depends on what kind of fishing you do. Fall fishing can be fantastic for sure. I mainly jig for AJs and other predator fish. The miserable heat of August is not the best time for that. Winter / cold weather is not great for AJs unless it's an overnight trip that gets in deeper water. But you also encounter other species then, e.g., I've caught Bonito on some of the Jan/Feb trips. Others will need to speak to the best times for beeliners, triggers, and other bottom fish.

Not confident I understand what you are asking. Yes, you keep your own fish -- mates will help you ID the fish and whether or not it is of legal size. The boat has decent house gear you can use for bottom fishing -- along with bait. You are also welcome to bring your own gear -- I always do.

Have caught plenty of fish from both. I really like the Carolina Princess crew, the food in their galley, and the larger size of the boat. I'd recommend the CP to families and first-timers -- they try really hard to give them a good experience. If you bring your own gear (I do), doesn't matter, but house gear on the CP is better maintained. All that said, the Stacy has put me on a lot of fish over the years.

typically we're in 100ft of water and ca. 30 miles offshore. Overnight trips sometimes get further out (ca. 50 miles), but even then they often travel south and stay in ca. 120ft or less.

I'm using a Daiwa BG6500 with a custom jigging rod (Bateson Rainshadow). Tons of line (BG's hold a lot) -- more than you really need for vertical jigging. Could spool mostly with a cheaper line (generic braid), then spool the last 100yds or so with your preferred braid (I use Daiwa J-Braid 65lb multicolor). Then with a long 15-20ft 80 leader (I prefer fluorocarbon but also use Ande mono). You really need braid to work a vertical/knife jig properly.

@@BubbaNozeyou think a spinfisher 7500 with 300 yards of 50lb braid will be fine?

@@Mouafishingthingsabsolutely! rod might be just as important. a real jigging rod really makes a difference (parabolic bend from butt-to-tip, fast enough action to work your jig-- check rod lure weight rating, e.g., 150-200grams, etc.). The heavy leader can important, too, for abrasion resistance. Good luck!

@@BubbaNoze dude thanks! Yeah I’m wanting to take it to this same trip here lol so seems like Carolina princess is guaranteed? What’s your experience with them in the fall and spring like November? I have jigging rod it’s the Penn carnage 2 haha so thanks !

congratulation -- bet that was a lot of fun reeling him in. did you catch him on a jig? somebody got a 50lb king off the carolina princess on a jig a few weeks ago!

@BubbaNoze oh wow!,no this one was on a trolley rig wish it was on a jig tho!

@@BubbaNoze I have the full vid on my channel

not sure which one -- i thikn they're all custom made. Either a Bateson Rainshadow jigging blank or a Hanta jigging blank. Both are designed to bend like that, i.e., parabolic bend from butt to tip to fish strong/big fish vertically. They are incredibly strong rods, they bend to a point then no more.

free line with live bait off the back of the boat. not sure -- maybe a pinfish? (we often use them)

i use 65lb daiwa j-braid. i'd recommend at least 50lb braid but partly depends on your reel, esp the maximum drag. i like to use 200g speed jig cause I can drop them straight down and work them up even when boat is relatively crowded. that's always an issue on a head boat, i.e., typically need to keep your gear as vertical as possible to minimize tangle with neighbors.

@@BubbaNoze thank you I was wondering about what would be best for jigging. Do you typically use bait or just jigg when on a head boat. Can’t wait to see your next vids.

@@jamestatum9886usually I just jig. BUT jigging at night kinda sucks (IME on overnight trips) so either use live bait (pinfish, if I get there early enough to catch some) or tip a Roscoe jig with meat and just bounce off bottom (grouper!).

@@BubbaNoze do you use a leader line, mono or Fluor to connect to the jig or do you use straight braid to jig ?

@@jamestatum9886I use 80lb fluoro or mono leader. Not for the tensile strength per se, but for abrasion resistance. The big uns will try to drag you down in the structure and the heavy line gives you a fighting chance to drag them out. For the really big fish -- grouper or AJs -- you often win or lose in the first 10 seconds or so of the fight!

