There are countless wrecks in the ocean, the whereabouts of many unknown. Extend this idea throughout the world, and the number of wrecks is staggering. 
The history of maritime travel is full of tragic and sometimes comedic stories of sailors and boaters losing their vessels to the sea. Storms, wars, sabotage, and accidents have sent hundreds of ships to the bottom. Then there are those sank for the purpose of creating artificial reefs and commemorative attractions. Indeed, sunken boats, ships, and planes litter the bottom of the ocean from just off the beach to the edge of the continental shelf. They're spread throughout the great rivers and especially the North America Great Lakes. What's more, each of these is a gateway to phenomenal fishing.
Some of the most enjoyable and consistent fishing can be had on wrecks. It can also be some of the most grueling. Sending a shrimp or a piece of cut bait to the bottom near a wreck might yield a fun little grunt or even a backbreaking monster. That is the allure of wreck fishing; there's no telling what you might hook into. The ocean floor is much like a desert with little in the way of structure and habitat. These wrecks act as beacons, attracting fish from vast distances and fostering a great deal of life. Each wreck has its own resident population of fish, including huge schools of grunts and bait fish, as well as grouper, snapper, and barracuda, which may be in the area for part of the year or the entire year. Additionally, transient and migratory predators such as jacks, mackerels, cobia, dolphinfish, and tunas commonly make an appearance on wrecks for food, safety, and orientation. If you can find and position yourself over a wreck, you are almost guaranteed to bend a rod.
Finding Wrecks
Most wrecks have been found by accident. Commercial fishermen would tangle their nets on sunken vessels and, to keep that from happening again, they would list the whereabouts of each wreck. These 
lists would change hands, and eventually they would become common knowledge for anglers and divers as well. Early way-finding and plotting technology such as maps and compasses were highly inaccurate as methods for locating wrecks. The computerized system, Loran, was better, but expensive. As technology increased, Loran gave way to the incredibly accurate GPS technology we use today. Coupled with depth finders, an experienced captain with good GPS skills can locate and anchor directly over a wreck, right in prime fishing territory. So where can you, the reader, find a listing of wrecks in your area?
Pay a visit to the local tackle shop, sporting goods store, or dive shop and you can find many charts for sale that list and show the location of local wrecks. You might find books and magazines detailing the same information in your library and bookstore's travel or fishing sections. And don't overlook the internet. You can find a wealth of information on the subject; it just takes a little searching. Check fishing and diving sites and National or State environmental protection sites for wreck coordinates. But don't be surprised if you have to pay for wreck locations. They can be closely guarded secrets.
Fishing Wrecks
Each wreck, whether in freshwater or saltwater, presents its own difficulties for fishing. Local conditions such as depth, current and wind all play a part in testing an angler's patience and skills. While GPS and depth finders have taken a lot of the guesswork out of initially finding a wreck, an angler will need to hone their skills reading the conditions. Taking depth into consideration, the angler must anticipate the influence that currents and wind will have on their position. The choice of drift fishing or anchoring over the wreck is up to the angler. If currents are very light, drift fishing can be beneficial because it is simple and allows for easy relocation to other areas. However, if currents and winds are a factor and you suspect the fishing will be good, anchoring is necessary. An effective method is to drop a buoy marker over the wreck when it is initially found. Then, make a couple of drifts by the buoy to determine how and where you should drop anchor so that when the anchor holds, you will be directly over the wreck.
This exercise can be very frustrating, so practice is crucial. If you are not directly over or just next to the wreck, you are essentially fishing in the desert and you might not get a single bite. Take the time to do it right. Once over a wreck, you can tailor your gear for what you want to catch.
Saltwater
Sabiki rigs and light tackle can secure grunts, cigar minnows, pilchards, pinfish, and many other species for bait. This is fun in its own right. For gamefish, tackle can include medium to heavy action rods with conventional reels loaded with 30-50 lb mono or braid. With almost zero stretch, braid is a superior line choice for wreck fishing. On the terminal end, a number of choices exist. Heavy feather and butterfly jigs are commonly used artificial lures. Feather jigs can be tipped with pieces of bait to increase their attractiveness. If you use live or dead bait, use only as much weight as you need to get to the appropriate depth. There are several rigs you can use to present your baits. The most basic rig includes a leader tied to the main line with a weight attached about 18 to 24 inches from the hook. Circle hooks are absolutely ideal for these applications. Bait can include any live or dead fish, shrimp, or squid. A good technique is to provide a variety of baits or jigs and to stagger their placement in the water column to target fish at all depths. Be sure to have a number of rigs ready beforehand because one hazard of wreck fishing is hooking the structure and losing your tackle. It's a good idea to have baits at the surface as well. Chumming, both at the surface and down below, is a great way to increase the chances of catching a trophy fish. Be prepared, however. There are some mean customers down there. Big grouper and amberjack can reduce even the heartiest of anglers to tears.
Freshwater
The idea of wreck fishing is much less recognized in freshwater than in saltwater. Still, great fishing can be found on these wrecks. Fishing wrecks in freshwater is much the same as in saltwater, though tackle can be scaled down. Heavy tackle may still be needed if fishing in very deep water or targeting large catfish. But for the most part, light to medium action spinning and conventional gear can be used. In the Great Lakes, wrecks are a great place to fish for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, and jumbo-sized yellow perch. Trolling around wrecks is common as striped bass, Chinook salmon, steelhead, and lake trout will also travel to wrecks to feed on schooling baitfish. Not to be outdone, trying to wrestle a big catfish from a wreck can be just as laborious as a grouper.
It's easy to see why this type of fishing is so popular. Wrecks attract many fun and tasty fish to a concentrated location, providing anglers with a reliable fishing spot. While many wrecks have been found and some have been over-fished, there are still many that have not. Find one and prepare for what could be an unbelievable fishing trip.
