Conference wahoo::fishing

Get a 9-10' medium-heavy surf rod, a spinning reel with 2-250 yds 20lb test
capacity and fill it.

Lures:  Bluefish will hit about anything, but here are a few sure things.  Bear
with me as I don't remember all the names.

1. 3 or 4 oz (atom I think) bright orange plug with trailing trebble hooks. 
these will sink if allowed but are designed to be retrieved quickly on the
surface.

2. 7-11" rebel mackeral colored floating/diving

3. Atom Poppers (the dish-faced kind) with trailing hooks/bucktail

4. 2-3 oz 4-6" silver spoons with trailing trebble/bucktail.  These are not
really spoons but sort of flat rectangular metal.

good luck and let us know how you did
Tim

    Don't forget the basics. Along with a 15-20 lb test mono line you
    will need some 30 lb test mono shock leader and of course some 30
    lb steel leaders for bluefish. Some assorted swivels in #2,3,5 size
    (Black) and hooks in #2,4,6,8 size (Not Stainless). A few bank or
    pyrimid sinkers in 1,2,3 & 4 oz sizes will suffice. Don't forget
    a sturdy knife and a cheap pair of pliers. and of course a bag or
    5 gal bucket to carry all this stuff in.
    
    Some other required "Fishing" stuff are a ballcap, sunglasses and
    sunlotion along with a Fish towel to keep clean with.
    
    If I remember correctly the Croker fish should be running about
    now, easy to catch on cut bait and good eating. You will also get
    weakfish and snapper along with maybe a dolfin or bonitio about
    now.
    
                        Good luck & have fun             Walt
    

    re: .0
    
    Steve, In the order in which you asked:
    
    1. 1/2 - full day boats :
    	Can't recommend any given boat from experience, but in Wildwood,
    	Wildwood Crest and Cape May, there are good sized fleets offering
    	4, 6, or 8 hour trips. The main targets for the head boats are
    	Blues (in the ocean), weakfish and fluke (ocean or Delaware
    	Bay). On your way down the Garden State Parkway, stop at the
    	reat area which has the 'Jersey Cape Visitor Center'. They 
    	will have brochures for most of the head boats (usually contain-
    	ing a discount coupon). 
    	For tackle, for the weaks and fluke, a spin rod/reel combo for
    	15# line and 2-3 oz lures would work fine. For blues, you should
    	heavier and conventional. Some bank sinkers in the 2-4 oz. range
    	and 2/0 to 3/0 hooks on long leaders (3 foot). The boats supply
    	the bait. I would bring along a jacket and something to eat.
    	Some boats will allow you to bring your own drinks, others don't.
    	If you can bring your own beer, most captains frown on more
    	than 1 six-pack/person.
    2. For the SURF...a 7 - 8 foot spin rod/reel loaded with 15# line
    	would be ok, and could double for use on the boats. No need
    	to exceed a 9 footer. Best bets for lures would be bucktail
    	jigs (lead heads) from 1/2 oz on up. A couple of Hopkins metals
    	in the 1.5 to 2 oz range will be handy. You can catch Weaks,
    	blues and fluke.
    3. If you can afford it, get a Penn reel (710Z or 550SS) and a matching
    	rod as noted above. (Bear in mind that I am prejudiced in favor
    	of Penn).
    4. In Cape May, all the jetties can be productive early in the AM
    	(dawn) or late in the day (Sunset). Ditto for Hereford Inlet
    	at the south end of Stone Harbor, Townsends Inlet about 6 miles
    	north, or Corsons Inlet a few miles further north.
    5. BRING THE BOAT. Stone Harbor sits on a barrier island with a
    	sizable, shallow estuary behind it. In addition to finding 
    	good fishing for all the species mentioned above, there is 
    	excellent crabbing in the back bays. BUT, stay out of the inlets,
    	they can be killers.
    
    Gee, we're probly going to pass each other on the road...we'll be
    heading for a week in Wildwood (just south of Stone Harbor) the
    following week. And you know what I'll be doing before the wife
    and kids wake up each morning.
    
    Good Luck,
    Bagel

    I think Bagel hinted at what I'm going to say.
    
    You could either do the head boat thing and fish for blues *or*
    you could look around the bay for marinas that rent 15' whalers with 15
    hp johnsons and do some flounder fishing. (there's a bay there right??? 
    I used to fish Great Egg Harbour and Barnegat Bay so I'm no expert
    on Cape May.  Wouldn't that be "Freshwater bay" or Delaware Bay???
    
