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Here is another geeze I am bored and want to see what others think post.
So I ask the question. How much time and money do you have in catching your trophy fish? I am relatively new to the offshore trolling world (past 3 years) and I have not caught what I consider a trophy. So for me it is a 242 scout abaco, traded up for a 31F contender, 6 brand new trolling rods and reels, countless tackle and bait, about 8 trips per year at 120 miles round trip and the big goose egg. It took me 12 years to shoot what I considered a trophy buck hopefully it won't take that long on a big tuna 100lbs+ or wahoo 80lbs+ or Marlin 300lbs+
While these probably are not trophies for many this would be for me.
So what do you have? (should charter catches count?).
Well I started fishing with my dad offshore when I was 8 but then we slacked off due to my baseball. I started back up at 18 yrs old and caught my first blue marlin(O'Lucky Me-MHC) 350-400lbs last year. I was 26. Now I am running my own boat and just looking to get into the mahi and wahoos etc in MHC with friends aboard my vessel.
Hey its Ironwood. In SC you should be loading the boat up. Its sound like as a newbie your might be chasing the radio. Slow down your trolling speed to 6-6.5knots, troll a spread of three spreader bars in tight just beyond your prop wash, hang two big ballyhoos off your out riggers and a couple of jets on the other four rods. Pick a spot with good water, find some bait and POUND IT TO DEATH, will the fish to ya, don't go where the crowds are, infact stay away and do your thing>>> I easily run 75NM to 150NM after I have studied the temp charts and then I go to my choice and beleive that what I was thinking was right. Pound the water and stay where lots of boats are not... don't chase your dreams...MAKE YOUR DREAMS...Oh and by the way, what the hell else would we do with our time and money, smack a little white ball around and talk to our self??? Me, I would much rather take all season or an entire trip trying to get 20-yards away from a Moose, Elk, Deer or Bear and take my thirty year old Fred Bear Magnum 52" 71lb recurve and place a nice SteelForce two blade through them than anything else...In this day and age we need and we need to teach our kids to not give up because it isnt' easy...remember its easy to do wrong, to cheat, to lie and to be careless and foolish. It is hard in the beginning to stay the coarse, and its even harder to keep beleiving that what you are doing is the right thing when your not catching or shooting. BUT, oh so sweet and oh so forfilling when you succeed. Tightlines, keep going, those big fish are there for you. Mty
My personal trophy is a 22 pound Salmon River NY steelhead. Caught 3 years ago December 13th in about 3 degrees. Caught on a St. Croix Legend Elite 8 weight fly fod, Islander LA 4.0 reel and 6 pound tippet. Had been fishing the river for about 4 years before I caught it.
My most memorable trophies are priceless though. My wife hitting a 41 pound striper off Montauk the first time we pull the boat out there, not having any experience with fishing porgies and she hit a great fish. My wife catching her first tarpon down in Islamorada on a boat we rented and ran for the week. And my sons first hybrid striper trip where he had 3 rods go off at the same time anf hit 6 for the morning.
The times I put someone else on the trophy or their first fish have more meaning then doing it myself, thats why I cant wait to get my captains licence and be able to do for others.
Here is another geeze I am bored and want to see what others think post.
So I ask the question. How much time and money do you have in catching your trophy fish? I am relatively new to the offshore trolling world (past 3 years) and I have not caught what I consider a trophy. So for me it is a 242 scout abaco, traded up for a 31F contender, 6 brand new trolling rods and reels, countless tackle and bait, about 8 trips per year at 120 miles round trip and the big goose egg. It took me 12 years to shoot what I considered a trophy buck hopefully it won't take that long on a big tuna 100lbs+ or wahoo 80lbs+ or Marlin 300lbs+
While these probably are not trophies for many this would be for me.
So what do you have? (should charter catches count?).
Charter catches definitely count IF you fight the fish IGFA way, meaning nobody else touches the rod. Them boys and womens know where the fish are, so it's you and the fish, and it's your fight.
But, if you want to do it all alone, I'd suggest doing research on water temp's, radar to find the fleet, making sure the rigging is top notch, staying away from the fleet and reading the water on the way out. No sense running over the fish to do the "monkey see, monkey do" thing. Strike out your own path and let the chips fall where they may. It's fishing, after all, not catching. When in dire need, and all else fails, and there's no one else to call.......
Myself,I do the strike out on my own alot.Now that is what fishing is all about.After years of keeping log books,I helps on finding fish in the future.Do take the time filling out one.Myself,after 25+ years offshore fishing,I get a big kick out of some of the entrys from myself and family.They are priceless!
