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By:
Penn Reels Pro Fishing Guide - Capt. Richie Lott
Georgia
Triple Tail Fishing
Sight
casting for TripleTail may possibly be one of the most
exciting angling experiences on the water.
Many
of us have seen TripleTail, but simply didn’t know
what it was when we motored right by the fish and spooked
it, or thought it was trash floating beneath the surface.
The
best way to describe what to look for when watching for
a TripleTail is seeking out a brown paper bag floating
an inch or two beneath the ocean surface. As you approach,
it will appear to be an old ugly, brown dead fish with
three tails floating out to sea with the tide. Not the
case.
If
you motor up too close, the fish will bolt to the bottom
leaving a hole in the water the size of a #4 wash tub
if he is a good sized one.
TripleTail
range from 1 – 30 pounds and their table quality
is out of this world. They are one of my favorite fish
to serve up on the table right after you fillet it out.
"Sunlight
& Sighting Triple Tail"
If
you decide to do some serious TripleTail Angling, you
should be aware of several key factors. Sunlight, as simple
as it may sound, plays a major role in spotting these
fish as targets for sight casting.
As
High Noon approaches during late April through August,
you should be idling away from the dock wearing your favorite
pair of polarized glasses.
The
High Noon light allows you to see more than just one direction
when you are in search of TripleTail. Glare is your enemy
with this sport as it hinders ALL subsurface vision, and
most of the time, those fish are just below the surface
with no backs out of the water. Now and then you’ll
see a TripleTail with its back up an inch or so, but the
norm will be sub surface.
"A
word on Bait and Flies for Triple Tail"
As
a light tackle spinning enthusiast, I personally prefer
a live shrimp over any method there is. I mean, hey, what
doesn’t eat a live shrimp in the Ocean? These fish
love a big; thumping live shrimp presented right to its
face.
A
close friend of mine, Capt. Greg Smith, has had many years
of success on TripleTail using a small fillet of menhaden
with a small portion of the tail still attached. It should
sort of look like a strip bait with a tail. Let me correct
myself. It should look exactly like a strip bait
with a tail.
Another
close friend of mine, Capt. Ed Stelle is a professional
fly fisherman to say the least. He has caught more fish
on flies than most people have caught on conventional
tackle. He suggests that a fly angler be extremely cautious
in the presentation and work the fly extremely slow in
front of the fish to avoid a "No Take" resulting
in a recast(s), and possibly spooking the fish.
For
the fly fishing angler, we suggest building your fly to
imitate a shrimp and maybe even use a crab pattern. A
green and white streamer works the best, though. Of course,
any pattern you choose will need to be prepared with floating
line.
On
light wind days, a 6 or 7 weight rod will work fine. When
the wind picks up as it always does in the afternoon,
a 7 or 8 weight rod will get the fly into position a bit
easier.
"The
Light Tackle Triple Tail Rig"
Believe
it or not, this can be some serious and extreme light
tackle angling. These fish pull off a pile of line when
using 8-pound tackle and fast tipped rods. My choice on
tackle is an Ugly Stik (Lite) 8-15 Rod; Shakespeare Catera
(4540) Spinning reel filled to the brim with 8-pound line.
Attach
a 4 ft. section of Fluorocarbon leader with a bimini or
whatever your favorite knot may be. Just don’t use
a swivel.
Another
HUGE tip for Triple tail fishing is the float. A small,
"Pin On", weighted Crappie or Bream float works
wonders. The smaller your float is, the better your results
will be. Most of these floats are available in 2 colors,
yellow and orange. Whichever you choose is irrelevant.
When
you purchase your floats, grab a roll of black electrical
tape while you’re out. Wrap those floats from head
to toe with black tape. I have found these fish will sometimes
hit the float instead of the bait in confusion. You don’t
have to worry about that once you have taped it black.
They’ll go for the bait instead of the float.
Float
positioning on your leader is equally important. Attach
your float about 6 inches above your hook so the fish
doesn’t have to work too hard to get to down on the
bait. God forbid we should make that fish have to think
about what to do!
Finally,
finish off your rig with a #2 bronze Kahle hook. Don’t
leave much tag sticking out of your knot to "tickle"
the fish as he begins to sample your offering.
These
fish are extremely powerful, so when you do get one to
sink the float, you will be absolutely amazed at the power
of the illusive "Saltwater Brim". Fishing with
about 3 pounds of drag and 8 pound line will have you
chasing one with the boat to recover your line as he peels
it down to the spool in a hurry!
"When
& Where to Fish for TripleTail"
Tripletail
are plentiful in most areas from April right on through
the summer season. This holds true for the Gulf or Atlantic.
One
thing is for certain, Tripletail don’t require deep
water to feed. They can be sighted in Sounds and Nearshore
of the Beaches on the S.E. or S.W. seaboard in 5 to 50
ft. of water.
If
you have an outgoing tidal situation, start offshore off
the beaches or Sounds and work slowly Inshore in a zigzag
pattern until you locate one. Do just the opposite on
an incoming tide. Once you spot your first, work that
general area and chances are, you will find more just
acres away. Work tide lines and temperature breaks, too.
These areas are notorious for holding TripleTail.
The
fish will begin to show themselves when the water temp.
reaches 65 degrees and it will only get better as it rises
into the 70’s. The prime temperature seems to be
mid 70’s to 80 degrees.
Be
Careful, it’s a highly addictive sport, especially
when you find that fish that looks like a trash can lid
floating, your heart will pound and your trigger finger
usually won’t work right on that first cast.
Boat
Position and presentation for Triple Tail
There
are many theories on how to present your offering and
positioning your boat to do so. I have found the best
way is to approach the fish bow first, of course, but
with your stern to the wind and the helmsman can hold
with the engine(s) in Reverse as the wind blows you closer
to the target. They will spook, but not very easily. You’ll
be surprised how close you can get to these fish as you
acquire a feel for the sport.
Cast
your fly or bait past the fish and strip or reel it back
about a foot or so in front of him. Be patitent as he
samples the offering. Normally, he will be more than glad
to take it. Just hold still and wait. He will eventually
explode on the fly or down the float with authority.
A
word on handling Triple Tail
TripleTail
have huge razor like plates on their gills. Bring along
a large dip net to land these fish and handle them with
gloves. If you plan to release the fish, please use care
as the larger fish are the key to any thriving fish stock.
For up to date info:
www.charterfish.com
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