Tilefish are Great Eating and Can Save the Day!
Pictured here is Joe Fox with a nice grey tile fish.
On days when we see slower fishing we find ourselves dropping deep for tiles. The tiles are great eating but not really targeted a bunch possibly because of the depth. Some anglers hand crank them on conventional reels but most prefer electric reels. We find these fish in 400-500 feet of water mostly over sand bottom. We usually start deep and drift inshore until we get bites. The tiles move around a bit so some days you will have to spend some time finding them. We use deep drop rigs with multiple 5/0 circle hooks and squid.
The kingfish bite was still hot this week and a few wahoo were caught by the local fleet. Blackfin tuna are still a go to nearshore. The swordfish bite was terrible this week but can change in a day. Mahi Mahi fishing was consistent for those who ventured offshore.
The afternoon storms sure are kicking up so I would highly suggest watching the radar while you are out fishing.
Get tight!
RJ Boyle