Things are slow so Im starting to think about getting ready for next year. For guys that target and catch them , please teach me up a bit on catching Tile fish. Whats your preferred method of finding and catching tile fish? How do you locate spots? Are they found on sonar or are you fishing known ledges/coordinates? What sorts of baits are you using ? I see those multi hooked dropper rigs with small plastic squid attached advertised as Tile rigs. Besides retrieval from great depths and weights, do you have to use electric reels? Is this the same way you target all deep water species or does it differ for grouper and the other bottom dwellers.
Thanks and Merry Christmas to all.
Yeah I’m interested too…Sellsfish???
Paul Alewine
“Pelagic Predator”
Augusta,Ga/Beaufort, Sc
Tiles don’t mark so great on sonar - but they are on soft bottom , near hard bottom . You don’t have to use electrics - but since they’re in 300’+ deep water if you use a manual you might only get a few drops per trip. If I were going after tiles I would use a 5LB sash weight, a 10+ hook rig on 100 lb mono, connected to 200lb Kevlar braid. preferably a hydraulic bandit rig or a precision electric drive on a 9/0 reel. Bait with whole squid or large chunks. a controlled power drift is best, trying to keep the boat on top of the rig. This is a lot like work.
We haven’t zeroed in on the goldens yet but we routinely catch blueline/grays while dropping for snowies around 500-600ft. My rig is a 5’ bent butt with a Penn International 50w spooled with 80lb braid, loop 2 loop connected 25’ topshot of 130lb mono crimped to a snap swivel. You can make your own deep drop rig but buy a pre-made rig first for a template. 3 lbs of lead is plenty for the 400-600ft range. You definitely need to use the engines to fish these depths to keep the line straight up and down. Keep an eye on the rod tip and then have a couple of people standing in line to reel as the anglers tire! It’s a good time.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
What nature boy said! We use the five pound weights and six hook rigs… I would recommend the electric setup(reeling up a 5lb weight and gear a few times is brutal) and you do not have to buy a LP or the custom rods… We converted some used shimano 80lb bent butts and put swivel roller tips on them. I feel they work better than the short deep drop rods because the length keeps the weight and fish away from the boat until you are ready(with the golf ball swivel rod holder of course!) 
. Good luck!
-Albemarle 248xf “Chella”
-Dolphin 18BC Pro
-Miscellaneous boats
“Everybody dances when shotgun sings” Stewart and Winfield
Natureboy is right about all of it including the work part.
I had a good friend from Pelion that used to wear out the tile fish on the head boats out of Myrtle beach back in the 80’s. His choice of bait was beef tongue…the mates were laughing till the first tile fish came up. I can still hear him saying, "Bo…they cant’s get it off the hook.
Blueline tile are 300 - to 600’ deep Golden tile start around 700’ out to 1200’ They may go deeper - I never tried past that. I’m not hand cranking anything that deep. There are some good fish on the north downhill slope of bubble rock where the stream is deflected by the seamount
Touche knows what’s up. We have caught them shallower than you would think.
Come on Natureboy, hand cranking is fun! Plus, you might just mess around a pull up a state record that would be DQ’d by the electric. Its also a good way to get in shape for hand-cranking daytime swords…
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
Man I was reading over the tile regulations on the SAFMC site and wow. I’ll never understand how a species can be open for commercial pillaging but rec anglers can’t keep any. Unbelievable 
“mr keys”
At my age hand cranking a heavy weight from 600’ is out of the question. One thing that does work - get em’ up 150-200’ off the bottom and put the rod in the holder. As long as the line is slack the fish are rising. In a 1/2 hour or so you’ll see them floating 1/4 mile behind the boat.
About the regs- Things will get lots worse if catch shares happen . The SAFMC acts like commercial fishers OWN the bottom past 300" I hope Trump can change some of this
quote:
Originally posted by natureboyAt my age hand cranking a heavy weight from 600’ is out of the question. One thing that does work - get em’ up 150-200’ off the bottom and put the rod in the holder. As long as the line is slack the fish are rising. In a 1/2 hour or so you’ll see them floating 1/4 mile behind the boat.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
WE FISH THE 800 FEET IN THE 800’S OFF MI MUD BOTTOM 24 O/Z LEAD 2 HOOK RIG YOU NEED TO DRAG THE BOTTOM CAN ONLY KEEP ONE SO YOU DON’T NEED A BUNCH OF HOOKS.
thanks for all the great info
quote:
Originally posted by sand monkeyWE FISH THE 800 FEET IN THE 800’S OFF MI MUD BOTTOM 24 O/Z LEAD 2 HOOK RIG YOU NEED TO DRAG THE BOTTOM CAN ONLY KEEP ONE SO YOU DON’T NEED A BUNCH OF HOOKS.
Yes those pesky regs. The comms can fill the boat…things have changed.