65 lb Daiwa multicolor J-Braid for main line with an 80 lb mono or fluorocarbon leader -- connected with an FG knot.

It's a custom-made Bateson jigging blank. Rated up to 300g but I normally use it with a 200g jig. The action works really well with 200 grams. There are some great inexpensive options for getting started. For example, the UglyStik jigging rod-- it's kind of heavy but it works very well.

@BubbaNoze I'm willing to spend it because I only want to buy it once.... I don't have anyone to build a rod for me, so buying a blank won't do much good. Any other suggestions as far as rods you like.... Im asking you because you seem like a "regular dude" (compliment...lol) and you really seem to know what you're doing.

@@tyronehunter7649 I would just emphasize that you may not know what you want until you've jigged for a while. There are some basic decisions you'll need to make like whether you want to go with a conventional reel or a spinning rig. But even that decision is based on using that rig for a while.

I love jigging with a spinning reel with the rod in my dominant hand. But I'd rather fight a fish with a conventional reel especially a two-speed reel that I can drop into low gear.

One principle would be to use gear that you could use for other purposes if you decided it was not your primary jigging rig. For example those uglystik jigging rods make great bottom fishing rods if you decided not to use for jigging.

I have just spent more time on the CP, and really like the mates/crew and the family-owned business. It's a bigger boat than the Stacy, and the stern specifically is roomier. I prefer to jig from the stern, but have caught a lot of fish jigging from the bow. The mates on the CP are great with novices and kids. The CP "house gear" for bottom fishing is better than the Stacy's, but if you bring your own gear that won't matter. The food in the CP galley is great ($5 triggerfish or grouper sandwich!). The CP office staff is friendly and flexible. Having said all that, I have caught a lot of fish over the years from the Stacy -- I just don't fish on it as much as I used to. Just in terms of "catching fish" I don't think it matters much, but overall I have enjoyed my time on the CP more over the years. There are a lot of "regulars" on both boats that you'll get to know if you fish them regularly -- and that really adds a positive dimension to the fishing experience.

@@BubbaNoze thanks for the thorough answer, I’ve been on the Princess a few times but it’s been a few years and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing out on anything before my next trip in August.

What gram jigs you use most of the time?

@@julioandre2610 i use a 200g jig most of time. most would consider that a bit heavy for 100ft of water, but it works well with my rod AND on a crowded head boat where you want your jig going straight down. biggest consideration for size is match with rod. my rod works best with 200g -- 150g is a big light, 300g a bit heavy. that is, I get best action with 200g on my rod. jigging rods typically have a weight rating that you can use to figure out best weight -- then it's just trial and error.

well, except when they are not. usually cluster of worms in the tail section, easily removed. but, yes, sometimes worms throughout. in spite of the extra free protein, I don't eat in that case. 😁

@@BubbaNoze I've heard that about this fish, also it seems to depend where in the world you catch them. I'm out in Hawaii, and 100% of them are completely loaded head to tail with huge worms. So usually fight them and toss them back. Tight lines 👌🏼

@@miketexas4549 There do seem to be some spots offshore NC (where I typically fish) where jacks are more infested with those parasites than others.

Yes, we usually keep a few. The meat is good, not great. But that depends on how you cook it. On the other hand, people are always eager to take any jacks we don't want.

Cool,I see a lot of them but never eaten any

@@wharris4874 I will say if you cube it up and sauté/fry in butter, it makes great fish tacos! Meat is white, mild and flakes up well, so works well in tacos with salsa/pico de gallo, cilantro, chopped onions, etc.

@@BubbaNoze With some picante sauce it would be good i imagine too

Daiwa BG 8000 reel? What rod?

FG knot -- a little tricky to learn at first but a great & strong knot that passes thru rod guides well. Used to use double-uni but makes much too big of a knot with 80lb leader. Modified Albright is good, too, but FG stronger.

happy to talk more. usually in 100-120ft of water, so 150 to 200g jig is good. Match jig size/weight to rod for best action without wearing yourself out.

