Info..about rosefish

[miamiangler1]

rosies&15#tile jpg.jpgI have been trying to find out anythingI can about these fish .. ... what type of bottom Structure they live on .how large they get and what is the best hooh size?. I know that they can be caught in 800-1000ft of water .looking on the sword chart .. there are a few humps I want to check out ... would I drop on top of or on the back side of the humps? I`ll be doing it manually so each drop has to count plus what other type of fish can be caught where there are rose fish? I would be fishing the miami to hollywood area offshore

[Incognito]

Blackbelly Rosefish are the most common fish I catch here in the Keys. Anywhere that I find any type of deep fish I also find Rosefish. I find them in 350 feet on structure that usually holds Vermillion, Silk Snapper and Red Porgy. I also find them in 550-700 feet on structure that usually holds Snowy and Yellowedge Grouper and Tilefish. I always find fish on the top of structure/humps and rarely on the bottom like you would in shallower water. The Rosefish has a large mouth and any hook you are using for Grouper and SNapper will catch Rosefish. I have caught fish as small as 8 inches and as large as 18 inches. I never weighed them so I don't know what that converts to. As far as bait I always use squid but sometimes I will also add a frozen shrimp to the hook with the squid. I always use a 3 hook rig and will sometimes use Bonito or Cuda or Kingfish or Spanish/Cero on one of the hooks.

As far as eating, Rosefish are excellent and as good if not better than Snowy or Snappers. The meat is firm with very small flakes and blackens up nicely. The people Ihave shared my Rosefish with continue o ask me for more when they see me hit the dock with it.

I seem to find varying species on the same structure on different days. One day a section of structure will be covered in Grouper and the next day I will only catch Rosefish. Another day a couple of Grouper and Tilefish but no Rosefish.

Rosefish are the most aggressive fish in the deep and if you are anywhere near them they will find your bait. They put up a good fight and the rod is usually bouncing all the way from hookup to the surface. They do not inflate. Tilefish fight hard at first and then give up for a while then fight a few more times on the way to the top. Grouper tend to fight hard at first and then nothing until they are about 50 feet from the surface then a big fight until they blow out all the gas then it is over.

There is a pic of a typical Rosefish on the photos page of my website:

www.incognitolighttackle.com

[snooter]

you better know what your doing when deep dropping on those hills, you have to drop on them a certain way or you will wish you never did!! very easy to hang and very difficult to break off especially if your using braid or wire. you need to drop on the down side of the hill especially with the current... most likely it will be an $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ series of drops ... good luck..

[miamiangler1]

Thanks Incognito & Snooter ... I am hoping to try in the Keys one day ... I heard it is better to drop there ... Thanks also for the info .. I will be sure to drop and reel a few cranks up not to snag the bottom ... I know it is probably worst that deep then it is in 200ft of water ... but I have lots of weights . :???: .. I us a lighter line by the weight so that goes before my rig .. the lights is the only $$$ I don` t want to lose now just have to wait for some better weather

[miamiangler1]

Incognito, I saw your Post on the tile fish Reg... what is your opinion on what we all should do ..I know you charter your boat ... 1 tilefish does not seem fair if you pay big money to go fishing ???

[billspilingup]

First dropped on the hills in '99 - lots of rosefish and barrelfish.

Tricky because of current and wind.

[Boboe]

Incognito, I would almost swear that one or both of those groupers in your photo of "snowies" is actually a misty. Check out the vertical bars.

[miamiangler1]

Originally Posted by billspilingup

First dropped on the hills in '99 - lots of rosefish and barrelfish.

Tricky because of current and wind.

would that be the Hollywood hills? about ten miles out .... the barrelfish(driftfish) are they caught on the bottom or are they slightly above the bottom?

[snooter]

they are caught on the bottom normally but i've had times where they ate me up 20 or 30 ft off the bottom.... rosefish are very aggressive...

[billspilingup]

That would be the Hollywood Hills. Caught the barrels on the bottom. We were coming back from Issac and figured "Why not?" so we dropped.

Frankly, I prefer dropping in the islands a heck of a lot more. Better fish, more fish, and less current.

