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Tips for Catching BlueLine or Grey TileFish off of South Florida

Tile fishing

The rich waters off the coast of South Florida hold an incredible variety of species of fish, some of them more popular than others. We all know about the Sailfish, Dolphin and Tuna for the game species, and various types of Grouper and Snapper for the bottom dwellers, but recently I have begun fishing the bottom in the deeper areas for other bottom species, the Tilefish, in this case the Blueline or Grey Tilefish.

After a very long while, my good friend Mitch purchased a very expensive Electric Rod and Reel combo, as he had been going out on other friend’s boats equipped with such tackle in order to pursue day time Sword fishing, which can take place in up to 2,000 feet of water. After a substantial amount of time and effort, I convinced him to rig the Electric Reel and re-enforced rod holders in his 25 foot contender and presented him with several deep drop snapper rigs along with a promise that I would finally chip in for bait and gas to give a try deep dropping for Tilefish somewhere between Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. The Blueline Tilefish also called the Grey Tile are frequently caught in the South Florida waters with the larger Golden Tilefish caught a bit deeper but less frequently.

The Blueline Tilefish is usually found in water ranging from 250 to 750 feet deep. The lesser depth although sometimes fished with conventional tackle can produce Tilefish when fishing for Snapper and Grouper as these fish are quite often found in the same areas. Tile fish prefer a bumpy mud bottom in which they can construct burrows in which to live. They can grow up to 32 inches (smaller than the Golden Tilefish) and live up to 15 years. The Grey Tilefish have a diet of crabs, shrimp and many other bottom creatures which may contribute to its excellent taste when cooked. It is an extra lean fish with firm white meat and a very mild flavor.

Deep Drop Fishing for Blueline Tilefish is mostly done by means of an Electric Reel and a very stout rod. The rod is secured into a re-enforced rod holder and plugged into an outlet on the boat. The weight of this tackle alone makes stand up angling impossible, and the weight used to get down and hold bottom while drifting in 500 or more feet of water can be anywhere from 2 to 12 lbs depending on current. If you are a fishing purist and must try conventional tackle, make sure your cardiologist has given you a stress test as this will surely be a workout. If you are having trouble holding bottom with more than 12 lbs of lead it may be time to head to your favorite watering hold and watch football.

The rig is actually quite simple, a multi-hook snapper rig with circle hooks, many anglers prefer to use 60lb test leaders but 80 will work too and a very heavy lead weight depending on the current. You want to be able to bounce over the bottom as you drift. Braided line is a must as it is thinner and will not stretch like monofilament. Cut baits such as squid, Bonita or Barracuda will work fine as baits that are too soft such as Pilchard will come off the hooks to easily.

The winter months may be a bit trickier for this type of fishing as you need to keep the baits on the bottom and unless it’s very calm and little current, this will be hard to do. In some areas, Fishing for Blueline Tilefish can take place just 2-3 miles from shore and in very calm conditions is fun and very easy. In a short while you will be able to figure out the bites from the bottom and multiple fish per drop is not uncommon. This is a very simple method of fishing and the sight of a fish common up from the depths is quite exciting, especially when you don’t always know what strange creature might be on the end of the line. Cleaning the Grey Tilefish may require a bit of practice as there are quite a few bony areas to avoid when filleting them, but the wonderful mean it will turn into is definitely worth the effort!

c’est intéressant: Sildenafil
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3 Responses to Tips for Catching BlueLine or Grey TileFish off of South Florida

  1. Molly says:

    I wish you’d post some great recipes for these! Any suggestions?

  2. […] In this article, Florida-based sportsman Noah Van Hochman talks about targeting tilefish. […]

  3. Lowell Clark says:

    What is the Florida limit on Gray Tile fish ? 2018

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