# Salt dome Horseshoe rigs



## BowedOver

Going to the salt dome/ old horse shoe rigs saturday(heard the big yellow have arrived). Doing an overnighter as well. Need some recommendations.. We typical stay overnight at Na Kika or the drill ship close by. I understand Elf is closer to shoes then Nakika. Should we stay the night there or just stay on the dome? Or any other recommendations...(anyone know if there is a drill ship close bye). Thanks


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## reeldog80

I am headed out tomorrow for an overnight in the same area.


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## BowedOver

I will be on the black sea hunt


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## reeldog80

I'll be on the yellow Sea Vee with inboard diesels.


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## sealark

It is around 250 ft in the middle of the horseshoe rigs. Good bottom fishing in that middle area lots of mingos. I commercially fished those salt domes 30 years ago. Sometimes monster cobia are around the rigs even in the winter. Good luck make sure you report back on results and some pictures of the rigs.


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## BowedOver

Anyone have the coordinates to the Elf. and no I dont have a Hiltons. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Docs Holiday

Coordinates to the Matterhorn are 28.743 N 88.826 W. If you don't have Hiltons the offshore rigs/floaters/drillships are listed on NOAA. 
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=42367


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## Wingman1

Good luck to y'all Joel. Let me know how y'all do....


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## bigtallluke

I'm dying to know if anyone went, and if the big ones were there! I'm ready to get back out there.


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## k-dog

bigtallluke said:


> I'm dying to know if anyone went, and if the big ones were there! I'm ready to get back out there.


X2 any word


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## reeldog80

I went, got there and turned right back around idling home on one engine. This was the trip that was truly never meant to happen!
I did see BowedOver at the ramp headed out Saturday. I can not wait to hear how he did!!

Otto II


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## Fielro

Can't wait for the report and pics


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## Contender

Got one at about 140# there on Sat, no BFs, nice AJ's lots of sharks. We were chunking in several spots. Listening on the radio sounded like several nice YFT were caught but no one had more than 1 or 2.


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## bigtallluke

Nice fish Contender! Glad to see that you slapped a slob on the deck! I want to get out there so bad I can't see straight. Thanks for the report and Photos!


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## Contender

I'm ready to go back, just need weather and work to line up


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## BowedOver

First off sorry for the delay. Reel dog I am sorry Ya'll didn't get to finish your trip. We were gonna ask if you wanted to come with us, but the boat owner didn't want 7 on an overnighter.
So we launched out of DI. Tried for bait at the first few rigs off the island-No luck.So off to the shoe with our 100lbs of frozen pogeys. We stopped at a rig just north east of dome for a few hardtails and a few AJs for chunking too. Off to the dome. We get there and there is 20 boats all drifting. We start on top off dome and there was nothing but kings, sharks, and bonita. so we move to north side of shoe. Nothing but bonita. Did about 3 more drifts in various areas same results, so off to the deep blue. First stop-ensco drill ship aprox. 20 miles south of shoe. Covered in black fin, but couldn't get an ole yellar to bite. So further south we go. To the group of rigs/drill ship south east of Ensco. Fished all night with nothing but blackfin biting-Makes for a long night when you can get the yellow to eat at night. Back to Ensco for morning bite, again covered in blackfin but couldn't get any yellow to bite. Off, to the saltdome again. This time only 3 boats when we arrive-ended up being about 9 boats by end of day. So we set up drifts again and same results from previous day.Finally decide to run further deep and see what happens. So we started our drift in about 300 feet on the south side of dome. We drifted towards the dome and some more of same results. Finally we get a screamer on the line and land our only yellow(sucks). We head back to the same spot. Hook up with a smaller yellow only to see it get devoured by a huge hammerhead. I mean this bastard three bit this tuna, down the hatch. It was pretty cool. The water was bright red after first bite. I have seen a shit ton of sharks in my day, but there were some huge ass sharks out there, which were constinelly getting "Boomed" by boats all around. Seen a few boats catch a few yellows, but not like last year. See second pic. Back to the same spot only to have big sharks back. Decided to head towards home. Could have sunk the boat with blackfin. I know one boat found a new secret yellow spot on top of a grouper hole he had.


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## BowedOver

Last years biggest we caught.


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## WhyMe

I too have been waiting on this report. Nice pix and good report.
Whyme
Mako My Day


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## Subdude

It was slow Saturday at the dome for us too. Bite was much better a week prior on thursday. We did get one good one after tying hooks and battling maneaters all day at 330 in the afternoon


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## Subdude

Pic


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## Contender

Interesting the only one we got, and likely the only YFT bite we got was at 338 pm on Saturday


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## fishmagician

Fine fish!! They'll make some great grilling steaks or anything else that tickles your fancy!!


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## Reid04

*Tuna fishing at the horseshoe rigs*

We went with captain woody woods for an epic trip. His boat in itself is awesome it cruised at 50 knots and was smooth riding as can be! Shark bite was def on we were chasing after a mako but had no luck. we did end with the limit on AJ's and a fat 135lb YFT. We also tried swording but only ended with an escolar. Def would book Captain Woods again! if anyone would like his info let me know great guy! He is a hardcore fisher!


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## Boboe

Show the escolar!


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## bigtallluke

That tuna is a beast! Very nice! Any time that I have caught an escolar while swording, we haven't caught a sword....
Amd any time we catch swords, we don't catch escolar. Those escolar are bad juju in my book lol. Supposedly amazing to eat, but I haven't tested out the ol white fish yet. I'm a little leery of crapping my pants haha as I'm not good at portion control when it comes to tasty eats. Congrats on a fine trip with Woody!


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## Contender

Didn't get a picture of the Escolar, it was like 1 am and I was freezing after the trip up the river. Didn't keep any, let the other guys have it. I don't know how much is too much and if you cross the line, there won't be any joy for a while.LoL


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## Docs Holiday

Woody doesn't disappoint!! He is an endless wealth of knowledge and won't go home without a smile on everyone's face. I hear his new boat brings a new definition to perfection. Congrats on a good trip!


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## Capt'n Daddy

Launched out of Venice in the Robalo 246.. Tuna fishing in the bay boat was pretty awesome! Went out to the midnight lump (salt dome) on the 7th. Lost a 100# yellowfin on the rig just north of there..only one of the day. Tons of mingo's and some massive Hammerheads on the dome...we couldn't keep them off our kite baits. But like the earlier post said, after chunking for hours, just some bobo's, sharks and AJ's. Decided to get some mingo, just to eat and found some massive AJ's on a couple of the rigs to the west/south. Most boats just got one or two ylw tails..

Fun trip but a long day for sure!


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## Wicked rods

Guys don't catch them all. I will be back in four weeks for little fishing hopefully and the boat show. So please keep those reports coming. Thanks for all the guys that's gave me info and advice as I start first full fishing season out of Orange Beach. Thank again


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