Black seabass are a prized catch right now for offshore enthusiasts, along with tautog and porgies. Photo courtesy of Milt Rosko

As you read this, most privately owned boats are comfortably tucked away until spring, winterized and covered to protect them from snow and sleet. Such is not the case in many of the Garden State's coastal ports, however, as party and charter boats stand ready to carry anglers to offshore waters. Their targets are species such as blackfish, porgies and seabass, many of which spend the summer inshore. But with dropping inshore temperatures, these species move seaward 50 miles, and in some cases, all the way to the edge of the continental shelf to spend the winter in the warmer depths.

Scattered about the bottom in these deep offshore waters are myriad wrecks and patches of rock-strewn bottom, both of which attract marine life on which these popular bottom species feed. It's a long ride to the offshore grounds. Each successive generation of party and charter boats has grown with respect to both size and comfort levels to accommodate the anglers they transport offshore for trips of a day or two in duration.

Mind you, these trips are not what you may be accustomed to, of just hopping aboard a packet at 8 a.m., and being back at dockside by early afternoon. These offshore trips most often depart around midnight and usually return just before midnight, which makes for a long day. Toward that end, I've taken pains to ensure that I'm not only properly equipped for the anticipated fishing, but comfortable for a trip of this duration where at the rail the mercury is often near the freezing mark.

I sought the counsel of Capt. Howard Bogan Jr., who skippers his big Jamaica out of Brielle; he's forthright in the tackle he recommends for anglers who sail with him. "The light gear used inshore just has no place offshore, where you're regularly fishing in depths of 100 to 150 feet or greater. The depth, coupled with swift currents, requires stout tackle that can take a bait rig into the deep and have it hold bottom. Otherwise, you just won't catch fish."

He recommends party boat-style rods measuring from 7 to 8 feet in overall length and rated as 30-pound class tackle. Lightweight graphite rods are favored, as they have plenty of power, which is important when pumping a multiple hookup from the depths, or handling sinker weights that may reach 16 ounces or more in weight. A medium-weight levelwind star drag reel capable of holding 300 yards of monofilament complete with a depth counter mechanism is ideal.

The good skipper also recommends anglers spool with braided line, such as Spectra. Its fine diameter and no-stretch quality enable you to hold bottom with much less sinker weight than if you were to use mono. You can also feel the bite of a pesky bergall even at 200 feet, something that's virtually impossible with monofilament.

Capt. Howard cautions not to go too light, as lightweight tests are so fine they're difficult to manage. Many of his anglers spool 60-pound-test braid, which still has a very fine diameter. However, it has the added advantage of being strong enough to pull free of snags, resulting in less attrition in terminal tackle while fishing wrecks and rockpiles.

You should include in your tackle box a 6- to 8-inch-long piece of broomstick, which is a godsend should you snag bottom while using braided line. This type of line's fine diameter is prone to cut your hands when you apply pressure while trying to free a snagged line. By wrapping the line around the piece of broomstick five or six times and then grasping the broomstick and pulling, you can often pull your rig free of the bottom.