Ken Neill checked-in this morning with the following report .......

Yesterday, we took the Healthy Grin out and headed her east to the 50 fathom line. Still a little too cold for tuna up this way so we fished for what was on the bottom. Our target was blueline tilefish. We caught a ton. I have no idea how many. We were catching them 2 and 3 at a time. 2 of us were hand cranking these things looking for possibly yet another IGFA record. 3 just meat fishing with electra-mates. Well, no records this time but we came home with every box on the boat filled. There is a lot of fish cleaning going on this morning. Besides the tilefish, we caught a bunch of sea bass up to 5 pounds, snowy grouper over 15 pounds, and cod to about 6 pounds. The crew consisted of Craige Stallings, Troy Warren, Jeff Dail, Darren Foster, and myself. Jeff caught the largest tile and grouper. His tile was about 14 pounds. We had several others just about as big.

Ken Neill, III

Very nice!!!! Congrats...I get out there and do some of that!!

Way to go !!!! Snowy grouper is my favorite !!! Way to get em-Jeff

Congrats!!!! looks like alot of PULLAGE!!!!! GREAT PICTURES!!

Ken, what area were you fish in and how far out is the 50 fathom line?

Thanks for the infor

How do you rig up for those Tilefish? I would love to give that a try but haven't run my 25' out that far yet!

I'm no expert on these things. Jeff Dail has been catching them for years out of the Outer Banks. I guess up here, Capt. David Wright probably knows about as much as anybody. I know he and his dad have caught some monster tiles, both gold and blueline (grey). All the VA Beach captains were catching them a few years ago when the tuna bite was so bad that one summer. I have talked to a number of guys who have caught them commercially. Our run was about 60 NM. The areas I have been told to fish are from the 41300 on up to and including the canyon in 30 fathoms on out to as deep as you can hold bottom. That is a lot of area. There is an area of rocky bottom from the 41300-41350 in 40 to 50 fathoms. This is where we have been fishing. Sometime, we are going to work the canyon and try for goldens. I have been told to try around the lobster pot buoys. Regular old bottom rigs work fine. The same stuff you use for tautog or sea bass. We have been using 20 ounce sinkers but whatever it takes to stay on the bottom. Braided line is a big help. We have caught them on a lot of stuff. Yesterday, we caught them on squid, Boston Mackerel, and shrimp.

Thanks, I appreciate the info. Maybe when the weather is a ittle better I may give it a try. I think I can get out there on my 25' if the conditions are right. I would love to give it a try.