# What are we doing wrong?



## Chris Gatorfan (Apr 8, 2012)

We ma we our first trip out to the edge this weekend in hopes of heavy coolers. Instead we came up empty handed. We stopped at the Oriskany for about an hour with no luck on live or dead bait, not speed jogging. We then trolled out and back reaching max depth of 450ft with strech 20 and 30s, ilanders and daisy chains. Nothing. What are we doing wrong


----------



## Magic236 (Oct 1, 2007)

Offshore you can draw blanks! Large Blues have been caught near the Oriskany. The best crews get skunked offshore, it takes practice. Find someone with experience and include them on your trips, it will help you get dialed in much quicker.


----------



## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Go to the edge and drop about a pound and a half hard tail on the bottom. Work that drop off.
For trolling, just keep trolling


----------



## DawnsKayBug (Jul 24, 2013)

Were u anchored on top of the wreck? 
For trolling.. I slow down/speed up every mile till I find that sweet spot.


----------



## Chris Gatorfan (Apr 8, 2012)

According to our fish finder we were sitting right on the edge of the wreck. I did have one baracuda around 40-50 pounds grab my speed jig, but that was it. Out only other bites were something huge that pulled the hook at the San Pablo along with a mother-n-law. A k ing about 9 miles out and 2 fish that bit straight through our #80 steel leader. We will continue to work the edge now that we are comfortable about getting out there. When and were are the best times for Bill fish in that area. Can we stay up around the Orinskany. Or do we need to venture closer to the nipple and spur. Oh yeah Wahoo also.


----------



## DawnsKayBug (Jul 24, 2013)

Me personally. I hit the near edge. fish it, let out 15 feet of anchor line, fish that, let out 15 feet of line. hit the other edge bring in 10 feet etc...


----------



## sabanist (Mar 28, 2015)

I make sure I see fish on the sounder before I put a line in the water. 

Get to the site, find the structure, find the fish, drop some lines. Speed jig on one rod, bottom bait on another, top water live on another. 

Seems to work fine. 

Trolling? its a crap shoot, and gas is expensive.


----------



## rustybucket (Aug 18, 2011)

When bottom fishing, I usually spend more time hunting for fish (on the sonar) and getting the anchor set, than I do actually fishing.

I'm not the best bottom fisherman, but we usually do ok. I do know that when I just pull up to a spot and anchor, I rarely put much in the box. You have to be ON the fish to catch the fish!

It's a learning experience, if it were easy everyone would be doing it. You WILL strike out, so go with the attitude 'we are going to learn how to do this', not the attitude 'we are going to load the coolers'. Whenever I go fishing with a big head and an expectation I almost always come home unhappy!


----------



## jcasey (Oct 12, 2007)

Also make sure you have an anchor ball. they are you best friend !


----------



## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Good advice. We fished the edge Sunday. It seemed slow but when I started cleaning fish I realized that we had picked up quite a few. We never got bit on the troll (pulled for about an hour) and the Oriskany just caught 1 grouper. That was just luck as we were quite a ways from the wreck when it bit.


----------



## sabanist (Mar 28, 2015)

Also i dont put out the anchor unless the wind or current is really moving, drift fishing

Alot easier than lugging up 300' of anchor line every time. Just crank up the boat and reset your drift.


----------



## BlueWaterWarrior (May 28, 2015)

You got some great answers. A book could be written on your questions and quite a few have been. 

If you are serious about trolling or getting on billfish and you don't have a 'network' of people to help you, who were out there the day or days before you go, you should invest in Hilton's service and learn to read the charts. Stop wasting your fuel. Wait for good water to push into your range.

I'm sure people have caught at the Oriskany but I don't fish it because it has usually been a bust for me. There are plenty of jacks but lots of 'disturbances' there. I'm sure that if you dropped a live hardtail you would probably get bit. 

The Edge and these 'relief' spots are not always ON. Bite is dictated by current and bait. I've been on spots and gotten nothing, pull off to the Edge for awhile, come back to the same spot and just murder them. You watch commercial bottom boats. When the bite is not on, they are just anchored and sleeping. They don't bother. Then they get up and load up in the same spot.

The best advice you got was get yourself someone who really knows and take them with you a few trips and do an experience dump.


----------



## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

The main thing your doing wrong is rooting for the gators


----------

