I fish off Pensacola in 40 to 90' depths. I troll for king mackerel and
bottom fish for red snapper mostly. I think personal preference is the
biggest factor on what equipment to use. somewhere between the extremes of
a fairly light spinning outfit to a heavy conventional reel, stiff (40-80lb)
rod with 30 to 80 lb braided line. My choices a
For trolling, I use Penn 309's w/Ande 40# mono, a 3' single strand ss
leader, w/ball bearing swivels. This is for use with lures and/or cigar
minnows. I like the level wind reels and I want the fish in the boat asap;
I don't want to play with a 10-15# king for 15 minutes. I use a roller rod
in the 30 to 50# range, from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2' long.
For bottom fishing the braided line allows you to feel the nibble or bite
better than the mono. I like a heavy sinker, at least 8oz, up to 16oz so it
gets to the bottom quick. It can be a "bank" or pyramid style with 1 or 2
hooks above it. An alternate is to use an 8 to 12oz barrel sinker above the
leader and hook(s), which will allow the bait on a 3-6' leader to drift away
and is used off the bottom rather than on the bottom. I use the same length
rods, with rollers (at least the tip), and either the Penn 309's or a 49
reel. I'm sold on the rollers because of the reduced wear and bending of
the line. I realize the 40# line for trolling is a little heavy but it
lasts longer, can take more abrasions and nicks without failing than smaller
line. Also, when I hook the 20-30# grouper or amberjack I have a much
better chance of bringing it in!
One more thing--Since going with the "circle hooks" I've not had a single
fish swallow the hook. 100% of the time it's been hooked just inside the
mouth and easy to remove and, in all cases, when you don't get a keeper,
you can quickly throw him back, relatively unharmed.
Good luck,
LD


"Don" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm overwhelmed by what I'm reading.

I got a 21' SeaRay and have rods for bay fishing. But, I'd like to get
a good rod/real for the ocean. I'll be fishing in waters off Rehoboth
Beach, Delaware in about 50' depth.

Since I'm new I don't really even know what to ask so please feel free
to give me whatever advice you think I'd need.

Specifically:

What is a good length rod? Shorter makes sense since the boat isn't
that big.

What type of reel?

What is the right weight sinker? Do I let it go all the way to the
bottom? (I'm telling you I'm a novice!)

What is a good bait to use? Are lures good?

Should I invest a lot of money now or just get a mediocre rod/reel?

What is a good brand/model?

So far I've been catching rays and small sharks and let them go because
they were all too small.

Thanks a bunch for any advice.