From Capt. Willie Egerter of the Dauntless sailing from Point Pleasant Beach comes some sound advice with respect to rigs.

"Some fellows prefer a pair of hooks snelled to a single leader, which puts both baits right on the bottom. Others lean toward the three-hook, high-low rig, which places one hook directly on the bottom and snelled hooks at 12-inch intervals up from the bottom. When seabass and porgies are plentiful, it's not unusual to see doubleheaders and tripleheaders coming aboard regularly, especially when we first anchor over a spot that hasn't been fished in some time."

Capt. Egerter cautions not to use hooks that are too large. Claw- or beak-style hooks with a baitholder shank in sizes ranging from No. 1 to No. 3/0 are fine for the size fish you'll most often encounter.

He goes on to say that the plain and simple two-hook rig that puts both baits on the bottom is the rig of choice when blackfish are on the bottom. Blackfish often forage head down looking for food and can readily spot a pair of crab baits right on the bottom. However, during the far offshore midwinter fishery, the blackfish are normally a bycatch. While inshore blackfish are targeted using green crabs as bait, most that are taken offshore succumb to strips of squid, mackerel or clam. Seabass are the primary target and generally constitute more than 90 percent of the contents of your cooler during midwinter offshore jaunts.

Both skippers emphasize the importance of having an assortment of bank sinker weights, including 8, 10, 12 and 16 ounces. Perhaps the most important aspect of this fishing is being able to keep your line perpendicular to the bottom, and holding, not having the current sweep it toward the stern. Both concur that the guys who use plenty of lead catch the most fish.

Remember that this is winter fishing. While there are some mild days, consideration should be given to creature comfort. I regularly wear long underwear for starters. Next, I layer clothing, with loose-fitting trousers, a hooded sweatshirt and insulated jacket that's also hooded. For footwear, I prefer insulated boots, as the deck is often wet, of necessity as the mates hose it down. Gloves are important, too. While most of the boats have heated handrails, there's nothing better than warm, insulated gloves on a blistery winter day.

I also carry what I term a "personal care kit." It includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, aspirin, comb, soap, washcloth and hand towel. While I'm not susceptible to motion sickness, a couple of years ago I did succumb to seasickness on a rough two-day canyon trip. Since then, I've carried an Explorer ReliefBand that I purchased at West Marine, which offers drug-free, electronic motion sickness relief and is FDA approved. Should I feel mal de mer coming on, I'll certainly attach the wristwatch-like band to my wrist. I know some friends who regularly carry Dramamine or other internal medication with them on offshore excursions, which is good motion sickness insurance as well.

Most of the party packets specializing in this offshore fishing have below-deck bunkrooms. Be aware that there are limited numbers of bunks, and when they're filled, you may have to sleep in the cabin. I find a lightweight extra-wide sleeping bag ideal, as I can snuggle up in comfort and get a good night's sleep on both the trip offshore and return, too, ensuring I'm in great shape to fish a long day.