fishing tips

Blue fishing Tips
Check out Big Joe's Blue fishing tips
Here is a run down of the top mistakes I see and how to correct
1- By far the biggest mistake is using scaled down tackle. For the majority of people the same rod used for fluking will not cut it when it comes to jigging. The rods simply don't have the back bone required to keep you out of tangles and properly present the jig to the fish. You need a medium-heavy rod and a reel filled with top quality 30 - 40 pound line. This may seem extreme but when fish miss the jig they hit and fray your line, the heavier tackle and line handle this as well as the other above problems.
2- Allowing the jig to rest on the bottom before reeling in will cost an angler a lot of fish. Bait fish don't hang around to long when a Bluefish is around so it is unnatural for the jig to stop on the bottom too long. Also, the fish are attracted by the flash and the change in direction that happens when the jig comes off the bottom, the faster you can make this happen the better off you will be.
3- If you can't flip the jigs out using a conventional reel, please bring a spinning rod. People can get injured when backlashes occurs while jigging. For everyone’s benefit don't try to pitch out a jig unless you are able to do so easily. Flipping the jig out when we are in shallower water allows for a better presentation so be careful and make sure you are comfortable with the tackle you are using.
4- Don't use wire leaders. Using a wire leader while jigging destroys the action of the jig. because of the stiffness of the wire and the snap swivel at the bottom of it the tight wobble of the jig becomes a wider swing which is less appealing to the fish.
5- Not having drags set properly could cost you the fish of a lifetime. If the drag is too tight the line will snap, if it is too loose you may not hook the fish that well or be able to fight it without much difficulty. You never know when that big striper or blue may hit your jig so you want to be sure that it is set properly all the time. If you have any question about your drag ask one of the mates and they will make sure you are set up correctly.
If you follow these guidelines you should have a much more productive and enjoyable trip. If you have any questions about how to set up just see me or one of the other mates and we will get you set on the right track.

Black fishing Tips
Check out Big Joe's Black fishing tips
Here are some Tog fishing tips to get your Blackfish season started off right
1- If you are bringing your own tackle make sure it is up to the challenge. If you come on board with a reel spooled with under 40lb test line you are asking for trouble, the wrecks that we fish are sharp and mostly metal so the thicker line with good abrasion resistance is a must.
2- When you set the hook on the fish keep, your rod tip up and reel. Don't pump and reel like you would with a Tuna or like you see on TV, this will just allow the fish to gain on your down swing and get back in the wreck.
3- If for some reason the fish does get you stuck in the wreck many people will offer you advice like strum the line, put the reel in free spool, etc.... My favorite technique is to first give slack with the rod (but not free spool) for a little while and then tug to try and coerce the fish out.
Try to keep these in mind this season and you should be in for some nice fillets.

Fluke fishing tips
Check out Big Joe's fishing tips
Bucktails bucktails bucktails, bucktails always work.
When the sand eels hatch use bucktails. White tends to be the best. You want to use the smallest bucktail humanly possible. Generally speaking ¾ oz to 1 oz bucktail is perfect.
I personally like Spro bucktails because of the presentation that the Spro bucktail puts off, mimics the sand eel perfectly.
You can use any other bucktail in white color. You can also use green, but green tends to attract more Sea Robins then the regular white bucktail. I recommend ¾ oz to 1 oz and if conditions get a little rough out there a 1 ½ oz will work also. Any bigger then that, the hook tends to get to big and you can loose the fish.
I usually rig it straight up with a 20 to 25 lb floral carbon leader, with the barrel swivel on the top. The leader is about 1 ½ to 2 feet long straight to the buck tail, you can also add a teaser about a foot above the buckail.
I tend to like just adding a spearing to the bucktail by it self, some times if you add a strip of squid or any thing else with the spearing and you are jigging it to much, the strip
will flip over the bucktail and ruin the action of the bucktail.
You can also fish using a silver bullet 1, 2. or 3 oz when the wind is blowing, they hold better then a bucktail.
Again when the sand eel’s hatch bucktails work better.
We tend to fish in water 10 to 25 feet in depth.
Dragging bait will catch fish but bucktail will catch better.
If you are going to drag bait I suggest buying a big Joe rig in white or green color they
work very well when it is very windy out and the tackle you have is to heavy to use a bucktail.
I suggest a light porgy rod with around 15 to 20 lb test mono line or Power Pro using bucktails in shallow water.
I use a 7 foot Lamiglas fishing rod and a Calcutta 400 fishing reel with 15 lb test mono line but you can also use 20 lb Power Pro.

Flounder Fishing Tips
Check out Big Joe's Flounder Fishing tips
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are on the hunt for flounder
1- Pound, pound, pound, and pound some more, use the weights that are available on the boat to smash the bottom and stir up any loose food to "wake up" them up.
2- Don't strike too soon, let the fish eat as long as possible, often the fish will hook themselves.
3- Mussels and sandworms are the prime baits, to find out what they prefer use a two hook rig and put one bait on each hook. Pay attention to where you get the most hits and continue to just use that bait.
Use these tips and it'll be a slaughter job, just don't forget the bread crumbs.

Expanded Line of Big Joes Fluke Rigs
You no longer need to worry about those last minute trips to the tackle shop or scrambling to find your tackle box in the dark garage the morning of the trip. In addition to the High-Low Teaser rig that has been used successfully for years on the James Joseph, I will also have in stock hand tied "Terminator" Fluke Bullet rigs available as well as a Bullet Teaser Combo rig. For those that may want to tie their own Bullet rigs plain Bullets will also be available. There are sizes up to 5 ounces and come in the most productive colors green and white. Remember, all these rigs are hand tied by myself, Big Joe, so you can trust the quality of the knots and tackle cause I wouldn't hand out anything that I wouldn't use myself. Look forward to seeing everyone on the boat.

James Joseph II

Fishing Tips