06/14/08

[Slaya]

Got a late start due to not fueling the day before. Got fueled, and ran out of Little River Inlet for about an hour and a half to 80' in the 21' Grady. Lines didn't get wet until 9:35. Put the first fish in the box about 9:50, my brother's and the boat's first dolphin. Had several short bites, and pulled hooks. I lost a nice dolphin 20 yrds. out that took a skirted ballyhoo on a king rig... Managed a couple decent kings, another small dolphin and a 'cuda. Trolled 80-95'.

Had a good day on the water, it was a beautiful ocean. Made 21 knots back in. Lots of rookie mistakes, not surpising as we ARE rookies, but we learned alot. We only brought 5 of 14 strikes boatside. Lots of missed takes, and two pulled hooks. Anybody got a tip on what size hooks are best to make up a nice stinger on a ballyhoo for dolphin? The little king rigs weren't getting it done on the dolphin. Both of the ones we got to the boat were by luck alone, barely hooked.

[adk]

sounds good for your first trip! conratz

[sprigdog]

i've never had a problem with king rigs. if your fishing 80', i wouldnt be pulling ballyhoo. to expensive of bait to waste on kings, aj's, cudas, etc.
stick with a box of cigars and the 3 knot troll and you'll find the dolphin swallowing the cigars down to their asses...hence no hook pulls.

we anchored in 200' of water friday night and freelined cigar minnows on naked king rigs....bft's and dolphin had no trouble staying hooked.

[Slaya]

Wondered about that too. We'll give the cigars ago this weekend if we can make it out. We were trolling 3-4 knots this past weekend.

[Fish]

Slaya, when trolling ballyhoo, I use 6/0, 7/O and 8/0 mustad 7691 and 7692 hooks. The size really depends on the size of the baits. They come with a nickle cadmium coating. Avoid stainless hooks. They have a slight curve back towards the eye but not an offset. Some folks call them tuna hooks.

It might appear that the curve will make it hard to put a ballyhoo on the hook, but it won't. Simply take a completely thawed bait and curl the bait onto the hook.

Also, sharpen each hook with a couple of strokes across each side of the barb on a 45 degree angle on the back edge of the hook every time it comes out of the water and before rigging when you start. Make it a habit. The resulting edge should form a knife point on the opposite side from the barb and the entry point will become very sharp and sometimes when viewed from the side, the point will actually appear rounded. But understand, it's not the pointy part that sticks the fish, it's the cutting edge. Points can bend over. The knife edge won't. Also, the point on your hooks should dig into your thumbnail. To check them, slide the hook point across your nail at an angle. If the hook slides, it needs to be sharpened. If it digs in, you're golden. This should help your hook-up and catch percentage.

[Slaya]

Thanks, Fish. Are you using a single hook rig, or a a two hook rig?

[Fish]

Just one. I generally use a pin rig with 130lb test leader and a 1/4 to 1/2 oz chin weight for everything.

Back in the day, we used a two hook rig with our strip baits for kingfish. That rig with a dark green and pink seawitch was the killin thing.

[DRDUCK]

You got that right Fish, lethal. Mullet strips, the ticket. Also if you got time get somebody to show you how to rig up a split tail swimming mullet. Cheap great bait if you catch the mullet yourself and de-bone um before rigging.

[Slaya]

Would I be better off running wire leaders in the 80-100' water? That, we figured out, is about the range of the boat for a day of trolling. With the likelyhood of kings and baccarudas (I know) taking the baits, would the heavy mono stand up?

[DRDUCK]

I would run wire but that's my opinion.

[Slaya]

I was thinking the wire would be better to avoid getting cut off alot. We're hoping to make it out again this weekend and will try pulling a few 'hoo pin rigged and a few cigar minnows.

[Fish]

I've caught quite a few kingfish on this rig and I can't remember ever losing a kingfish on a 130lb mono leader. I don't care if I lose a baracuda. I have lost some wahoo on these leaders but I've caught WAY more than I've ever lost.

I'm sure there is a place for long wire leaders, just not in my tackle box.

When I fished out of Morehead, I learned from some of the other deckhands a nifty little rig they called the wahoo-erator. They also use this up in Oregon Inlet. What you do is take an 8" piece of copper colored wire leaded, maybe 40lb or so, and give it a little bend. Not a hard bend, just enough to get it favoring a slow bend. Put it though the eye of the hook, through the chin weight and out the crimp on the bottom. Run the top half out through the crimp and leave just enough slack in the wire so that it lays right beside the mono and enough to form the upright pin that holds the ballyhoo in place. The bottom run of the wire should just peek out of the crimp. Crimp the sleeve down, turn the excess wire straight up and trim it leaving about a half inch for your pin. You'll need to do some sizing to make sure your sleeves will hold the mono and enough room to get the wire in beside it. There should be just a bit of room left over so you can put a good crimp on it. Remember, not too tight, not too loose. I like both types of crimps and I have found it really doesn't matter but the alluminum crimps seem to grip a little better. Go with whatever the tackle shop has on hand.

[Slaya]

I'd love to see a picture of that rig. Too green to make the picture in my head.

[Fish]

Just imagine a piece of wire running along side the mono and out through the sleeve.

I actually wrote an instructional manual that covers all this shit. I was hoping to get it published but I sort of lost interest in pushing it. It has step by step pictures and all. Too bad I can't post pictures in here anymore.

[Slaya]

Oh, so you just reinforce the crimped-on hook with wire, and use the excess from the top to pin the bait?

[Carla Dee]

sprig - tell us more about your chunking... i've been meaning to give it a try. shoot me a pm if you would like.

thanks.

daniel