[Seeker]

Heading out to the Chesapeake Light Tower rea for the first time this weekend to give amberjack fishing a try. Can anyone give me any clues on minimum gear, bait or anything else I should know. Also, is there anything else we should try while out there.
Thanks

[richmondva]

I just recently went on an offshore trip for mahi and tuna and on they way in, we stopped to catch some AJ's. I've also fished for them in the past with some buddies at the towers outside of OI. They are a blast to catch and good eating as well. I have fished for them a few ways all of which has caught fish;

1. 12-20# class gear w/diamond jigs. 50-80# leader. Free spool the jig until it hits the bottom. Engage the reel and reel as fast as you can pumping the rod every so often.

2. Topwater is fun if you have the school around the boat, they'll hit just about anything. We were skipping plastic ballyhoo across the water and had AJ's flying out of the water after them.

3. Live bait (spot, croaker, pinfish, etc...) works well. Slide an egg sinker (weight depends on current) and bead onto your mainline. Tie your mainline to a swivel and then a 2-3' leader of 50-80# Fluorocarbon with a 5-8/0 circle hook.

4. Invest into a rod and reel combo designed for butterfly jigs. This is my new favorite way to catch them. It's fun, fast, and the strikes are furious. Shimano, Penn, Okuma, Diawa, etc... all have their own specific gear for this. If you don't want to spend $500-$800 on a Shimano or Penn set up, a good alternative would be an Okuma jigging rod 65-150# line class with a Diawa Saltist 40 reel spooled w/50-80# braided line (Cost is ~$300 total). This is the setup that we used on the Charter boat and i can say that I was highly impressed. We whooped up on some 50-70# AJ's w/ no problem. Use loop to loop connections to your leaders.

[jimbob]

If you plan to go to the clt for the best thing you can do drive right past it and head out to a wreck or if your feeling real frogy head to the south tower. The clt is still real crowded if do manage to get one hooked up the chance of you ever seeing him are slim unless he is small. The towers and wrecks out of OI are a lot less crowded and are already holding lots of fish with some in the 70lb range. As far as setups you go wild and spend lots of money but if its something you don`t do a lot or don`t have the cash laying around you catch them on a 320 and up or as for spinning I would start at a 650-850 spinnfisher or somthing comparble in a shimano or or other brand, the bigger reel will wear on ya after a few fish thats why a lot of the guys use setups that are designed for jiggin they are lightweight and balenceed . I have used live menhadden and blues but I know a croaker and spot will get eaten also. The jigs are fun just make shore you hold the rod tight cause when they hit the rod will just stop like your hung then take off. diamond jigs or the butterfly/speed jigs work good plan to use 5-9 once one pending on current everything . As far as line 50-80 braid with a 80-130 leader. The more you jerk the jig on the way up the more it dances. For more info on jigging check out conch27 artical on it I think it is under Mike hill`s blog. good luck