Did you ever go deep sea fishing and wonder how those other guys always caught the "big fish" and all you ended up catching was a nice sun burn?

There actually is a science to this. The first thing you want to get, is a dependable boat that won't leave you stranded. There is nothing worse than being 10 or 15 miles off shore with a dead battery or an engine that won't start.

After getting a nice fishing boat make sure you have plenty of fishing tackle and a good fiberglass pole. The reels are best when they are "open face" like in the picture. You don't have to spend a ton of money, you can even get some nice used equipment. The important thing is that you get a quality reel. When you hook up with that big grouper, you will be thankful your rig can handle the strain.

After you figure out what "kind" of fish you want to catch, check in with some of the locals to figure out how far off shore you will need to go.

If you are going to be offshore, understand that the weather and tides can play a big part. If the wind picks up or it becomes stormy, it can make for an unforgettable experience. Pay close attention to the weather reports on the day you plan on fishing. Most fishermen listen to "NOAH" weather on their marine radios because of its accuracy.

If you can, get a list of fishing holes from the local bait shop. Most of those guys will be glad to hand you some of their favorite locations. Since most will be offshore, you will need the help of some popular navigation equipment to help you with your journey.

You will want a navigation devise to help guide you such as a "Loran" or a "GPS." Either one will take you to your coordinates.

Once you get to your fishing site, you will want to scan the bottom for "fish!" When fishing for bottom fish such as "grouper" or "snapper," you might not see any on the screen, so look for rocks or ledges. When you find a nice "drop off," you will need to mark that area with a float of some sort. I like using a tide or equivalent plastic bottle or jug. Just take your bottle and tie off enough rope to reach the bottom with plenty of extra length to allow for the current. At the other end of your rope tie a heavy weight such as a diver’s 2 pound lead weight.

Here is the secret! You need to use two floats instead of just one! Make another float like your first one and follow this procedure.

The first thing you need to do is look for the ledge or rocks at your fishing location. You might have to circle some to find it. The wind and waves can make it difficult at first. Once you find the spot, toss over the first jug. The lead weight will drop to the bottom marking the rocky ledge. Next circle the first marker with your boat until you find which direction the ledge is running. Once you find another part of the ledge mark it with the second float marker that you’ve prepared.

Once you have both float markers in the water you will see how the ledge runs. Now move your boat so that it sits in between the two floats. Idle in neutral after you are there. The current will begin to drift your boat in one direction. Just let your boat drift for a little while and then take a compass heading. Once you have that heading, move your boat forward past the two float jugs some distance and drop your anchor. Put your boat in neutral and let your boat drift back towards the floating jugs. When the stern of your boat gets even with the jogs, tie off the anchor line. Now you will be directly over the rocky ledge. You can check the fish finder screen to see how close you are. If you are off a little you might have to repeat the above steps.

Once you're in the right spot, bait your hook and have a great time! You can also use this technique for scuba diving.