Five gallon bucket with live bait ..... yes. But an ice chest would be frowned upon even if it was just for dead bait. I have taken my own Cigar Minnows or Menhaden many times and if they are frozen well they will usually let you stow them in their ice box until you reach your fishing destination.

When using live bait they are normally fished on a rig that has an 8 oz. or 12 oz. sinker of some type on it so they don't drift too much further than a dead bait. Freelining them would be another story and probably not a good idea if everyone else was bottom fishing..

Usually on boats like the Dolphin Express they have other bait besides squid and if you snoop around back there you might be able to find some.

Casting is discouraged too but I like to fish way up on the bow away from others so I do try to do some casting when I go.

I wonder if you could let a Russel Lure sink to the bottom and real it up quickly, or do some vertical jigging without getting tangled with everybody else. Would that work?

If you are free lining a livie you need to be at the back of the boat letting the fish go out with the current pretty simular to flatlining. They tend to want to follow the current and get away from the boat. You can't put the rod in a holder and if there are more than a couple flatlines already out you will get tangled.
Generally speaking it never hurts to ask the deckhands if they are ok with it. The more people on the boat the less you can do without getting in everyone elses way.
I almost always have a pitch rod ready incase some dolphin decide to check out the boat. If the boat isn't crowded you can flutter jig and you have a better shot at some of the smaller groupers. Casting is possible but its more of an underhand roll cast.

One big problem I have always seen some use not enough weight and it drifts into others, there is always 1-2 that are constantly getting tangled then they don't know it and their line gets wrapped around another etc, I just cut mine loose and retie and fish, If I cut more its too bad, I come to fish and usually have no problems but there is always 1-2 causing most of them, the old Dacron line floats and is horrible on a head boat. Fresh cut bait also works very good just tell a deck hand you need it. Or the guy that takes bass tackle and has problem after problem. Take your own use plenty of weight to fish down or freeline from the stern and enjoy the trip. The type of trip can make a difference also the longer ones usually weed out tourists, avoid holiday times. Call ahead and reserve a good spot if possible, get there early.

I had an instance in Galveston 2 yrs ago, I know the boat Capt and boarded early with him to carry my 2 rods on and got back off, when I re boarded later my rods were gone! We looked for them and others had them and said they looked better than the rest of the boat rods so we use them. I took them back and told them they were mine, they were not happy! Had a great trip as always.

Thanks for the input guys. I am looking forward to my next trip, when I will try to put some of these suggestions to good use.

Look on Ebay and get a good rod and Senator reel 6/0 and your fixed for life for usually under $125, it will handle almost anything you would ever need. Get an older USA made reel.

Lots of good info here... Thanks for the help.

I tend to use the boats lead for this reason. They know what the current has been doing and at $3-5 a piece I'd rather loose their weight than mine. I keep some lighter egg sinkers in my bag if I need them on a flat line, but thats about it.

So it's not all or nothing? If I show up with most of what I need they might help me with a sinker, or maybe cut bait?

Never seen a boat crew that will not help you, ask them for weights and what you need. I usually fish big baits and catch fewer fish but larger than most, I have had all the line pulled off several times from my reels by a huge fish we never saw, I have been offered new line 100% of the time to respool my reel from the crew.

I have fished several of the Dolphin Docks boats off and on for the past 15-18 yrs. We normally do the 12 hr trips as well and have always done well on the Dolphin Express. Having said that, I have never even put a piece of squid on my line while fishing their boats. Granted, I have only fished in the summer months, June thru Sept. They have always had ribbon fish and cigar minnows. On several occasions, a deckhand has grabbed a separate, lighter spinning outfit when we saw chicken dolphin schools around the boat and let my wife catch a bunch. We typically prefer the back corner of the boat and I have had deckhands rig up big shark rigs with LARGE bait and let it go behind the boat telling me to "watch that line and grab it if something runs off with it".

I prefer to take my own tackle, since the quality of heavily used line, reels, and rods on party boats is always a gamble. I've had reels where drags were locked in place, rods with guides so corroded that they abrade the line, etc.

The one thing to look out for is that many boats are particular about what line and terminal tackle you use. Most of the ones I've been on don't allow braid because of tangles, which is a pain but understandable.

Yep, have had that happen on an open partyboat once or twice. Love the guys who try to say "Well I don't see your name on it!"

Ah well, part of the game.

Mine do...might help with the confusion!