frances fleet party boat

[durden1086]

So the girlfriend surprised me a bit and book 2 seats on saturday nights striper trip from 7pm to 1am.

anyone been on these boats before? i read some reports saying the boat has been limiting out the last few trips.

what was your experience?

[WalkinTheDog]

Its a pretty fun trip. Try to bring your own set up, there rental stuff is sub-par. Also, i would suggest gettin there about an hour early if not a little more and staking out a corner spot in the stern.

[durden1086]

i assume this will be a chunking trip, what size weights should i be using?

[Rustyjigz]

I think it will be an eel trip. Use a three way rig ( if it is chunking this will work to but it most likely is eeling)-

 

 

Your height from the bottom to you 3 way swivel will be about 3 feet and have about a 4-5 foot leader and anywhere from a 5 oz- 10 oz weight...

 

Or use a fish finder rig...

 

Hope that helps!

[Nyatt Ken]

Next door neighbor went last Sat nite, used eels he hit a 20lb bass, saw pics of about 20/30 other fish on the deck. They spent alot of time untangling rigs, like suggested earlier get the stern corners if possible.

[H'Islander]

Stern corners - definately - Good luck, with the trip and with the gal!

[MakoMike]

If you use a 3-way tie the sinker part with ten-pound test, so if the sinker gets caught in the rocks you don't loose the whole thing.

[joerosa1]

I have the opportunity of going out once a week. Mostly on the other striper party boat docked next to it Seven Bs. Yesterday evening, Thursday went on the Frances.....it was a fairly descent night with most going home with one or two stripers-which for a striper boat is very good. Not a crush as reported the day before (Wednesday, 7/21) or what I experience the week before (6+ coming over the rail/going back) Top fish on the boat around 34 lbs, another one right below it. A lot of bluefish coming over the rails (4-5 per person) and as many dogfish as blues.

 

As noted prior eels are the thing on the boat based on the rig described above or a fish finder/fish finder variation. (France provides fish finder rigs). Best to bring your own rod if you have it, since the boat equipment does the job but is not that great.

 

On the Seven B's to get over the dogs we started diamond jigging, this is an option that really produces! I spend ½ jigging the other ½ with eels based on the conditions (current) it ended up a good night. Got a nice bass on an eel....unlimited blues on jigging...and lost a nice bass on the jig...which when the bass drop it a small blue hit it prior to coming to the top.

 

Enjoy

[durden1086]

Would 8 and 9' spinning gear be too large for this boat?

[Gmofftarki]

Would 8 and 9' spinning gear be too large for this boat?

 

You're going to be dropping 10oz+ sinkers 200 feet.

 

Spinning gear is not prefered by anyone, especially that used for surfcasting. I've been on boats where people have thought "Oh, my surf striper rod will be just peeeerfect", and, trust me, it never works out well, and as often as not tangles other guys up something awful.

 

If you have a 7' rod with a Penn 4/0 (Newell 344, Torium 30) size reel, that's probably just about perfect.

[durden1086]

Both of my rods will contain sufficient line to haul in bass even in 200ft of water.

 

I'm confused. Is it the rod length then that will make it unmanageable? Please be more specific

[rpifishing]

Both of my rods will contain sufficient line to haul in bass even in 200ft of water.

I'm confused. Is it the rod length then that will make it unmanageable? Please be more specific

 

The only thing that you can't do with a surf rod that you can do with a "boat rod" is swing the fish in the boat. Then you are at the mercy of the mates to gaff/net your fish. Otherwise, I say go for it; I use mine occasionally on boats too(and yeah, expect some smartass comments from the guys around ya).

[crabbypatty]

You basically want a boat rod with some backbone. I may be wrong on this but the way I see it a surf rod is set up to fight the fish at a 45 degree angle or so from horizontal. A short boat rod is designed to winch em up at a angle closer to horizontal. A surf rod is designed to maximize casting distance, overhand. A boat rod is mearly used to drop the rig down, or cast underhand if ya are good enough.

 

I have been out on the same boat last October and we picked up a few fish. Just be aware that depending on wind and tide you may have 20 oz of lead to try and hold bottom or close to it. Try putting a 20 oz sinker on your surf rod and see how it likes that! Be careful to keep your eel as close to vertical as possible and as close to bottom as possible. If you start to scope way out away from or under the boat, reel up and reset. If they are fishing the N. Rip at BI you prolly will be from 60' to 100+ deep. Good luck, and I hope I could help.

[durden1086]

That is helpful, thank you. Both of my rods are medium heavy, the ugly stik being the beefiest. I can handle 10 oz with no problems. The 20oz may be too mmuch for my tackle. I do run with 20ft or so of 50 to 60lb mono for dragging fish up piers so I don't have to use my rod to do that.

 

I'm going throw down the $8 just to have their tackle as backup in case we are hooking into monsters.

 

Thanks for the help all. Will post pica as they become available

[joerosa1]

Would 8 and 9' spinning gear be too large for this boat?

 

In general boat rods run two sizes 6 ft 6 in or 7 ft. Standard party boat rental rod is 6' 6'' MH or H with a conventional reel spooled with 30 lb mono. 8 ft or 9ft is out of place when you need to maneuver. A typical maneuver on a bass trip is going over/under other people rods running up/down the boat following a fighting fish. Big fish on heavy current with 16 oz may require some gymnastics. Rods are exchanged past over each other by hand. You get the point 9ft doesn't fit in the situation.

 

As to spinning I tried it months back hooked into something nice on a Shimano Bait Caster 4000 spooled with 30 lb braid. Reel seemed not to budge, afterward wished I had the same fish with my conventional outfit (Avet MXL), would have been a lot easier to bring in.