[familyguy6007]

Hello folks,

I have only fished for flatties in various back bays around Cape May County in depths from 5-30 ft. I typically use a 1/2 oz to 1 oz bucktail with a gulp or minnow trailer about 12" behind the bucktail on 20 lb mono leader. I will be fishing the inshore wrecks in the upcoming weeks and was wondering what I need in terms of terminal tackle. I am expecting sticky bottom, so I don't know if the inshore guys use breakaway rigs with leads if their weights get stuck alot, bucktails, teasers, gulps, baits, w/e. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Fissues]

Hello folks,

I have only fished for flatties in various back bays around Cape May County in depths from 5-30 ft. I typically use a 1/2 oz to 1 oz bucktail with a gulp or minnow trailer about 12" behind the bucktail on 20 lb mono leader. I will be fishing the inshore wrecks in the upcoming weeks and was wondering what I need in terms of terminal tackle. I am expecting sticky bottom, so I don't know if the inshore guys use breakaway rigs with leads if their weights get stuck alot, bucktails, teasers, gulps, baits, w/e. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Look into tactical angler clips for your bucktails. Watch this video skip to 5 mins. https://youtu.be/irDqy-hEVNw

 

[familyguy6007]

Thanks Dan! Those guys have the loudest fishing show on youtube lmao.

Look into tactical angler clips for your bucktails. Watch this video skip to 5 mins. https://youtu.be/irDqy-hEVNw

 

[Fissues]

Your not kidding. Not my favorite but it’s a tried and true way. I got jammed up 2 weeks ago on structure and only lost my bottom bucktail and it beats losing the whole rig. The other plus side is if you need to change weight of bucktail it takes all of 5 seconds

 

[West Ave Mike]

Lot of guys use braid out there, but you have to tie the braid to some type of 3 to 5 foot leader. 30 to 50 lb mono is fine. It's a waste to use flourocarbon when bottom fishing in the deep. I use bucktails on the slower drift days and switch to a bottom rig when the drift picks up. I got schooled on a party boat once by a guy who was constantly bouncing his bottom rig, while I stood there like a dope wondering why i wasn't catching. Took me a couple hours to realize I wasn't bouncing the rig enough. Give it a try.

 

[familyguy6007]

What size bucktails should I stock up on?

Your not kidding. Not my favorite but it’s a tried and true way. I got jammed up 2 weeks ago on structure and only lost my bottom bucktail and it beats losing the whole rig. The other plus side is if you need to change weight of bucktail it takes all of 5 seconds

 

[familyguy6007]

I appreciate the advice! I agree flouro leader is overkill. Lots of guys are preaching the rapid jigging method which is funny because I got many hits deadsticking with the rod holder. But I also know those guys still catch way more fish than me haha!!

Lot of guys use braid out there, but you have to tie the braid to some type of 3 to 5 foot leader. 30 to 50 lb mono is fine. It's a waste to use flourocarbon when bottom fishing in the deep. I use bucktails on the slower drift days and switch to a bottom rig when the drift picks up. I got schooled on a party boat once by a guy who was constantly bouncing his bottom rig, while I stood there like a dope wondering why i wasn't catching. Took me a couple hours to realize I wasn't bouncing the rig enough. Give it a try.

 

[West Ave Mike]

I appreciate the advice! I agree flouro leader is overkill. Lots of guys are preaching the rapid jigging method which is funny because I got many hits deadsticking with the rod holder. But I also know those guys still catch way more fish than me haha!!

You'll lose a lot of tackle out there deadsticking. It definitely helps to reel up a few cranks for a moment when you feel you're dragging over the really heavy stuff. Sometimes you can feel it rubbing against you're line, then you know you're in trouble. By the way, it's usually the hook that hangs up instead of the weight.

 

[Fissues]

What size bucktails should I stock up on?

Your not kidding. Not my favorite but it’s a tried and true way. I got jammed up 2 weeks ago on structure and only lost my bottom bucktail and it beats losing the whole rig. The other plus side is if you need to change weight of bucktail it takes all of 5 seconds

I am excessive but I have bucktails from 3/8oz up to 8oz in every color possible and a lot of each weight

 

[familyguy6007]

The tackle shop is gonna love me then!

