh, and we also did some trot-line crabbing for the first time ever. That was pretty slow; still too early in the year.

[ToddLahey]

While we are on this subject of " first saltwater trips" i'm gonna be on a 50-60ft yacht from sarasota down to captiva island in florida for five days next month. No fishing just going to meet my girlfriends parents and take a leisure trip on their boat. I know you guys mentioned dramamine, but any other helpful tips you guys might have? Besides sunscreen and beer i mean and plenty of beer of course.

I have taken that trip a few times as well as down to the keys or over to the bahamas on a 74 docked in Sarasota. Going down to captiva I would guess would be real easy this time of year 2-3 foot seas you will not be far out most likley in the intercostal down to venice then out to sanabile??
Pretty easy if they have a tender take a spinning rod and reel and catch some snook or trout just ask someone on the dock they will point you int the right direction!

[BOURBONBALES]

i have taken that trip a few times as well as down to the keys or over to the bahamas on a 74 docked in sarasota. Going down to captiva i would guess would be real easy this time of year 2-3 foot seas you will not be far out most likley in the intercostal down to venice then out to sanabile??
Pretty easy if they have a tender take a spinning rod and reel and catch some snook or trout just ask someone on the dock they will point you int the right direction!

thanks for the information, i leave next saturday morning and i am really looking forward to it. After looking at a map i realized it really wasnt too far of a trip and that we probably shouldn't be in any type of larger water so i am sure i'll be in good shape. As far as the fishing goes i don't know if i will actually get any in being that the owner of the boat doesn't fish. I am planning on doing quite a bit of photography and writing on the trip and alot of nothing. I know that once i am on the water i will be itching to drop a line though and will wish i had brought along some gear ALONG.

[fishbum]

Ginger is a rather common thing recommended for Sea Sickness. I have chewed gum dipped in ginger and I occasionally drink ginger ale too. Both seem to help, though I have never been sick without them. Just not predisposed to sea sickness I guess.
Dramamine is good, most of the guests at the lodge who took it this summer did well on the Halibut Boat. Party boat is the same thing as a Head Boat. They take a lot of people and you simply drop fish. Like the man said if folks follow the rules you are fine. If you get some one near you who does not follow the rules MOVE. If that is allowed. Normally the catching is great on these boats if the right spot is hit.
Jim Dicken
Backwoods Concierge
Funny Moose Lodge Alaska.