Headed to the edge for a couple days - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Mr. Sandman · 08-27-2007, 08:56 AM

this is gonna be fun. I'll take some pics

RIROCKHOUND · 08-27-2007, 09:01 AM

Lucky.
weather f'ed up our last trip and we had to scrub early.
Looks like a good window all week and I have to work!@

MakoMike · 08-27-2007, 02:13 PM

Sandy,
Good luck I hear the ocean is alive out there. wish I was going with you. which canyon are you headed for. Looks like some nice water in East Atlantis.

Mr. Sandman · 08-27-2007, 03:01 PM

Initially we are headed to West Atlantis but things sometimes change. Reports have been impressive that is for sure.

tynan19 · 08-28-2007, 09:47 AM

Good Luck Jim!

zacs · 08-28-2007, 03:06 PM

in your boat???!!!???!!!

keeperreaper · 08-28-2007, 07:24 PM

I'm headed to the edge tomorrow also. Meat hunting trip. Got some great info from a very very reliable source. Looking for a monster trip.

Mr. Sandman · 08-30-2007, 04:16 PM

What a trip. Got back last night.

Lots and lots of:
Wahoo
Longfin
Yellowin
Dolphin
and dropped a fish of a lifetime after and hour and half battle.
No swordfish
One marlin followed a daisy chain for a while but moved off.

Lots of weed out there you had to put in your time to find them but when you did it was unreal. I never saw offshore action like that for such an extended period of time. I mean we were getting fish on every single pass on this one small area, sometimes doubling up all day long. It was really a great trip. It was kind of rough the first day as well, was better the second day but still not great. It was the first time I ever did an overnighter out there. It makes it great for the early morning bite. Lots of stories to come out of this trip!! And I learned a lot too.

The wahoo are amazing fish. We straighted several 9/0 owner hooks that were rigged with ballyhoo. One bit the hook off clean off cutting thru 400# test leader material without even snapping the outrigger clip! IMO the best part of the trip was watching the explosions on the lures...unreal!! sometimes the fish would come clean out of the water and hit the lure on the way back in. Other times it looked like a warship firing a warhead, the multiple explosions on the spread was just amazing and it was every pass... we had non stop action all day.
Most fish were released, we brought home 2 yellows, 2 longfin, a wahoo and a dolphin...plenty for my family and friends. My wife said when I went to bed my right arm went into spasm and started shaking like a tuna. I don't know how many fish I reeled in. I was spent buy the end of they day. It was an awesome trip that I will not soon forget. That big fish that I pulled the hook on after an extened fight that dumped 700 yards of 80# braid off of an 80 wide tiagra put the hurt on me bad We had to chase it down...I got it within 200' of the boat ( straight down) and the fish just parked itself and I could not budge it. I don't know what happend I wish I could have seen it....maybe next time.

MakoMike · 08-30-2007, 04:23 PM

did you chunk at night?

Mr. Sandman · 08-30-2007, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakoMike

did you chunk at night?

I was too f'in beat up, and it was a loooong day. I passed out and went to sleep. (it was like sleeping in a washing machine too).

Next time I think instead of leaving super early in the morning the better plan is to leave (well rested) around noon, get a few hours in trolling in the late afternoon then chunk all night and troll the AM bite till the afternoon and head back. The first day was a long rough day and it beat the hell out of me for fishing all night. My problem is I have trouble sleeping well the night before a big trip knowing that I have to wake up at 3:00am to leave.

keeperreaper · 08-30-2007, 07:44 PM

We had the same results all day. Swords at night and gangs of tuna and albacore by day. Seemed everyone went off out there. The weeds were ridiculous yet when you got a clean patch the entire spread got ambushed. The night chunk produced HUGELY!! I love the canyons, the allisons, the swords and mahi, wahoo by the flyers whites and blues to keep you one your toes. Insane!! When you come home with the enormous cooler chock full you know you had a great trip.

shocker · 08-30-2007, 07:54 PM

sounds awesome, I'm jealous! what size/type boat were you on for such a trip?

do they have charters like this? or were you on your own/a friends boat?

keeperreaper · 08-30-2007, 08:13 PM

28' friends boat. There are tons of options to get down there.

fish4striper · 08-30-2007, 08:28 PM

Wow, sound like awesome trips. sweet!

macojoe · 08-30-2007, 09:57 PM

Sounds great guys!! Congrats!! Thats a trip of a life time for me!! Some day I hope!
Maybe I can get my 23 out there?? Just Kidding!

