Two types of fish from the bottom of the ocean off of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georiga are the golden tilefish and blueline tilefish. They lurk far below the surface in profoundly deep waters. Tilefish are fun for anglers to both locate and battle to the surface from far below. Beyond catching them, both the blueline and golden tilefish are great for eating. What is the difference between the two types of tilefish?

How To Identify Each Type Of Tilefish

Both the blue line tilefish and the golden tilefish have common characteristics and significant differences to differentiate the two types.

Blueline Tilefish

The blueline is also called a grey or common tilefish. The name comes from a blue-colored line that extends from the mouth to the tip of the eye. The top of the body is gray, and it fades to white towards the belly. The dorsal and anal fins are long and cover more than half the length of the entire fish.

Golden Tilefish

The golden is very prominent. The fish is colorful and portrays yellows, blues, purples, white, and green. Yellow shows as spots all over the top half of the body. The most noticeable difference between a blueline tilefish and a golden tilefish is the crest on the head. It has a vertical protrusion forward of the dorsal fin.

How Big Does Blueline Tilefish And Golden Tilefish Grow

Each type of tilefish can grow significantly large. The golden is a slow grower and reaches forty-three inches. Most are caught around twenty-four inches in size.

The blueline do not grow as big. It will measure up to thirty-five inches long. Also, each has a long life. The golden can live up to 46 years while the blue line around 26 years old.

Where Do You Catch Golden And Blueline Tiles

When fishing for blueline and golden tilefish think deep. These fish hang out on the bottom well offshore of the coast from Maine through south Florida.

Don’t expect to find either type of tilefish any shallower than 400 feet of water. However, the blueline likes a soft mud bottom while the golden prefers ledges and rocky areas. High-quality depth-finding equipment is a must to locate where each may live.

Locating tilefish is a matter of trial and error. In some situations, you get lucky and find fish on the first drop while in most cases it will require more effort. Move the boat from spot to spot based on what is seen on depth finding equipment. Practicing patience will pay off when searching for tilefish on the seafloor.

How To Catch Golden Tilefish

Break out the wallet. To catch tiles, it requires the use of heavy electric fishing gear. Electric reels mounted on stiff rods in a strong rod holder are a must. The boat needs to be wired to handle powering the reel.

A tilefish rig has a clip on the bottom to secure a heavy led weight of up to eight pounds. Above the weight is a series of circle hooks. Remember to add a flashing fishing light to attract fish to the bait.

Almost any type of bait will work. Cut squid or cut fish are ideal but make sure they are well hooked to avoid bait stealing.

How To Catch Blueline Tilefish

Blueline tilefish also called grey tilefish are caught similarly to golden tilefish. The biggest difference between catching blue line tilefish and golden tile fish is the size.

When comparing the size, the blueline is smaller therefore does not require as heavy of a deep drop set up. Additionally, blueline tilefish live in more shallow water compared to golden tilefish.

Unlike dropping for golden tilefish, blueline tilefish are found in more shallow water. The blueline is common between the 300-500 foot deep range compared to goldens in 600-900 feet deep.

The bait options for blueline tilefish vs golden tilefish are the same. However, scale the hook and bait size down because the mouths of the blueline tilefish are not as large as golden tilefish.

Are Tiles Good To Eat

When it comes to tilefish taste, there is a reason that they make it on the menus of seafood restaurants across the country. Here is a blueline tilefish vs golden tilefish taste comparison.

Golden Tilefish

The golden tilefish make excellent table fare and are extremely healthy. Due to the size, golden tile fish offer thick fillets because of their size.

When it comes to taste and texture, the golden tilefish is comparable to crab or lobster, is low in fat, and is sweet, delicate, and easily flakes.

Blueline Tilefish

The blueline is more firm in texture but has a similar taste. However, the grey tilefish otherwise known as blueline tilefish is sweet, white, and flakey when prepared.

How To Cook A Tilefish Fillet

One of the most popular fish on the market is tilefish. Both The golden tilefish and blueline tile fish are cooked similarly.

When cooking tilefish avoid overcooking the tender fillets or they will become dry. The best method for preparing tilefish is by preparing the fish on the grill, under the broiler, or in a saute pan. Avoid overseasoning the fish because it will mask the natural flavors of the fish.

Lastly, to prevent overcooking know that the blueline tilefish or grey tilefish will cook more quickly because the fillets are not nearly as thick as the golden tilefish. Pair the fish with these healthy sides which include asparagus, broccoli, or roasted potatoes.

Target Golden Tilefish and Blueline Tilefish On Your Next Offshore Trip

The answer to these questions depends on the gear you are equipped with. If you don’t already own deep drop equipment, be ready to make a large investment. The benefit to tile fishing is that you can typically fish the same location time after time once you find where they are. The challenge of fishing so deep can be exciting for many anglers. Be sure you have a large enough boat to make the long runs offshore.