"I'd like to catch some sea bass."

Sea bass are one of the most wonderful fish to eat. The meat is white and
it freezes well. In the spring and fall, sea bass fishing is at its peak
for anglers going out on boats 8 to20 some miles offshore. Boats fish over
wrecks, rough bottom, or artificial reef sites to catch these sea bass in 60
to 120 foot of water. Over the past few years, the Ocean City Reef
Foundation has added much artificial reef materials such as barges,
concrete, cable wires, and telephone wire coils. These materials have been
bringing more and more fish to these sites. If you have your own boat, it
is well worth the $25 to join the Ocean City Reef Foundation and get a whole
listing with diagrams and maps of these areas. There are probably a 100 GPS
coordinates pinpointed on these pages that cannot be found on a regular
offshore fishing chart. (Regular charts will say "fish haven." The Ocean
City Reef Foundation charts will give you exact locations within the "fish
haven". This money collected by the Ocean City Reef Foundation is used to
buy and dump more articifical materials offshore so your fishing can improve
year after year. You can
join online. The Ocean City Reef
Foundationhas a new website where you can learn more about
artificial reefs and join online.

"Do you anchor or drift for sea bass?"

You can do either one. If you get right on the wreck or artificial reef
site you can anchor and do very well. Drifting is a great way to cover a
lot of territory and find different parts of a wreck or obstruction. You
will find the larger sea bass in the thickest or most dense part of the
wreck or obstruction. If you are in your own boat, and start to drift, be
sure to mark the spot on your GPS when you see a big part of the wreck or
start to catch larger sea bass. Keep trying to find that same area to drift
over. When the wind or currents change, you may have to adjust your drift.
We also have found that the sites that are further (15 to 18 miles) are
fished less, thus will produce more and larger fish. You will also find
that the Artificial Reef sites will catch you more because not every one
will have those numbers! Many of the "spots" are small, and perfect for a
small boat. (The party boats go for the larger areas so everyone on the
boat can be catching.)

"What are the best rigs for sea bass?"

Sea bass are very easy to catch once you "get on them." The best rig is a
rig that does not tangle up when sending it down 60 to 80 feet. There are
three different types of rigs I like. First of all, you can make a rig
right on your line or on a piece of 30- pound test leader. Make a big loop
at the end of your line or leader material for the sinker (4 to 8 ounces),
then go up 4 or 5 inches and make a double surgeon's loop or dropper loop 3
or 4 inches long and insert a #1/0 wide gap hook. Go up another 4 or 5
inches and tie another loop and insert another hook. It is a very simple
rig that works very well. This is how the party boats rig up their rental
rods. It is much like a tautog rig, except you use a bigger hook and you can
make the loops a little longer.

The other rig that works well is a heavy-duty top and bottom rig with two
leadered #1/0 wide gap hooks attached. The heavy duty top and bottom rigs
have stronger stand-offs and position the hooks further apart than the
inexpensive wire top and bottom rigs you might use for flounder or croaker.
In the tackle stores we call the light- weight one a 1040 rig and the
heavy-duty rig a 1040HD.

The third type of top and bottom rig that is very popular offshore on the
party boats or private boats is the Aqua-clear Brand rigs. These rigs are
made out of clear stand-offs and clear monofilament. These are patented
rigs that offer a virtual elimination of tangles. Any of the top and bottom
types that say "Fluke Weakfish" or "Sea Trout Weakfish" will work fine.
These rigs are all made the same way except some have long shank hooks, some
have wide gap hooks, and some are dressed with bucktail or spinners. All of
them will work for sea bass.

To buy Aqua-clear Rig stop by our shops or buy Online.

Whatever rig you use, be sure that the hooks are spread apart so that your
hooks will not tangle on the way down. Too light a leader, or too
light-weight a top and bottom rig will make your hooks tangle together.

"Can I use a lure for sea bass?"

If the sea bass are "thick" you can use a Diamond Jig, 2-ounce Got-cha
Plug, or heavy bucktail. Some anglers add a heavy lure to the bottom of a
rig instead of a sinker. Just be sure that if you are on a party boat that
the lure is heavy enough that you are not tangling others.

We had luck a couple weeks ago using a single 2 or 3 ounce Spro Bucktail
Jig with a strip of squid attached. This bait seemed to attract the larger
sea bass. As soon as it would hit the bottom, we would start cranking up,
while jigging up and down, and the sea bass would slam it. (Note- The
angler must be careful with a jig close to the bottom when you are near
snags bottom. You will lose a couple lures. When the bottom is snaggy, get
it off the bottom right away and jig slightly off the bottom. Whether you
are using a lure or a rig, keep this in mind.)

"What kind of bait should I use for sea bass?"

Sea bass are not particular and will eat practically any kind of cut bait
or clam. Most people use squid because it is easy to use and stays on the
hook good. Some days the sea bass get particular, and like to eat clam.
When we go out, we usually take two or three packs of local squid and a
couple packs of clam. Some people also take out live or frozen sand crabs,
hard crab, or peeler. Having some crab with you also gives you the chance
of catching a tautog when fishing over a wreck or obstruction. (Tautog are
usually right in the structure itself.) If you run out of bait, any kind of
cut fish will work in a pinch. Try one of those pesky sea robins!

If you are on your own boat, you can also take along some shiners or
minnows. When you are on rough bottom or the sandy edges close to a wreck or
obstruction you can also pick up flounder. A strip of squid with a shiner
will let you know if they are there. And yes, seabass will also take
minnows and shiners.


If you are going out on a party boat it is sometimes a good idea to take
some extra bait with you like crab or clam. Some anglers like to take the
squid strips that are marinated in shedder crab oil along instead of using
the bait on the boat. (This keeps your hands cleaner too!)

Regardless of which bait you use, it is a good idea to change your bait
every once in a while if you are having a dry spell. Also, if your bait
gets eaten in half and you only have a little piece of bait left on your
hook, take it off and put on a larger piece of bait. I can't tell you how
many times I have sat on a party boat and watched people drop 80 feet down
with a little, teeny, tiny piece of squid on their hook! Bigger bait..
Bigger fish.. And with the size limit of 11 ½ inches on the sea bass now,
you need to go after these larger fish.

"What pound test should I use?"

For monofilament, anywhere from 15 to 30 pound test is fine. You need less
pound test for sea bass than tautog. The new braided lines are nice for
offshore fishing in these deeper depths. Many anglers, including myself,
love the sensitivity of the 30- pound Power Pro. (It has a diameter of
8-pound test.) If you use this line, you need to use a monofilament or
fluorocarbon leader or a monofilament rig. Getting snagged with a
"no-stretch" line can be unforgiving. Something has to give, and you need
it to be your monofilament or fluorocarbon leader!

Whether you are in your own boat or go on a party boat (full day is best)
you will have lots of fun and have some good eating too.

Good fishing.