Whether you are in a business setting, social setting , or any other, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” has become a quite familiar statement to all of us. But how about in an offshore trolling setting. Yes the statement still applies. A Wahoo, Tuna, Dolphin, Billfish etc. may only give your Ballyhoo one look. If he does not like what he sees he is off just as quickly as he showed up.
While speaking in our recent Tuna Seminar, Captain Thomas Rivers,made the comment, “bait presentation is the key when targeting offshore fish.” Unless a fish has been enticed into a feeding frenzy, the targeted species is going to look your bait over hard before taking a sample. In an instant, the appearance of your Ballyhoo can mean a hook-up or coming back to the dock skunked.
Here are just a few pointers to help improve on your Ballyhoo’s first impression:
· Fresh from the box. As many of you are aware most of the Ballyhoo we use here in the Carolinas are shipped in from South Florida. The proper handling, packaging, and shipment of this bait is critical. Bait must be handled gently, vacuum packaged, frozen, boxed and then shipped frozen in order to be ready for fishing. Bait that has been handled in the proper manner will have the following preferred qualities: Clear eyes, silver sides, intact bills, sealed and vacuumed bags. Bait improperly handled will not have these characteristics, and in addition may contain fluids including blood and waste in the bags, and may have blood shot bodies. Simply put these baits will not be attractive to fish and may send up a red flag that something is not quite right. In addition they may be soft and subject to premature washing out.
· Toughen them up. As you prepare your Ballyhoo for a day offshore you may want to toughen them up. Often baits will wash out, that is the baits underside may slough off and the internal organs may be exposed or may wash out. Needless to say this is not a quality of a “pretty” bait. The night before the trip or the morni