This article is a copyright of Capt. Horling and may not be copied or used in any way without his written permission.

So you want to catch Big Fish ????

Fishing, hunting out and trying to catch a fish with a Hook-Line & Sinker
Catching is a byproduct of Good Fishing !

The information herein following is not for those looking to catch a lot of fish, but more so for those wishing to catch quality size fish, FLUKE in particular. There is no cheap way around what I'm about to inform of, foremost purchase the Best and do not cut corners. That "Once in a lifetime" fish or lunker could be lost due to someone's unwillingness to get the Best, remember it's your time and money spent fishing for the Big-ones.

It has been my experience over the years, that proves true many points. If you follow these instructions, they should greatly improve your fishing ability to hook BIGGER FISH.
Remember, that there is always that one time that somebody will get THAT BIG ONE, and only that one time---this is by pure luck, because they can not do it again.
Do your homework, know the area your fishing in, learn to use electronics properly.
Don't be a "Party Boat follower", they only produce because they can put many more lines in the water, and they are not seeking LARGE FISH.

First, Big fish are somewhat lazy and reluctant to chase for their food, unless it's worth their while to do so. Somewhat like a person that's grossly overweight, they won't run to get a cupcake but a whole cheesecake would be a different story. Smaller fish are more aggressive and will attack the smallest bait presented to them, they are more agile than a larger fish and will constantly feed to fulfill their needs. Now where does this all lead to??? BAIT.

BAIT--BAIT--BAIT...Unless YOU change your thinking about your Bait selections, Bigger fish will only be a "LUCK" situation for you.  Rule of thumb is as follows:
Live is better than Dead, but Dead is better than Plastic and Big is better than Small.
Now the Expert's advice. 
Choices are, in no particular order but rather by availability:
Snapper Bluefish, Peanut Bunker, Mullet, Mackerel Belly Strips, Jumbo Killies,
Squid Strip ( 10 to 14 in. ) or Whole Squid ( 5 to 7 in.). I have not mentioned
Fluke Belly strips due to the fact of the No filleting fish at sea law, but that's up to you.
If you haven't noticed, all the above baits are BIG. With these larger baits you are not going to catch a lot of fish, but those that you might catch will not be SHORTS !

HOOKS---RIGS---SINKERS... With these items, they should be proportioned to the larger baits that will be used.
For Hook size I use 6/0 to 8/0..Hook type is Octopus or Bait Holder, I do not prefer
Circle Hooks, but rather a modified type of Circle Hook similar to that offered by Gamakatsu. Some of the local "PRO'S" say they use the smallest hook they can, that way the fish will swallow the hook. This is DUMB, this is how more fish are lost because what happens is that the bait is pulled right out of the fish's mouth before the hook can engage into the fish's jaw.
As for Sinkers or Weights to be used, I use Bank type sinkers that range in sizes from 
3 oz. to 12 oz.( most of the time it's 6 to 10 oz.)  Now what is important here is "Where & When" you'll be fishing. By this I mean, how deep is the water, how strong is the current, wind conditions and the size of the bait. FACT--it's hard to catch fluke/flounder if your not on the BOTTOM ! All too often I've seen people fishing (from a boat) with lines way-back, in deep water and an incoming or out going tide crying they can't hold bottom. Well sure, because they are only using 1 or 2 oz. of weight. You Know the type, "light tackle fishermen", (more on this later) Or they are too cheap to purchase the required tackle so they will gang cluster several sinkers. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong about light tackle fishing, but it only can be accomplished under special conditions. There is no way you can use a 6 to 10 pound class rod & reel and fish with 10 to 12 oz. of weight in 40 to 60 feet of water and have proper action implied.

Rigs and Rigging.... Today there are many Prerigged rigs available, but remember to keep it simple. My normal Big fish rig is simple, a hook, leader and terminal. First the leader, I use a good quality leader material, either clear or fluorocarbon, in 25 or 30 pound class. 
No!, regular fishing line will not cut it. There are those budget minded folks that claim "it's all the same", 
but that not true.
The leader length can vary from 18" to 36". If I'm fishing with a fish finder/sinker slide, I tie a barrel swivel to the main line and connect my leader/hook combo to this. If using a 3-way swivel, I prefer to attach my sinker with a dropper loop tied to one leg of the 3-way. This dropper loop is made from either 6 OR 8 pound test line, with lengths of 4,6 or 10". This is all proportionate to sinker size, speed of drift and bait used. Remember, it is easier to make thing shorter than longer.

Lures..Bucktails..other things... Now when it comes using something other than a plain hook, there are numerous concoctions available. Lets start with the bucktail jig. This lure has been around a long time, the problem comes with using the proper size. I have seen many an angler try using these jigs in the 1/8 to 1/2 oz. range, and yes they will catch fish but not the Big One. REMEMBER--when using artificials it's like fly fishing, try to MATCH the HATCH. Also where, how deep and current/drift speed should be taken into consideration. I've seen all too often people using too small a jig, so stay on the bottom they have to let out a long amount of line. the problem here is that the jig is pulled down into the bottom instead of getting the proper jumping action along with line stretch that makes it difficult to get a proper hook-up. Those in the know ( and including myself ) will use bucktails in the 
2 to 4 oz. range and make sure they have strong HOOKS. Bucktail jigs can be tipped ( bait added ) with a variety of choices, squid strip, mackerel, pork rind or whatever, experiment- this is what fishing is all about. 
Ya, I know on Saturday you saw o'l Billy Bob fishing for Flounder & Sea Trout (Weakfish) in Florida or Texas or wherever, and he was using a 6ft-6 to 8 lb. wooper-dooper rod with a Kamikaze bullet Bass reel, spooled with 8lb. test Death defying ultra strong line, He was using 1/8 to 1/4 oz. Kackenbush Bucktail jigs, tipped with Armadillo scrotum skin, so what !!! Did you notice that they were fishing in a back bay--shallow water---no current and the fish were all of about 12 TO 16 inches ( which would not be legal here ). There is a fellow I know in New Jersey, his name is Capt. Tony, He targets Big fish ( Striped Bass and Fluke) on his charter boat. He uses a simple rig, a 4/0 hook & sinker slide
 and baits it with a  WHOLE Squid.   That's right, a WHOLE Squid in the 4 to 6" range. 
We now stock the NEW Berkley GULP 6" Squids.

 
 A 15 plus pound Fluke & several in the 10 to 13 pound range were landed off Sandy Hook, these fish were caught on BIG BAITS & Big Jigs.