[mako212]

I have been fishing out of freeport for a few years now but have never tangoed with any AJ. Wondering if someone may be able to give me advice on where to get into a few AJ. My range is 50-60 miles. Looking to try to go out Thursday so any advice would be well appreciated! Thanks in advance.

 

[LILSTUDD]

Live Bait! You should get some at 50 -60 miles but live bait is the key and the easiest way to catch them. Catch some blue runnners at a rig and then fish around structure in water 120 ft or greater.

 

[crh4926]

i agree catch yousome blue runners and that should do the trick you should be able to find a few aj around the east or the west 27s it is a good starting point

 

[BEER4BAIT]

Here how we roll, We have 2 heavy rigs Pen 2 speed TW 50s on 100# rods. loaded with 100# line. A leader of 300# mono with a 18/0 circle on it with the weight above the hook. On hard spots that mark well with large fish throughout the collom and deep rigs 120 foot pluss we try about 50 feet below the boat with live bait and the rod in the gunnel. When a fish starts bending the rod start a slow steady reel....do not grab the rod right away wait till the tip almost touches the water then you can either put the bucket on or bare back them without even a belt. When close by and drifting rigs or sticky wrecks we will pull them away with the boat. The drags are locked.

 

[mako212]

Excellent! Sounds like a lot of fun. I will let you know what happens Thursday. I will bring the camera!

 

[mahiseeker]

Not looking too good for thurs Mako, I'd suggest you go out before then, unless of course, you fish a 30+ Bert, Hatt, Viking, etc... Not that I'm any kind of expert, but we had success w/jigs out on the rigs around stetson. Be sure to use wire/cable leaders, & hold on. Like, Beerforbait said, back them off the rigs quick. We actually caught them away from the rigs, but they do go for the legs of the rig down deep. Good luck!

 

[latrans]

I went out with a buddy of mine last weekend who swears by knife jigs for AJs and I can't argue I caught nearly 20 AJs in no more than a couple of hours of fishing at various spots. The last spot, which was about 60nm out, we couldn't even get the jigs down to the wreck we were fishing as the AJs were coming up and intercepting them about half-way down - Big Fish.