I bought some trolling lures that aren’t rigged with the spring/wire for baiting the hook. I called the guy who makes them and he mentioned that he rarely uses bHoo on these rigs. I’m thinking of re-rigging them to make them easier to put bait on.
I’ve always trolled with baited lures. Is dragging baitless lures common/successful?
Oh My…
“There’s a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning” -J. Buffett
All you need is 8" of copper rigging wire!
I get that…(though I prefer the little spring thingy)
I was just wondering if that many folks actually drag lures with no bait.
quote:
Originally posted by boatpoorAll you need is 8" of copper rigging wire!
I pull a couple of tuna feathers naked every time on the flat lines and they catch as many fish as anything else.
If you call any of the lure manufacturers that we carry they will tell you that they are made to pull without bait. But in recent chats I have had one of them tell me if you’re going to pull any of them with bait choose on that tracks straight such as the Black Bart Tuna XXX or the Fathom Double O.
I’ve got all my rigs set up as pin rigs…which is better - rubber bands or the springs?
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
2007 Grady White 222 Fisherman / 250 Yamaha
Simrad NSS evo2 and G4
1- 23 boy that won’t move out)
1 - 19 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
ECFC
Black barts, no rigs
Tall Sail Marine
[quote]Originally posted by claim
I’ve got all my rigs set up as pin rigs…which is better - rubber bands or the springs?
The springs are better. Don’t listen to the rubber band guys.
JK, its personal preference, whatever you are used to. I like the springs personally bc there is no trash and they are almost idiot proof. I have lots of novices on board and they can rig the baits with the springs and they still run well, and it is more fun for them if they can participate instead of just watching the regular crew. Other than cedar plugs, I have not had much luck with baitless lures for the meat fish. We get a lot of fish on the drop back after a knock down, and I think they are more likely to come back after tasting fish than plastic.
I never put a bally on a cedar plug - but they sure catch fish!
What lures are they? How about some pictures?
quote:
Originally posted by BlondeStrangerOh My…
“There’s a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning” -J. Buffett
Of all people I’d figure you could have helped a fellow stranger out.
Smabell, I like what fortunate son mentioned about a fish coming back more likely after tasting bait rather than rubber. If I go, I like bait rigged lures when fishing for meat fish. Kind of like a cricket piggy backed on a beetle spin, I think it gives a higher sucess rate.
For me it depends on the lures and what type of fish I am after. I have had good luck with both baited and naked for Wahoo. Caught my first sail last year on a naked feather. If I am going to be pulling at higher speeds, I normally have everything naked. For dolphin I bait everything.
Pins and Springs for me. Fast and easy to rig.
World Cat 266SC
Scout 15.5
Cedar Plugs flat out catch fish.
quote:I like using the springs as well. I'm sure that's mostly because that's all we've used typically, although sometimes rubber bands, but rarely copper wire. I'm not sure what the justification is for wire instead of a spring?
Originally posted by Fortunate Son[quote]Originally posted by claim
I’ve got all my rigs set up as pin rigs…which is better - rubber bands or the springs?
The springs are better. Don’t listen to the rubber band guys.
JK, its personal preference, whatever you are used to. I like the springs personally bc there is no trash and they are almost idiot proof. I have lots of novices on board and they can rig the baits with the springs and they still run well, and it is more fun for them if they can participate instead of just watching the regular crew. Other than cedar plugs, I have not had much luck with baitless lures for the meat fish. We get a lot of fish on the drop back after a knock down, and I think they are more likely to come back after tasting fish than plastic.
2014 Key West 203DFS
Pelagics are reaction feeders for the most part, and lures like Barts or Moldcraft are designed to produce that reaction strike (without a ballyhoo) with the action created by the lure’s head.
Ilander’s, seawitches and the like run best with a ballyhoo behind them, mostly because they have little action of their own (the kicking tail of the ballyhoo helps).
That is not to say you can’t catch with them rigged either way (I know a guy who swears by Black Bart Breakfast with ballyhoo on the downrigger for wahoo), but there is a reason most boats run baits/lures a certain way.
Copper wire used to be great for rigging split bills and naked baits when J-hooks were still in style for billfish.
My $.02 on rubber bands is they are the quickest to unrig and the quickest back into the water.
“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations,neither are you here to live up to mine” Peter Tosh - I Am That I Am
I was taught that a skirt without bait is like a hamburger without meat. Somebody will eat it.
*** World Cat 266 SC ***
Great thread and very timely.
In my all of 3 years experience of trolling, I’ve gone from all rubber bands to all springs on my pin rigs. I personally hate running those rubber bands around the pin.Just way too easy to use the springs and much more likely to swim right. I bend the pin back after its loaded to lesson the grass pick up.
We’ve gotten a fair number of second hits that I attribute to the taste of bait on the first bite.We’ve pulled very few lures when slow trolling other than islanders, J Schutes, sea witches and naked hoo. All have been baited.
I too will be trying quite a few naked lures this year and am trying to read up on spreads that seem too work on the east coast. What Ive come up with is most run some sort of baited witch, skirt or naked ballyhoo off the flat lines, maybe a chain or something simple lure off the short outrigger and something splashy or smoking off the long outrigger. Throw in a cedar plug wwb and teasers off the inside of the riggers. I also am going to run some subsurface plugs or planers lures as that seems to be the wahoo getters when you are slow trolling and meat fishing. We also have a downrigger on the new boat so might throw out a dredge for ****s and giggles.
If you poke the ballyhoo eyes when you prep your bait out and then run the band thru the eyesocket and then wrap and end on the pin it is awfully hard to pull that bait off. A #33 rubber band if perfect! Takes about the same amount to put on as a spring but unwraps a whole lot quicker.
Capt. Ed Keelin
“Earl E Bird” Charters
Keelinmarine.com
Don’t foget plain mullet strips! Great way to add flavor when you cant get bally.