Sport Fishing USA — January 2018

1212 JANUARY 2018

SIZE MATTERS

“Don’t be scared to put a dredge into
the water,” says Capt. Jeremy Hicks,
who runs the 36-foot Calypso out of
Hatteras, North Carolina. “And I mean
any dredge. The fish don’t sit around
reading Melton [Tackle] catalogs, so
whatever type you choose, it will help
fool them into at least looking at your
spread. It’s true that dredges pick up
weeds, they’re expensive and they can
be a hassle. But having that ‘school’
of bait behind your boat will draw in
more fish.”
Fortunately, anglers can ease any
anguish over deploying these unwieldy
rigs with a few smart moves that dif-
ferentiate small-boat dredge tactics
from those used on big sport-fishers.
Those moves begin with your dredge
of choice, and for a small-boat angler,
bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.
You’ll need to consider stowage space,
of course, but an even bigger issue comes
with deployment and retrieval. While a
large sport-fisher might be rigged with
dedicated dredge rods, electric reels and
outriggers that can handle the pressure
of a dredge, few small boats are. Instead,
the dredge lines often run from a boom
rod, a downrigger or even directly off
stern cleats. That means cranking or
hauling the dredge up by hand, a difficult

A four-arm dredge with 20 or so

squids is a good starting point, Pino

adds. “That’s a lot easier to handle than

a six-arm dredge with 100-plus squids.”

DEEP THINKING

Where the dredge should run differs

for a small boat, and depends to a large

degree on the prop wash your boat

creates and the visibility it affords.

“You want the dredge to run in clean

water, not the wash itself,” Hicks says.

“The white water and commotion cre-

ated by the boat attract fish, but you

want the dredge to be where the fish can

easily pick it out. This also allows you to

see the fish better when they approach

the dredge or a bait fished near it.”

Pino agrees. “Being able to see the

dredge is a must, so you know when

a fish comes up on it,” he says. “On

smaller boats, that often means you

need to get it down faster and keep it

closer. Otherwise, you’ll never be able

to see it. The exact distance of the sweet

spot differs from boat to boat, so just try

to set it in the cleanest water possible,

well outside of bubble trails.”

For most small boats, that means

sending the dredge back about 20 to

30 feet off the transom, where it should

run anywhere from just below the sur-

face to 6 feet deep. Deeper is generally

considered better, and if your boat has

an elevated observation post you can

run your dredges on the deeper side

and still eyeball them.

If everyone aboard is at deck level,

you might not be able to send the

dredge down very far without losing

visibility. In all cases, make sure it’s

job since even the smallest dredges and

their weights create a ton of drag as they

move through the water.

“Manageability is key for small-boat

anglers,” says Bill Pino, purveyor at

Maryland-based Squidnation, which

makes dredges, daisy chains and

teasers, and captain of a 32-footer.

“Everyone wants a bigger dredge, but

clearing them is much more difficult,

especially on small boats, where you’re

usually short-handed. If a fish is on one

line and another fish is in the spread,

you just don’t have enough hands to get

the dredge, clear lines, feed the other

fish and, oh, by the way, get the teasers

up too.”

Above: On small fishing boats, dredge lines

usually run from a boom rod, a downrigger or

even directly off stern cleats. Below: Deploy a

dredge rig big enough to attract fish, but keep it

manageable for an average crew member.

ADRIAN E. GRAY (TOP), SAM ROOT / SALTYSHORES.COM

JANUARY 2018 / VOL 33 — ISSUE 1

GAME PLAN + FISH FACTS + GEAR GUIDE + NEW PRODUCTS

BEING ABLE TO

SEE THE DREDGE

IS A MUST, SO YOU

KNOW WHEN A FISH

COMES UP ON IT.