Whether it's platic or naturals you like, the one thing some peole don't understand people like wahoo and myself work on charter boats. You have to take the cost of the lures in to factor. Good ballyhoo aren't that cheap but come early to mid-summer when the sharks and kings are around (here in NC). Losing alot of expensive plastics don't cut it. I can always go home and tie my favorite colors up at night but i can't always get to the tackle shop and pick up my favorite islander. I personally like baits but i use some certain fakes in my spread and most of them have ballyhoo following. Come winter when we go commercial I use more moldcrafts than anything on my stick.
What ever you use keep those lines tight.
In the winter I work on a commercial boat that has a green stick. In the summer I work on a charter boat, but I have created a stick like setup for it. It's not quite a dangler rig more setup like a stick that the mainline breaks everytime there is a fish. It drops the squids in the water and I can still get drifting bites. It works real well! Only use that when the tunas are getting picky. When the stickers are catching and the charters are not. It's really neat. I even designed (well me and capt) the bird to be lite and swim right. You can crank it up by yourself, don't need any help from hydraulics.
plastics vs naturals??? first hatteras lures - still in buisness,still buildin' some great stuff!!
i like a mix of rigged bally and spreader bars...bally on the long riggers and spreader bars on the shorts...i don't like the big squid bars-i like the small squids,less than 9". i like the bally with a lure over it,gives action and smell...
with a spread such as this,you can't cover alot of ground,but the action is tough to beat.with the plastics you can cover some ground-read that as hunt for bait and fish,then switch to a spread such as this when the right conditions are found.....
this sure beats chunkin huh????
Marty looks like you got a good thing going here, Thanks
Being a Chesapeake Bay/Virginia Beach fisherman not knowing squat about Offshore this site along with all the Experianced Captains should surely get me devorced, sell my Bay boat and move down Carolina to become a mate for some Offshore Captain. Im ready to book a trip with ya if you have any openings, looking for some Wahoo,Tuna,Dolphin action.
Again thanks to all fur the great Information and tips!!!
WHILE I DO WISH WE WERE BOOKED EVERYDAY.....THE LAW OF PHYSICS DOESN'T ALLOW US TO BE .............IF YOU LIKE WAHOO AND SAILFISH ACTION ...AND A LOT OF IT....BE HERE IN OCTOBER..........IT IS ALWAYS A MIXED BOX OF MEAT IN THE CAROLINAS
YELLOWFIN.....BE HERE LATE MARCH AND APRIL.......
THE LAST 3 DAYS HAD US WITH PLENTY OF MAHIS AND BILLFISH ACTION
GIANT BLUEFINS (500 POUNDERS) LATE NOVEMBER -DEC-JAN.........
Interesting post. I ran a mix of both artificial and meat yesterday and only had a couple knockdowns and no fish. It was the first trip to the Gulfstream out of OI for the boat I was on but you don't learn if you don't go. Beautiful day and nice spread run. Tough fishing for us but guess you can't get em everytime.
Hey Marty, how are you?
My name is John Mcginty. I own a 26' Hydra Sports CC named O-SEA-D. I mate on the local charter boats from time to time as needed as well.
I am new to this board as of today. I plan on spending a good bunch of time here to learn what I can and help others out along the way.
I look forward to meeting you and others sometime.