Digging for Gold: Golden Tilefish

If you’re willing to make the run to 500-plus feet of water (600 and change is better) you might just strike gold – golden tilefish, that is. Golden tilefish live on muddy bottom in deep waters, sometimes as deep as 900 feet down, where they dig burrows and feed on fishfish, squid, and crustaceans. Though most are in the 15 to 25 pound range 50-pounders are not unheard of, and on the right gear they can put up quite a tussle.

Fishing for goldens is not complex. Simply get a grouper deep-drop rig with 10/0 or 12/0 circle hooks, and bait each hook with a fish or squid chunk. Let it drag across the bottom until the rod tip goes down, and start reeling. It sounds easy… right? Not really. All that depth complicates matters quite a bit.

First off, you’ll need a high-capacity, high-speed reel. (Low gear ratios will have you cranking all day long to make a single retrieve; make sure the reel you choose brings in four or so feet of line per crank). Spooling up with 800 yards of 60 pound braid line is minimal, and yes, it does have to be braid. With monofilament there will be so much stretch with this much line out that you’ll never know it when there’s a fish on the hook. Then, there’s the weight to consider. Three pounds is considered the minimum needed by most anglers, and that’s on a calm day without too much current. When conditions are not ideal, you may need as much as six.

The toughest part of catching golden tiles is usually finding them. They live in colonies, so once you catch a fish and mark the spot you’re in luck. Initially finding a colony, however, can be quite tough. Since they like muddy bottoms (green mud is said to be their favorite) some anglers will prospect by dropping a short copper tube weighted at the front, to gather bottom samples. I’ve had luck simply by staring at charts until I identify an area where there’s a plateau at the bottom of a sharp drop. Say, it drops from 600 to 650 feet quickly, then stays 650 to 660 for a quarter-mile or more before dropping down any deeper.

One thing is for sure: Once you find and catch some chunky golden tilefish, you’ll be back for more. Since they stay in the same spot year after year, on trips when the offshore action isn’t happening, stopping for a tilefish deep drop can save the day.