Welcome on TDB, nice rig!
here's a copy of a reply I posted earlier for someone:
Re: Another Newbie
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Rock and the gulf stream is 'bout 42-46 miles out (for north east big rock and South West Big Rock) via Beaufort inlet/Ft Macon, by way of the knuckle bouy (14 bouy). Along them shoals (Cape Lookout) shoals... I surely wouldnt go out that far in a 19. They call this area of the coast Grave yard of the Atlantic if that tell's ya anything...
To give you an idea it changed from 1-2 ft seas in Beaufort Thursday to Gale force warnings and 40 knot winds with 14 ft seas in the blink of an eye.. Definately a good offshore hull that can take a regular pounding is the way to go and bow flare is a good thing to have on a east coast boat.
Definately need to be stream capable for the fishin your looking to do. Line capacity is the biggest issue I would see for offshore rod/reel combo's.
In and around 13 bouy, knuckle bouy and some near shore wrecks provide for some good bottom fishin and some good trolling for bonito, kings, mahi, grouper, snappers etc... I've even heard some inshore in the Pamlico for tarpon.
Near the mouth of the Lookout bight is a submerged rock jetty that alot of folks catch speckled trout and fly fish and troll for fat alberts (false albacore).
At big rock expect tuna (blue and yellow fin), marlin (blues/whites), sails, wahoo.. basically all your pelagics. Every year there's what some call the world series of Marlin tournys "Big Rock Marlin Tournament"... pretty big deal and some big money on the line.
There is lot's of good fishin in that area and some like to claim it as the best in the state for that area,, but to be honest, I havent found anywhere on the coast where it's not good!
25's, 50's and 80's seem to be the reel size most common for offshore and during blue fin season it's mostly 50w's and 130 class type gear
trolling wise in/near shore medium to heavy spinners and 15 to 30 class gear is pretty common.
Granted the pacific has some tough water,, but the east coast is a different animal.. the Atlantic is no joke.. just be as prepared as can be (vhf DSC capable, more than you think you'll need safety gear, and enough boat under you to match the conditions you want to fish in). I know when the seas get to 8 ft under a 7-9 interval over a 25 knot wind.. then it's time to pack it up and head to the hill if it kicks up... or simply dont go if that's the forcast prior to the trip.
Rule of thumb I've learned for myself is whatever the weather man says for sea state, take the bottom # and double it and that's what you'll be lookin at for "real world" seas.. not counting any rouges.
Welcome on! and welcome to NC!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Your savy enough to know to have at least paper charts, so look for the knuckle bouy (14 bouy) and the 13 bouy. During the summer you can catch mahi at the 13 bouy. Knuckle bouy is your line to shoot around to head to big rock. You've got enough boat under you for a day of stream trolling, just watch the wind on them shoals out there.
Just a tip I like to pass on while bottom fishin, if anchored up and on some good bottom, take a med/heavy spinner with just a hook on it, no weight, put a whole squid on the hook and throw out the back of the boat and just let it drift in the current out from the boat,, set the drag loose and then forget about it and do what you were doin.
If mahi are around, they'll pick it up (usually larger mahi, not them peanuts). Every now an then you get a king or a shark pick it up, but usually it's a mahi, as they key in pretty quick on a anchored boat and will use it for cover or to check it out. Peanuts will come all the way in to the boat... just be ready for them and always try to keep at least one in the water until another one is hooked. Dont over feed them either.. small pieces (really small) to keep them around.
Big 10/little 10 get's some pressure, but if you "look" around out there away from the crowd, you'll find some good bottom.
If you run to the stream, I definately recommend black/purple yozuri bonita lures (at least have one in you box), kings/wahoo will tear them up!! Cedar plugs for sure for tuna/wahoo and of course skirted lures, rig'd ballyhoo's and bird rigs are the tickets for trollin. One trolling bait rig I like is Carolina Lure's Yummee flying fish. I use both the daisy chain and single rig'd ones... they're an awsome bait.
Good luck and post up pix when ya get that vessel all bloodied up!
Big Rock south is at: N34 04.300 W76 12.500
Big Rock north is at: N34 10.620 W76 09.500
90 ft drop is at: N34 12.650 W76 15.270 (usually where folks drop lines to start trolling big rock)
Indra Wreck is at: N34 33.730 W76 51.104
Suloide Wreck is at: N34 32.706 W76 53.700
WE Hutton Wreck is at: N34 29.937 W76 53.863
To start you on some bottom, I dont want to be "specific", but within a .5 mile radius, you might want to search around this # here, put some time in and then you'll find some spots in this area: N34 23.244 W76 35.298
That should give you a start