 

[Creek Duck]

If you plan on fishing the WW or CM reefs I would stock up on plenty of 2-4 oz bucktails and fill your spools with 30 lb braid. Another good buy would be a drift sock, it is very hard to hold/feel bottom with a 4 oz bucktail when drifting 2 mph in 60+ ft of water. Deadsticking will get real expensive on the sticky stuff and you wanna keep ur line as vertical as possible. You also want to stock up on plenty of lead from 4 oz to 10 oz....good luck !!!

 

[Zacker]

If your not losing gear your not fishing in the right spot. I use 1-2 once bucktails/jigs and I work the motor constantly or use a drift sock keeping the lines straight up and down. Hope this helps.

 

[familyguy6007]

WOw 10 oz!!! I'll have to keep the heavy rods on stand by, because my spinning rods can't handle anything nearly that heavy.

If you plan on fishing the WW or CM reefs I would stock up on plenty of 2-4 oz bucktails and fill your spools with 30 lb braid. Another good buy would be a drift sock, it is very hard to hold/feel bottom with a 4 oz bucktail when drifting 2 mph in 60+ ft of water. Deadsticking will get real expensive on the sticky stuff and you wanna keep ur line as vertical as possible. You also want to stock up on plenty of lead from 4 oz to 10 oz....good luck !!!

 

[familyguy6007]

Very helpful, thank you. Lots of different methods in this thread , but that is exactly what I wanted. Fishing would be easy if the same thing worked every time.

If your not losing gear your not fishing in the right spot. I use 1-2 once bucktails/jigs and I work the motor constantly or use a drift sock keeping the lines straight up and down. Hope this helps.

 

[PONCH125]

Hello folks,

I have only fished for flatties in various back bays around Cape May County in depths from 5-30 ft. I typically use a 1/2 oz to 1 oz bucktail with a gulp or minnow trailer about 12" behind the bucktail on 20 lb mono leader. I will be fishing the inshore wrecks in the upcoming weeks and was wondering what I need in terms of terminal tackle. I am expecting sticky bottom, so I don't know if the inshore guys use breakaway rigs with leads if their weights get stuck alot, bucktails, teasers, gulps, baits, w/e. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Hey brother! I fish the same method and rig on the reef sites that I do in the back bays. I just adjust the bottom bucktail weight as needed.

Ever watch any of John Skinner's videos on YouTube? I follow his methods religiously. I use 20# fluorocarbon leader below the main line. I tie a loop at the bottom for the main bucktail and gulp and then a teaser loop about 12 inches above that for either a baitholder hook or a 1 ounce bucktail and gulp. I jig nonstop no matter where I am. There's always the possibility of losing rigs, but the possibilities of catching fish definitely outweigh the snags!

​

 

[jdps150]

+1 to the skinner vids

Finally found some of those glass minnows for teasers @ Scotts- they've been out-fishing the bottom jig!

 

[Esox1]

i was out on saturday, hit a few wrecks, got one keeper then went to a spot near a bouy, we got our limit, all on cut bait, no bucktail

 

[sully127]

I've been fishing the reefs for the past 4 years with pretty tough results. This year, I made the conscious decision to change up my tactics, and the results are staggering.

I was a firm believer in bucktailing with anywhere from 2 - 8 oz on a 3' fluro leader with a teaser about halfway up and would either use squid or Gulp as bait. We'd get some fish, but never seemed to get into decent sized flounder. Most of our hits seemed to be coming on the teaser, and they seemed to be leaving the bucktails alone.

This year, I've started using hi-lo rigs and got off the bucktails. It has not only been more effective, but it has been less expensive as well.

Good luck and tight lines out there.

I also STRONGLY second using the tactical angler clips. Those things make changing rigs on the fly so much easier. We fished the Duke of Fluke this past weekend, and I had everyone rigged up with them. Between that and using surgeon's loops at the bottom of the rig for switching out weights, it was the easiest I've ever had it for managing tackle for everyone aboard.

 

[TimC2520]

We had one of our best days in years on a reef this past Saturday. All meat......., squid, spearing and mackerel. Once we found a fish or two, we made very, very short drifts over that spot and it produced. Drift wasn't more than 5 minutes, sometimes less then we moved back up. Pretty much stayed away from the fleet all day, years past I used to get lazy and just drifted around aimlessly, working at it paid off well.

 

[familyguy6007]

I'm glad to hear that. Everytime I use bait, the dogfish and sea bass move in for the kill before the flounder ever knew there was bait in the water

i was out on saturday, hit a few wrecks, got one keeper then went to a spot near a bouy, we got our limit, all on cut bait, no bucktail