[miamiangler1]

Originally Posted by billspilingup

That would be the Hollywood Hills. Caught the barrels on the bottom. We were coming back from Issac and figured "Why not?" so we dropped.

Frankly, I prefer dropping in the islands a heck of a lot more. Better fish, more fish, and less current.

Thanks for the info.. I am sure it is better in the Bahamas... but I only have a 16ft open fisherman .. so my limit is 20miles ... I could make it over there on a flat day but if I break down ...probably next stop would be England :lol: so I will have to make do with dropping off our coast and just dream of all the fish I could catch over there ...

[billspilingup]

Originally Posted by miamiangler1

Thanks for the info.. I am sure it is better in the Bahamas... but I only have a 16ft open fisherman .. so my limit is 20miles ... I could make it over there on a flat day but if I break down ...probably next stop would be England :lol: so I will have to make do with dropping off our coast and just dream of all the fish I could catch over there ...

Nah, Bermuda and Ireland would be your next stops...and then England!

[miamiangler1]

Bermuda wont be so bad :lol:




______________________

Drop where few fisherman have gone :twisted:

[Incognito]

They are Snowies based on the spines. I originally thought they may be small misty but a jury of myself, Jose Wejebe and Mark Schmidt all confirmed they were snowies based on the dorsal spines. They did have spots when they first came up.

I am a little put off by the reg changes. It only impacts me in the snowy grouper side since I 90% of the time catch gray tiles and not goldens. I usually have myself and 3 or 4 on board and we are just looking for a few fish overall. The part that miffs me is the stupidity that it is not a closed season for part of the year. Now I will stop dropping when I have 1 Snowy per person since any more would need to be released dead. I can not continue to fish for Tiles, Vermillion, Silky and Rosefish since I find snowies mixed in in all those areas. Basically I am hoping to catch a bunch of Gray Tiles, Rosefish, Snappers and then hit some Groupers. If I hit the Grouper right away I will then pack in and try something else. Others will not follow that same rule and release dead fish.

[miamiangler1]

Originally Posted by Incognito

They are Snowies based on the spines. I originally thought they may be small misty but a jury of myself, Jose Wejebe and Mark Schmidt all confirmed they were snowies based on the dorsal spines. They did have spots when they first came up.

I am a little put off by the reg changes. It only impacts me in the snowy grouper side since I 90% of the time catch gray tiles and not goldens. I usually have myself and 3 or 4 on board and we are just looking for a few fish overall. The part that miffs me is the stupidity that it is not a closed season for part of the year. Now I will stop dropping when I have 1 Snowy per person since any more would need to be released dead. I can not continue to fish for Tiles, Vermillion, Silky and Rosefish since I find snowies mixed in in all those areas. Basically I am hoping to catch a bunch of Gray Tiles, Rosefish, Snappers and then hit some Groupers. If I hit the Grouper right away I will then pack in and try something else. Others will not follow that same rule and release dead fish.

I agree with you Incognito... the ruling is stupid ... I know many people will probably throw small goldens away to catch a big one ...and relaes snowies even if it means they will die.. for me it is only a short run to where I can catch goldens ... make a drop and catch them ... on a good day thats about as little as 5 minutes till I hook up to one ... then what ?? now I will have to run 10 - 17 miles off shore to catch something else ... or trailer my boat to the Keys to drop there ...thats why I was asking about rosies and that`s what I have heard where there are rosies then I may catch groupers and snappers ,etc..... but then again if I catch a snowie .. then what ...I would have to stop fishing ....

I have a feeling this ruling is going to do more harm then good with a lot of fish being killed and wasted ....it is like they want to stop us from deep dropping ...so the rec guy`s and charters get the short end ...it sucks .. thanks again for your input .Tight lines ....
Willi
____________

drop where few fisherman have gone before :twisted:

[Boboe]

No, I think both of y'all are wrong. People won't release those dead snowies. They'll fillet-and-release them.

[miamiangler1]

19[/ATTACH]Finally found my rosies ... not to far out .. in my golden tile spot ! also a few weeks ago found my first snowie in 420ft of water