    So Delaware bay is great for weakies and flounder.  Flounder fishing
    is easy.  You look for a crowd of boats that is drift fishing.  You
    put on a 3 oz pyramid sinker and a flounder rig (couple white spinners
    with flourescent red dots...buy them down there).  Put a strip of
    squid on the hook.  drop your sinker to the bottom and drift along.
    The idea is that the sinker hits the flounder in the head and wakes
    him up.  Then he sees the squid and grabs it.  When you hook one,
    you usually think you've hooked bottom.  They don't fight like normal
    nekton sea life till you get them off the bottom and swimming....sorta
    like cod.
    
    If they're fishing for weakies, you attach a leader about 18" above
    the same sinker.  The weakfish leader has a doodle bug near the hook.
    A doodle bug is an elliptical piece of cork painted with dayglo
    orange or red and keeps the hook suspended a foot or two off the
    bottom.  On the hook, you want to hook a bloodworm so that it covers
    the hook like a glove or a prophylactic.  Then you put a piece of squid
    on the end...say a 2" stip.  The white squid gets their attention and
    they go for that.  Try and make it look appetizing.
    
    Flounder are better eating in my opinion, but weakies are more fun to
    catch.  I don't know if it has been mentioned, but you don't want to
    horse a weakie in.  They get the name from thier weak mouths, so loosen
    up the drag or you'll reel in a set of lips (really!).
    
    Oh yea, you'll need a Penn reel.  A baitcaster would do fine, say a 209
    since you really don't need to cast.  Spinning gear is great too.
    
    What do you think Bagel, is this stuff accurate?
    
    /brett 

RE: .1, .2, .3, .4 thanks for all the good tips, and encouragement.

A couple of asides to the previous notes:

I had to laugh when I found out why weakfish got their name.

And if I pull in a dolphin, that would certainly be a catch &
release. I couldn't stand the thought of bringing home something
that reminds me of 'Flipper'. Besides, my wife would consider me
a criminal.

Bagel had a note somewhere else to someone looking for an
all around setup. I think there again the suggestion was to
get the 550SS and pick up an extra aluminium spool for lighter
line. Sounds like a good idea, unless 20# test could cover
the head boat scene, surf casting and bay fishing. What are
the tradeoffs here? 

From readin X amount of notes in here, it seems like I would 
have to go the heavier side for tackle when fishing for cod
or tuna. I anticipate that I will be satisfied going after the
smaller fish (seems to me blues, weakfish, crokers, flouders, etc.
all fit that category).

Bagel said "the boats supply the bait" that implies that I
MUST bring my own tackle. I suppose just the larger head boats 
supply the tackle?

Until I read that, I figured I would just get a setup for surf 
casting. I'll take a trip out to the local bait and tackle
shop (in Hudson, MA) and get more familiar with the 710Z and
550SS, and try to identify a matching rod. Then tomorrow
or early next week head off to my favorite emporium, Spag's.

Brett mentioned a Penn 209 baitcaster. I do have an old 
Ocean City baitcaster reel and about a seven foot split bamboo rod.
I suppose I could use this setup. RIght now the reel has on it
what looks like cotton line.

This stuff is could be from the 1920's era. My uncle gave
it to me along with a few other bamboo and steel fly fishing
rods and reels. Most of it is from the '20's. I am reluctant
to use the rod because it is probably collector item stuff.

The reel I would use without too much hesitancy. What do you 
think?

	Steve
    

    Steve, just a couple of additional notes.
    
    Although I can't recommend any specific head boats, you will find
    more leaving from Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.  I don't remember
    seeing that many in Cape May.  I believe there is an information
    center on the road leading into Cape May.  They usually have
    information for all of Cape May County.
    
    Don't miss a night headboat trip.  Depending on the conditions this
    time of year they will go for blues or weaks.  One of the nice things
    about the night trips is they are usually less crowded, especially
    if the weather is less than ideal.  They are also under less pressure
    to return to the docks at a specific time if the fishing is slow.
    Although I only go out on night trips a couple of times a year,
    I've never been skunked.  The blues are always in the 12-18 lb range.
    
    Enjoy,
    	  JOE D
    

    re: .5
    
    	Don't worry about the dolphin. They are referring to the fish,
    	not the mammal.
    
    			Robert.

    Steve,
    
    You may also want to check at the Fair (rt. 20 or West Boylston)
    for the gear. I find them to be a little better priced than Spag's
    and they also have a good selection. I have 2 PENN surf combo's
    and the one from the Fair was a better deal.
    
    Good Luck,
    
    
    Jack