# Deep sea bait



## hoochman2 (Jun 6, 2013)

What is the best bait to use for deep sea fishing?


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## saltwatercowboy (Jun 6, 2013)

Squid,ballyhoo,cigar minnows,spanish sardines,threadfin herring,pinfish,pogies aka menhaden,blue runners,cut bait from the fish as you catch them,live grunts aka granola bars.Seriously though where are you gonna be fishing and what do you want to catch?


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## hoochman2 (Jun 6, 2013)

Reefs off shore i would like to see my 12 year old catch a big grouper, amberjack, red snapper or any thing big other than shark


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## oops1 (Jun 6, 2013)

Live bait


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## ranger374 (Jun 6, 2013)

Live bait works for most fish -- if unavailable, you can vertical jig over the structure and have a good chance for some AJ's.  most are out in deeper water now -- the ones we caught recently in the Atlantic were in 150 - 200' of water.

Be ready to help that 12 year old, a 40+ lb AJ will wear her and you out pretty quick -- grouper can be the same.  It is nothing like getting a 50lb Aj from 200' up the boat and just hang on as he dives back to 200' after seeing the boat -- then you get to start all over again.


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## saltwatercowboy (Jun 6, 2013)

Live bee liner would be my all time favorite,but you cannot use reef fish for bait any longer.Not suppose to any way.Catch up some small grunts on a chicken rig with squid, cut off part of his dorsal fin so he looks wounded to the predators, and send him back down on the heavier tackle.Just remember there are more prey than predators,get em fired up first with the chicken rigs.Keep a flat line out the back with the same set up with the grunt, minus the weight of course.I catch more cobia with the flatline than I ever do sightfishing,which I dont do much of anyway. Add a trace of single strand wire, 5 or 6 will do, in case a hoo or king shows up.Use an albright to make the connection.If you get into the sharks dont hesitate to move quick because they will not stop chewing and aint goin anywhere.Be safe ,good luck, if you do not have an epirb get one....


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## kc65 (Jun 6, 2013)

el-wye fresh or frozen..


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## hoochman2 (Jun 6, 2013)

Where can you get el-wye? Thanks for the help


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## hoochman2 (Jun 6, 2013)

If any of yall are ever in north ga mtns and need some info let me know


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## kc65 (Jun 6, 2013)

hoochman2 said:


> Where can you get el-wye? Thanks for the help



most bigger bait stores have it in 12 lb frozen boxes, once you are over your fishin hole toss handfuls of the thawed bait over board, they will sink and shine like new dimes, this gets the attention of the fish, then bait up and hold on....


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## OleCountryBoy (Jun 6, 2013)

Hopefully you are going with someone who knows what they are doing...your boat capt. should be taking care of the bait.


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## ssiredfish (Jun 6, 2013)

OleCountryBoy said:


> Hopefully you are going with someone who knows what they are doing...your boat capt. should be taking care of the bait.



Skipper drives da boat to the bait, up to you grunts to catch the grunts

Seriously, Live bait will just about outcatch anything else.  Tons of different baits swimming around but most of the time anything smaller than what you are trying to catch will work.  Unless your seabass fishing, Ive seen a 10" seabass eat an 8" sardine......thats like me tryin to eat a 2,560oz steak!!!!


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## GAMHUNTER35 (Jun 6, 2013)

live bait an cut bonita works great


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## redneck_billcollector (Jun 6, 2013)

Live bait is good, hardtails, pinfish, etc...  The problem you are going to have with bait though, if you are fishing the gulf is circle hooks.  Kids have a hard time changing over to them if they have any amount of fishing under their belt, they are going to want to "set the hook".  It would help alot to know where you are fishing out of.  In the panhandle from P.C.B. west AJs are in close, (80ft to 100ft which is within sight of land, the tanks are public numbers not to far that are good for all the AJ anyone can handle) but the season is closed right now, I don't know many 12yo that are going to want release an AJ after they fought it.  The seasons now a days aren't geared towards kids fishing off shore, they want to keep everything.  It might be easier for him to bottom bounce a jig, easier to "set the hook".  I would beg to differ on the comments on bait outfishing lures, I fish regularly with a mess of bait fishermen out of P.C. and I use knife jigs, I will almost always out fish them with a larger variety and larger size...to include snapper and grouper.  Japanese style jigging isn't for kids though, but you could jig, hook up and hand off, I do that with kids all the time.


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## grouper throat (Jun 6, 2013)

Live grunt or anything alive. Frozen- LYs


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## hoochman2 (Jun 7, 2013)

thanks for all the comments. we will be fishing from tybee island.I guess I will try to get some live bait if not I will get frozen.


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## ssiredfish (Jun 7, 2013)

hoochman2 said:


> thanks for all the comments. we will be fishing from tybee island.I guess I will try to get some live bait if not I will get frozen.



Yea just buy some Hayabusa Sabikis, I like size 6, either green or red and some 2oz inline sinkers.  Drop em to the bottom on some structure and you'll catch somethin to fish with.  They are often above the wreck/structure so watch the depthfinder and watch out for toothy critters who want to steal em from you on the way up.  I try to always take about 10 packs out there with me


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## Sharkfighter (Jun 7, 2013)

hoochman2 said:


> thanks for all the comments. we will be fishing from tybee island.I guess I will try to get some live bait if not I will get frozen.



Fishing the Near shore reefs,  bring squid and the Sabikis.  You can catch plenty of bait fish right at the reefs with them.  And a Bucktail tipped with a Squid will get bigger bottom fish, and sometimes a Cobia.  

Eels work for the Cobia and eel lures but live bait caught at the reef works.  

Keep a rod Rigged and ready to cast to Spanish.

Oh and as for "Deep Sea"  the off shore reefs off Tybee are not all that Deep   11 miles out is 55 deep and 20 Miles out is around 60 Ft deep.  You are going close to 30 to 40 Miles out to hit 120 Ft Deep water.  So judge your fuel use accordingly.  let us know if you have questions about a specific reef.


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## CowtownHunter (Jun 9, 2013)

Can't beat live bait but try fresh cut bonita.  Grouper can't resist them.


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## How2fish (Jun 10, 2013)

I have been know to on many occasions to show up at the marina a couple of hours early and catch as many grunts, pinfish,coakers  etc as I could , try and troll up a bonito on the way out they make great cut bait,oh and if you happen to catch a lady fish they make great cut bait as well. Good luck! If fact I'm headed down to OB later this week and I have bait on my mind also.


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## jimboknows (Jun 15, 2013)

saltwatercowboy said:


> Live bee liner would be my all time favorite,but you cannot use reef fish for bait any longer.Not suppose to any way.Catch up some small grunts on a chicken rig with squid, cut off part of his dorsal fin so he looks wounded to the predators, and send him back down on the heavier tackle.Just remember there are more prey than predators,get em fired up first with the chicken rigs.Keep a flat line out the back with the same set up with the grunt, minus the weight of course.I catch more cobia with the flatline than I ever do sightfishing,which I dont do much of anyway. Add a trace of single strand wire, 5 or 6 will do, in case a hoo or king shows up.Use an albright to make the connection.If you get into the sharks dont hesitate to move quick because they will not stop chewing and aint goin anywhere.Be safe ,good luck, if you do not have an epirb get one....


 

all of that is good advice.   I always buy at least one box of frozen sardines and one box of frozen squid...and try to castnet some live bait.  The squid helps to catch some bait and the frozen sardines will catch grouper and they will break apart and fire the fish up often.


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