Night jigging off the North Carolina coast is not (IME) great. I have caught AJs at night before, but not many. Usually I slow down presentation, use a Roscoe jig, and slow bounce if off the bottom. Recently have caught grouper this way, but again, it's not overly productive. It was just after 5AM and dark when this YFT hit, but the first hints of the sunrise were visible (barely). I think that early predawn time is when tuna often feed and can rely on their excellent vision to locate the jig. I use a UV flashlight to charge my glow jigs. Doesn't take long to charge them, and you'll have to get a feel for how long your jigs "hold" the glow. Mine usually last for several drops before recharge.

@@BubbaNoze awesome thanks for the info, im new to jigging but its so much fun. I was on the boat here, i think I can see my feet in this video lol. Planning on doing a full day Tuesday after next and 24hr October 1st, maybe ill see you around

SOrry, too long ago to remember! We do catch them occasionally on speed/vertical jigs.

Well, big blues are a lot of fun to catch -- so congrats on that! This was an exceptional trip -- boat caught several big grouper, 2 yellowfin, lots of nice jacks, 2 lobsters, etc.

I use 80lb fluoro or mono to 65lb Daiwa J-Braid multicolor braid -- I use a long leader (start w 15-20ft) attached to braid with an FG knot (takes some time/patience to learn but great knot for this!). I use 80lb leader mainly abrasion resistance more than tensile strength -- sooner or later you're gonna hook a big fish that will drag you down in structure before you can turn them. The 80lb line at least gives you a fighting chance, but even then I get cut off occasionally. Re: hooks. I make my own assist hooks and use anywhere from 6/0 to 9/0 "live bait" style J-hooks. Hooks really need to be larger than the width of the jig to prevent getting fouled up around the jig body.

i use 150 to 200 gram knife or "speed" jigs -- make sure you match jig size to rod. Jigging rods usually give you a gram size range where they work best (eg. rod rated for 175-250g). Rod will have best action in that range -- too light or too heavy will make it difficult to work jig well. I love the Star Aerial jigging rod for a good starter rod -- available at Chasin' Tails (Atlantic Beach) for $99. UglyStik Tiger Lite jigging rod good beginning rod, too -- just not as good as the Star Aerial (IMO). Jigs: Chasin' Tails will carry more once their new section is open (any day now). Be aware of the difference between speed/knife jigs and slow-pitch or "flutter" jigs. The latter usually have wider bodies, meant be worked more slowly and allowed to fall or flutter -- where you'll get most strikes. I prefer a knife jig on head boats. Need to have the jig directly below you to avoid tangles. But people use flutter jigs all the times off the Stacy/Princess. Neuse Sport shop also sells jig (Cedar Point & Kinston).

@@BubbaNoze Thank you for the advice. I am looking at a daiwa jigging rod for like 175, just have to pick a middle of the line weight for it so i can do both. Looking forward to getting down there and hopefully catching something in may. Thank you again

I was going to ask the same thing! I haven’t found anything other than slow pitch jigs locally, but I did catch a decent almaco with one on my last trip!

Yes, cheapest way to fish offshore!

Thanks. I'm figuring out a few things as I go along. So I paid more attention to audio on this because of the music in the intro and end. I'll try to remember to even out the audio in the future before I upload new videos.

don't know my March schedule yet but I'll be going some, for sure. Carolina Princess doesn't start their trips until April. Hope we can overlap on some trips!

@@BubbaNoze slight change of plans..turns out we'll be going on Capt stacy April 22nd.but still hope to happen to overlap a couple trips w you!

@@ianwalker8494 I'll keep that in mind. Haven't mapped out my fishing plans yet for the spring -- but I know the Capt Stacy is starting back this week!

I think that day caught 'em on just a jig head with cut bait! Tried to throw a large plastic paddletail, but they swam up to it and turned away. But they immediately attacked the cut bait! I have caught them on speed jigs but this day it was cut bait that worked.