MakoMike · 08-31-2007, 07:12 AM

I havent gotten out there yet this season, maybe the net weather window. I have run a couple of charters out to the edge overnight. But I really need to know the guys before I set one of those up.

Van · 08-31-2007, 05:15 PM

VERY NICE. Can't wait to see those pics.

179 · 09-01-2007, 05:46 PM

Sounds like a great way to spend the day and the evening. How long of a run are you making?

Mr. Sandman · 09-02-2007, 10:51 AM

Van, pm your direct email and I will send you a few pics, I am getting away from posting pictures on the site. too many

It takes about 3 1/2 hours @ 31 mph cruising from MV to get in range of the edge, add another hour if you are looking for the really deep stuff. If its blowing hard it can make for a much longer run. I went with a friend in his 31'er which is very well equipped for this kind of fishing. (lift raft, immersion suits for all aboard, epribs, sat. phones, wireless kill switches ...etc) I wound never ever consider this in my boat. OTW had a show where they showed a guy headed out there in a 23' regulator, and I thought that was kind of irresponsible. It is possible if you have the range but you better have a great weather window. Frankly the 31 seemed small. I would prefer something in the 40+ range. I hear of guys loading bladder tanks to make the run and I know of two screw ups. One the tank sprang a leak half way out there and was spilling gas into the cockpit, the other was they had difficulty transferring the fuel from the bladder to the boats fuel tanks. IMO you should not push the limits to make a trip, too much can go wrong.

tynan19 · 09-03-2007, 09:15 AM

Jim, could I see some pics as well by email?

RIROCKHOUND · 09-04-2007, 07:38 AM

We did a day trip Sunday 0330-2030. very short weather window
Slow over all.
two yellows 70lb range
a bunch of mahi up to 9lbs (all on light spin gear on the way home)

I agree with MrSandman.
we're in a 29 blackfin, but REALLY watch the forecast, and dont be afraid to turn tail if it changes and is going to get snotty.

we also keep it in range, no bladders etc...

Mr. Sandman · 09-04-2007, 03:08 PM

Question for all you canyon regulars. When I am out there I hear the CG on the VHF radio, also catch the weather on the VHF from Maryland, Del, NJ etc. How is this possible? Do they have a repeater out there someplace? Where? Also, is it possible for for them to hear me on the VHF if I were to call the CG?

RIJIMMY · 09-04-2007, 03:18 PM

cool stuff Jim, congrats on the great trip.

question - whats a "longfin" ?

Mr. Sandman · 09-04-2007, 03:24 PM

RIJimmy...Longfin albacore, The meat is more white (less red) then yellowfin and the leftovers make great salad. The steaks will dry out faster then Yellow or bluefin but they have a great taste. They have a cool pec fin then runs 3/4 the length of there body.

RIrockhound...was it still weedy out there?

MakoMike · 09-05-2007, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

Question for all you canyon regulars. When I am out there I hear the CG on the VHF radio, also catch the weather on the VHF from Maryland, Del, NJ etc. How is this possible? Do they have a repeater out there someplace? Where? Also, is it possible for for them to hear me on the VHF if I were to call the CG?

You can hear them out there because their antennas are so high and they can broadcast at more the 25 watts allowed to us mortals. I have (once) talked to a marina in Montauk from the Dip, but the odds of the C.G. hearing you from out at the edge are, IMHO pretty slim. As you probably know VHF is limited to line of sight, this marina has a very high antenna and it was at night, with little interfering traffic. During the day with all the boats broadcasting much closer in, it would have been impossible.

RIROCKHOUND · 09-05-2007, 07:59 AM

Very weedy near the edge.
most of the life was up on the flats in ~400ft so less of a problem, but still weedy at times.