Tile bombs / light tackle tilefish

[Jefffahfffah]

Tilefish bombs are my favorite way to target tilefish, and I have been trying to find the ideal way to use these things, using the thinnest line possible without worrying about breaking off on a big fish. I've veen liking 20# braid-fg knot-short 50# fluoro topshot to the bomb with some bait on the hook, maybe a teaser hook too if the drift isnt too fast.

 

For those of you who like using them, what pound test braid are you running? What rod do you use? Between bait, jigs, and bombs, the bombs seem to be the least popular method of targeting these fish.

[c7272]

20lb Superbraid, TR Innovate 78H, all jig fishing.  Usually 500g jigs rigged with single hooks on both ends, sometimes 400g if there is no current.  Tipping the hooks helps when it's slow.

[Jefffahfffah]

On 11/19/2023 at 8:35 AM, c7272 said:

20lb Superbraid, TR Innovate 78H, all jig fishing.  Usually 500g jigs rigged with single hooks on both ends, sometimes 400g if there is no current.  Tipping the hooks helps when it's slow.

I'm no stranger to the jigging, I'll also use 20lb superbraid, jigs between 400-550g. But i prefer to use the bombs tipped with bait, with a baited teaser hook above them on a dropper loop. You can use a heavy inshore conventional setup for that instead of a real deep drop setup and i find it much more enjoyable

[c7272]

My jigging setup weighs ~23 ounces excluding line, it's pretty comfortable. 

 

For bait we use LPs, which are even more comfortable to use despite the reel weighing about 20lbs by itself. 

[BrianBM]

Who makes a "TR 78H"?

 

United Composites makes a Tilefish Rod and a Tilefish Jr. I've wondered if the Jr. would also work well for deepwater blackfish. I suspect it would.

[c7272]

@BrianBM Temple Reef

[BrianBM]

Ah. Thank you.

[EliasA]

On 11/19/2023 at 7:35 AM, c7272 said:

20lb Superbraid, TR Innovate 78H, all jig fishing.  Usually 500g jigs rigged with single hooks on both ends, sometimes 400g if there is no current.  Tipping the hooks helps when it's slow.

What reel do you have on the 78h?

 

I’m thinking about picking up one of the innovate 2.0s but haven’t made up my mind on the reel yet.

[c7272]

@EliasA Single speed Valiant 500N

 

I'd probably go down to 15lb braid if this was only used for deep jigging, but I use it for other things and don't go deep often enough to justify the expense.

Edited November 21 by c7272

[EliasA]

3 mins ago, c7272 said:

@EliasA Single speed Valiant 500N

Awesome, I’ve been eyeing the 500n, but I know there are some diehard maxel fans in the tile world

[Jefffahfffah]

24 mins ago, EliasA said:

Awesome, I’ve been eyeing the 500n, but I know there are some diehard maxel fans in the tile world

I use a single speed 600NN and love it dearly as well.

 

@c7272i ended up getting a connley kingfish 20-50 rod and a Tern 600 for my light bait setup. Jig wise I've been using the 600NN and a jygpro power plus max, but will prob bump my rod up to the johnnyjigs rail rod, that thing is sick and it feeds into my need to buy American made tackle