@@BubbaNoze nice am goin out on the boat in June hopefully I get lucky like you in your videos… I do a bit of slow pitch jigging 🤙🏼 wish me luck

In my limited experience, we don't catch as many AJs in winter from a headboat when fishing in circa 100ft of water. Suspect you need to push out deeper. For example, 2 weeks ago, friends pushed out to 200ft in a private boat, found 72-74F water, and landed an 89lb AJ (!!!), and hooked plenty of others. Guessing that the AJs just push out to deeper/warmer water in winter. Think we were in 66F water or so when fishing 100ft deep.

Carolina Princess running a full-day this Sat (1/7), then 2 more this month, 1/21 and 1/28. Capt Stacy resumes full-day schedule in March 2023. Hope to see you soon!

@@BubbaNoze okay we'll be going in March -Dec

Contact the Vonda Kay in Wrightsville Beach -- not sure if they're running in Jan/Feb but it would be worth a call. fishingtopsailisland.com/vondakay.html | phone: 910-545-3474

@@BubbaNoze Thank you!!

@@robcuevas7476 It's a little different scenario that the Carolina Princess -- NO braided line, no coolers, and no bananas (ha!).

I'm booked on that 24hr trip, too. Say hello if the trip makes? Weather has been looking good until today -- now looking borderline. I use 80lb leader -- prefer fluorocarbon but really like Ande mono as well. I use an FG knot to keep the knot size small enough to pass through guides, and use a pretty long leader (15-20ft). There are times when I wish I had a thicker leader, but almost always 80lbs is strong/thick enough. Once a big fish gets you down in structure, all bets are off. Tighten down that drag! Think the Slammer can generate nearly 40lbs of drag -- which seems like too much for most applications, but for AJs over structure, you might need it all! You've got a short window to drag the big ones out or they cut you off!

@@BubbaNoze yea I been noticing weather been changing and could be go. Been ages I caught nice AJ… last one was on princess in end of july 24 hr trip of 2020. And had a big amaco hit slow pitch jig and then aj hit sardine…. But I wanting to try to build a chicken rig using these squid lures .

Miss seeing you at Cane Creek!

@@BubbaNoze im fishing Jordan and Harris more now, I plan to be back some next year

Love your videos! Can’t wait to fish with you on the Princess.

Thanks, Andre. Wish you'd come with us sometime -- it would be great to see you!

Occasionally, but have seen several this fall with cooler weather. Several caught on yesterday's trip -- at least a couple on a jig (I got an undersized one on jig, friend Tommy got a legal grouper on jig).

@@BubbaNoze great! I’ll be going on the 12/10 trip and jigging, hoping to catch grouper. It’ll be the first time I’ve been down there and the first time deep water jigging.

@@calebbrown918 don't get your hopes up BUT I caught a 21lb blackfin tuna yesterday on our fist anchor spot! video coming soon. Lots of kings, bonita, jack, grouper, american reds, etc. very productive jigging day!

@@BubbaNoze anything I should bring other than jigs? Do people troll or fish any other lures on the boat?

@@calebbrown918 if you're lucky enough to get a stern spot you could troll between spots -- there are a lot of kings around now (late Nov 2022). Even if not in stern you could still troll if no one else is. Bow is still a great spot to jig -- typically not as many people there and I've caught a bunch in the bow jigging. Sometimes I will tip a Roscoe jig with squid/bait and just slow bounce off bottom -- can be a nice break from vigorous jigging. You often pick up a lot of bottom fish that way and maybe a grouper.

why?

For reference: I use Daiwa J-Braid 65lb multi-color as my main line with a long (15-20ft) 80lb fluoro or mono leader connected to main line with an FG knot. Line lays down well on my Daiwa BG 6500 reel, and lasts a long time. So I'm not aware of a line-related problem that needs "fixing" -- but am always open to new gear suggestions.

It's a custom made rod built on a Batson Rainshadow blank. Great rod -- makes it hard to use other good off-the-shelf rods like the Star Aerial or UglyStik Tiger Elite Jigging rods. Both are great beginner rods.