Ironwood again, I keep very detailed log books, they date going back into the 70s. You will see the progression of my record keeping, in the old days it was simple hand written year calander books with clear paper protector over the pages to keep the from getting wet and runined, then as I got into computers, I made up forms, then got into Excel and made charts. Offshore there isn't the structure to say compared to Striper fishing in the rips or from the surf. But the conditions, moon phase, birds, bait, temperature, is still critical and reviewable data source such as logs books keeps you much sharper and more on the money. Check it out... Mty
the more time you put into it and the more often you go, the better your "luck" will be (hopefully frequency equates knowledge). I spent many many days standing on the bow of a skiff chasing my first permit on fly. However, my first flats slam happened in the course of 90 minutes after leaving the dock at 4pm with the only goal being a tarpon or two - I guess the lesson being that sometimes good things happen if you go often enough. If at all possible, try to go out more, nobody slays them every single time they go out but the more you go the more often you'll return with photos of that prized fish you've long been after. As stated above, if you are only going to go eight times a year you may do well to sell the boat and charter instead - I don't see how anyone could be as sharp as the charter crews if they only go once every six weeks on average throughout the year.
I could never put a $ amount on the memories I make everytime I step foot on my rig, with my family and friends. If I look back upon the last year, the days I remember most that stick in my mind, are those days I have spent with my family aboard my depreciating asset. When I am gone, the pictures, logs, videos, and stories I have made on the water will be how my kids and grandkids will remember me. Remember, "MONEY CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS, IT'S THE STUFF YOU BUY WITH THE MONEY THAT BRINGS THE HAPPINESS!!!!."
__________________ VERADO CLUB
"Every man dies, but not every man truly lives....."
about 8 trips per year at 120 miles round trip and the big goose egg.
If you can only fish 8 days per year, sell everything and charter. You'll spend less and catch more and bigger fish.
Probably should have given more info in my post. We just bought the Contender in September so that I could fish more than 8 times a year. It is a 60 mile run to the stream off of SCs coast. The weather did not present many opportunities in the past 2 years in a 24 foot single engine boat. Not to mention work, family, etc. I bought the Contender so that I can fish more frequently. I have been offshore fishing since I was very young just never gulf stream mostly reefs. I have my trophys reef fishing. But I want to take it to the next level. I heard once that a captain had about $1 million invested in fishing before his first Marlin. (Bought a sporty and spent a bit of time on it before success) I want to catch this fish on our boat that we put together with the rigs we tied. I have been on many very fun and successful hunting and fishing trips but the ones that stand out the most and are "trophys" to me are the ones that my brothers and Father did by ourselves without the help of a pro. Not taking anything away from those guided experiences. It just means more when you do it yourself. Not looking for sympathy but appreciate the advise because I have chased the radio and others so call "hot spots". Just wondering what others thoughts were about their trophys.
Hey Iron wood, great advice on the log books. Man I thought I was anal . Its a great resource to have and can really help. Looks like you do a bit of striper fishing. You need to come down here to Maryland this spring, and I'll get you out on the bay where its not uncommon to catch 20-30 big cows in a day. I know you guys have some pretty good fishing there, but usually when its good here its not so good there, and vice versa. Your always welcome!
Hey, thanks for the offer, how do you fish for them? Night, drifting, trolling, live eels, herring bunker??? what are big cows to you??? 30lbs.+?? Where in Maryland re you out of? We use to have an Office in Salisbury.
In Montauk, the best fishing for the bigger fish (30-40-50-60+ pound fish) and good numbers of them (5-15 fish per man per trip) is Late June and all of July, for all out catch numbers of bass (but usually smaller15-30lbs.) with crazy numbers per man, per trip when you can 50-60-70 fish per man it is the 2nd week of November when the Herring run starts. My last trip out this year my partner Al and I had 22 to 28 fish each all were in the 22lb to 31lb range on herring.
Great action, blistery cold N.W. wind, then I pulled the boat the 1st week of Dec. and the Giant Tunas came through where the bass were. I was pissed I was out of the water. OH well. Tightlines, Mty
Make your own definition for what a trophy is to you....quit chasing the ghost. Enjoy what your doing and don't base success on everybody else's vision of what is a trophy. I am more proud of a doe I stalked to very close range than any big horns I shot at 250 yards. Satisfy yourself and be content with the pursuit.
THT sponsor
How much do you have in your trophy? 
. Its a great resource to have and can really help. Looks like you do a bit of striper fishing. You need to come down here to Maryland this spring, and I'll get you out on the bay where its not uncommon to catch 20-30 big cows in a day. I know you guys have some pretty good fishing there, but usually when its good here its not so good there, and vice versa. Your always welcome! 
