In general, salt water fishing

Question
This summer I am going to the Keys of Florida for a few weeks and will have a boat for a week. I have been on the water a couple of times in the keys but have not done much rigging in regards to the end on the main line from the pole when trolling in deep water. From some of what I read, it sounds as though mono leaders are used and sometimes wire. I am curious as to when one should be used over the other and if there is any information on how to tie wire. Also, do you have any recomondation on the test and type of main line on the reel. I intend to fish for Dolphin, Grouper, Shark and maybe billfish. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

Answer
Aloha Mark,
   I am going to try and answer your questions, but if you want to give me some more info on boat size, what type & size your fishing gear is, also does the boat have any electronics such as depth finder or fish finder, I will be able to give you a follow up later. But for now, I am gonna give you as much info as I can without that info.
   Lets start with trolling. There are so many types of fish to be caught while trolling, so if you can target one type it is best. Dolphin are one of the most productive fish to catch while trolling down there. Now since many other big game fish are sometimes around also it might be best to go with the heavier test lines & leaders, 30 to 60 pound test & up. Maybe use two different sets of trolling set-ups. Say you have four rods out, 2 heavy & 2 lighter, that would work well. You will need to sort of match up your main line size with your leader size. I would use Hardwire over Mono, simply because you want to be sure & catch fish, not have them break off. Mono is more often used with trying to make some kind of light tackle record. But some people prefer it. I have used both, I after all these years, I still can't decide which is best on any given day. So I always carry both on board. I really recommend this Malin Hardwire, it comes in a Coffee Colored Stainless Steel. It is esp. good for Dolphin as they have excellent eyesight. Here is the Malin Site page:

http://www.malinco.com/fishing/hardwire.html

Now you don't "Tie" wire. You connect it with Connector Sleeves. (Ask me about them later if you want to). They also have them on that site. I recommend a #7 or # 8 size wire, now some wires come with a "Haywire Twist" to attach to the fishing line via a Snap Swivel. I do not like them. I prefer a real solid Stainlees steel Swivel using Connector Sleeves. On the fishes end use a 7/0 or 8/0 hook. Ballyhoo are the most preferred "Live Bait" down there. Now you can troll them naked or put a skirt over the head. Trolling speed depends mostly on how the bait looks & acts in the water, every day is different & the wave size & weather plays a big role here. In big swells, go with the swell. I find that around 6 to 8 knots is good. Artifical lures & feathers are also very good down there, also they can be trolled at faster speeds. "Hookless Teasers" are really good to use along with your baitfish or lures. I always use them in a "String Line" of up to 10 or 12. These usually ALWAYS attract some fish.

Finding the Dolphin:
  Look for anything floating, Sargassum weeds lines, logs, bouy's or a color change in the water. Slow down around these floating objects. They like warm water, greater than 68 degrees, but 78 to 85 is preferred. Keep a sharp lookout for sea birds such as the Frigate bird, and Man-O-War jelliyfish as they feed on small baitfish and are usally a good sign that Dolphin might be around. Look for big groups of birds feeding. But don't rely on birds for to long if nothing happens, I have been on many a wild goose chase by following the birds too much. Start looking for Dolphin where the reef areas end and the water turns deep cobalt blue. They can be found in shallow water, 100 feet, but mostly I find them in deeper water, say 400 feet to 1,000 feet. From almost anywhere in the Keys, head in a South or Southeast direction. That way you are running into the Gulf Stream, which flows in a Northerly direction heading up towards the West Palm beach area. All types of pelagic fish use this warm water Gulf Stream. So that is why I recommend fishing with heavier tackle. Every thing from 3 pound Dolphin to 1,000 pound Marlin, not to forget about the Awesome Tuna and the toothy mouthed Wahoo. Now if you get one Dolphin hooked up, a good trick is to try & keep him in the water near the boat and still keep fishing for his tribe, which will not be far away, as they school up everywhere I have caught them. Once you are in a school, use some cut or whole baitfish as chum & they will come to you. That's when you break out the spinning gear & really can have some fun using Feathers, Silver Spoons, almost anything in the water, they will hit as they really do get into a frenzy.

 Now for the Grouper & other bottomfishing.

   Bottomfishing is my passion, I am almost addicted to it.
Grouper, Snapper come in so many different types & sizes, but they all are the same type feeders. Down in the Gulf area, I usually drift over a reef area or a wreck site to try & draw them out of their holes or houses, using a live baitfish if possible. After you find one, then switch to cut bait. They can be in shallow water or deep water. In Hawaii, I catch the "Onaga" (a Hawaiian Red Snapper) by combination of "Handline & Fish Puller" anywhere from 600 feet to 1500 feet down. Going down that far I use as many as 10 to 15 leaders & hooks, by a series of Triple Swivels. But down in the Keys I would not have to use as many. Perhaps 3 or 4 hooks at most, but I do highly recommend using a Triple Swivel. I mean why go down even to 250 feet with just one hook. I myself prefer a handline to a rod and reel fishing for bottomfish, but I have caught them both ways down in the Gulf. If you have never used handline then you might want to give it a try. It can be messy, until you get a system down to try & not get too many tangles.....(Always Tangles)...LOL. Rod & reels are pretty surfire, just make sure you have enough line to get to the bottom. Baits & lead sizes varies on the current conditions & depths. Once your lead hits bottom, bring it up a ways so as not to get hooked on the bottom. Make sure you have enough lead on, so that your bait is not "Trolling" back behind the boat, you want it down right below you or at a slight angle. I sometimes have to use as much as 5 pounds of lead to get the "Onaga", simply because of the different levels of strong currents I have sometmes have to go down through to get to them. Chunks of cut bait are good. Pilchards, Mackeral, Sardines & Squid are darn good cut baits. But they will hit almost anything, even in more shallow water around a reef or wreck you can troll for them, but that can be hard. Now here is a good trick for "Chumming" down deep. Take a bread bag, tie it with package string, (so it can break away if a fish hits the bag) from the closed end of the bag to the top of your mainline swivel, to which below that is your Triple Swivels, leaders & hooks. Just before you drop down, put in a small handfull of chum, any cut up bait mixed with "White Bread" will do. Give the bag a few twists, then let it go down without stopping, after it hits bottom, pull it up quickly, give a few quick jerks & it will release the chum. This works well, as the deeper it goes the tighter the open ended bag gets. So that way the chum is released down near the fish & not in between you & the fish. Do not give them too much, as they will fill up on it, and not your bait. Do not use it on every drop down either.

Sharks I won't talk about....I call them the "Tax Collector of The Sea" as they are always stealing my fish. Anybody can catch them....LOL

That is about all I can tell you right now. Please feel free to E-Mail me directly with any follow up questions you have: [email protected]

               Randy "Onagafish" Perry
Always Remember: "Gotta Keep Da Bait In Da Watah, Bruddah"