It should be no secret to anyone who follows my columns that when it comes to fishing, I’m about as close to the definition of a generalist as you can get. I’ve tossed Parachute Adams flies for trout and chucked bait to cobias. I’ve jigged for rockfish and trolled for tunas. And many times I’ve done it in the company of anglers who are more expert than I in whatever particular angling discipline we’re engaged in.
The mid Atlantic’s summer offshore season is in high gear. All the major tunas—bluefin, yellowfin, and bigeyes—have hit the docks, and billfish of the white and blue variety have already been caught and released. Several bluewater tournaments are already in the books with Huk’s Big Fish Classic, White Marlin Open, and Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament on deck.
With all of this in mind, I’ve asked some friends who spend a lot more time in the deep blue than I do what they’re dragging behind their boats this summer to help you manhandle a fat tuna or entice a monster marlin to light up. Here’s what they said, with some additional info on the lures mentioned. Catch ’em up!
Fishing out of Ocean City, MD, Captain Mark Hoos of the charterboat Marli (also PropTalk’s Top Hook subject; see page 70) wouldn’t be caught offshore without his Iland Trackers. “They are my #1 go-to lure for tuna,” he adds. Skippers like them because their coloring is realist, and the brilliant skirts and life-like eyes can entice even the wariest of fish to strike, which could be the difference between the catch of the century and a slow day.
Down in Virginia Beach, VA, Ric Burnley and his crew are having a blast trolling the “Naked Dink Bait.” Umm, say what?
“Small ballyhoo on a Mustad 9174 DT with a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce chin weight. Tie hook to five feet of 50-pound with a surgeon’s loop in the other end. Use monel wire to lash the ballyhoo to the hook. Attach the surgeon’s loop to a 250-pound test snap swivel tied to 20 feet of 50-pound shock leader. Shock leader is attached to 30-pound high-vis mono on a 30-pound class rod/reel,” he explained. “We’ve been trolling at six knots from 10 to 30 miles off the beach and catching good numbers of gaffer dolphin all summer. I even installed outriggers on the Jones (Brothers center console). It’s a blast!” I told y’all that boy don’t play!
Fishing with his buddy Chad Homick on Chad’s custom sport fisher Two Timing Connie (and no, I didn’t ask about the boat name. I’ve been around long enough to know better), Rich Hammond of Centreville, MD, who got bitten by the bluewater bug about six years ago, says they “love That Flippy Floppy Thing in blue and white and rasta. We have had good success with it the last two years. Tuna hit it all of the time, and a blue marlin hooked up on it (last month). The lure with the crazy name, created by Squidnation, is a daisy chain that mimics a bunch of baitfish (flying fish, mackerel) fleeing impending doom. It is comprised of nine-inch Rubber Mauler Squids, eight six-inch Fat Daddy Squids and one Squidnation five-inch bird. Sailfish, marlin, tuna, dolphinfish, and wahoo all want to take out That Flippy Floppy Thing.
Dale Dirks of the Annapolis chapter of MSSA spends his summers chasing pelagic from Wachapreague onboard Heat Wave, his 37-foot Ocean Express. His favorite summer offshore lure has to be a “blue/white Iland Tracker rigged in front of a medium ballyhoo. It can go anywhere in the spread and catches tuna, marlin, dolphin and wahoo. I don’t know what it is about the blue and white combo, but it simply catches fish.”
Dave Tolbert, owner of Island Tackle Outfitters in Chester, MD, says the most popular offshore lures going out the door of his shop right now are the Ilander Jr. in blue/white and blue/pink. Also Joe Shute Witches and Lanterns, and he adds, of course the old trusty Green Machine.
“Most fish have been hitting ballyhoo better than plastics so most are pulling the Ilanders and Joe Shutes,” he said.
Ken Neill has logged a lot of time fishing for billfish and tuna in the deep water canyons off Virginia. He says “I’m always pulling an Ilander/ballyhoo combo somewhere in the spread and usually more than one.” He’s caught everything on them but especially blue marlin, bigeye tuna and wahoo.
“The Squidnation Flippy Floppy thing looks ridiculous, but it works either in front of a bait while tuna fishing or as a teaser when marlin fishing,” he adds.
By Capt. Chris D. Dollar