Tile fish bait
 

What's the best bait and rig setup for tile fish going out of NJ?

Re: Tile fish bait
 

Fresh is best! I like squid (small whole or stripped), bluefish, bunker, whiting (spikes are best), silver eel, even strip doggies when we catch them.

If we are not fishing a big fish area I use a 2 hook rig, with glow squids or a bead. I personally like J hooks (7/0-10/0 gami 4x octopus hooks) but like 80-90% of guys like circle hooks. Big fish areas I fish a single hook rig.

Re: Tile fish bait
 

I ike to tie my rigs with 3 way crossline swivels and use glow beads & glow squids like mike g said .. i like gami 4x strong octopus cicrle hooks

Re: Tile fish bait
 

When it comes to bait Mike G is right, fresh is best. I like to use fresh salmon strips trimmed and cut into 1" wide strips. I also use fresh bluefish strips. I usually add a small whole squid as well (these are frozen unless I can catch some on a 2 day trip). On my last trip I used strips cut from a couple of mako steaks (cut the skin off along with about 1/4" of meat. Worked well and was impossible for the tiles to rip off the hook.
As for rigs, I use (as well as sell) 2 hook rigs with Owner circle hooks when smaller tiles are around and I use a single hook Quick Rig hd Mutu style circle hook with a ball bearing swivel in the eye (to prevent a big tile from twisting off the hook). Call or stop by the store and I can show you what you need, always happy to talk "tiles!"

Re: Tile fish bait
 

I recently had a fairly successful trip using only Striped Bass belly on a head boat out of Wildwood Crest, NJ

Re: Tile fish bait
 

Fresh (as can be) bluefish = tile candy.

Re: Tile fish bait
 

butterfly cut a nice little rosefish,tile bubble gum

Re: Tile fish bait
 

with no time to go catch some fresh blue fish, can it be bought?:o

Re: Tile fish bait
 

Wow how did I forget rosefish? Definately a great bait.

Re: Tile fish bait
 

I feel that Fresh Bluefish and Squid are great baits . you can use Skipjack/Bonito/Falsie strips too . Brine them to toughen em up .