Bars, live bait, jigging......how about??

[codfishshark]

Ok this came to me while looking over the past several topics on tuna techniques. What about dredges? Besides the obvious blue fish problem has it been tried? Most any fish can be rigged into a dredge, mackeral, pogies and ballyhoo come to mind. Also using imitation baits like a beefed up 9'er rig. Any thoughts about this or maybe a success story..

[austin ensor]

going to run one off the stren this year......havent tryed it yet

[stripah]

Well first I have never tried this so what I say is only an uneducated opinion...

I have heard of people rigging sluggo dredges to immitate the sand eels and I feel like dredges could be destroyed by bluefish pretty easily and that would result in a pretty expensive waste. Also I like the idea of everthing I have out there having a hook in it.

Marc

[shoefish]

I rigged up one out of boredom this winter and will be giving it a try this summer. I have a feeling that the bluefish are going to make short work of it, but I think that anything is worth trying once. I'll let everyone know how my experience is with it.

[chumtini]

I ran one ONCE, rigged with squid. Picture this, dehooking one bluefish while 4-5 others are snapping away at your hands. I never used it again.

Poonman was showing me a really cool rig. It lays flat. Give it a twist, and shazam. Pretty neat.

Has anyone tried running them across the surface to get that crazy erratic baitfish splashing effect? Talk about a baitball

[Seaker]

We pull dredges in the canyons but never I repeat never would even attempt it on CL or RS or bank with bluefish within 50 miles...chomp chomp game over

[chumtini]

50 miles from the nearest bluefish LOL...at a minimum! But hey, giver 'er a try. And bring the SHOECAM

Vin, have you tried pulling one across the surface on a short? I would think it would make a whicked ruckus, maybe as a teaser with a plug behind it.

[codfishshark]

thanks vin, i figured the bluefish would be the biggest problem with them. hopefully shoe can prove it to be effective in the northern area less blues?? have you had success in the canyons with them for tuna? or just with the billfish?

[Tuna Meltdown]

Rory, my view on Dredges for tuna and more specifically bluefin is much the same as Capt. Eric Stewart. I don't want to put anything behind my boat that does not have a hook in it. Don't get me wrong in certain applications you need a Dredge or some bowling pins or even a toad to raise a billfish but off stellwagon I believe your spread of Bars, birds and chains is a good enough teaser in itself. My luck if I put a hookless teaser of dredge behind my boat that would be what the fish of my lifetime would pile on and I would miss it.

[Skunked Again]

Ror, good thought, may be worth a try but i have a feeling the majority is right here in that it wouldn't hold up long... esp if we're running into the schools of blues like we saw last yr at P.H... i have some old 9'er bars in the garage we could experiment with though... you never know!