bigeye lures

[keithj]

Ok I'm officially bored. I got my ass kicked steelheading last weekend, the snow is piled up and summer seems an eternity away. The best cure for cabin fever? Blow money on new lures, of course. Wondered what you folks on the board were thinking in terms of favorite bigeye lures. We got three bigeyes this last year, two came on the troll (one on a black bart hot breakfast, the other on a moldcraft hooker behind a bird) and one came casting (ocean lures popper). What are your lucky bigeye lures and spreader bars?

Last year I put together a marlin spread and wouldn't you know it, the damn spread actually worked well for catching blue marlin. This year I'm going to try to put together a bigeye spread. Will it work? Who knows.... Probably not. But it will look professional, and that's really what I'm all about. Look good first. Catch fish second.

[CaptainAlex]

Weighted Green Machine, cropped skirt

[waggles02673]

Check out www.beamishcustomtackle.com Roland has logged many hours in the Canyons and fishing down south. He should be able to help you out. Many people on this board know Roland and fish with his gear also he will be presenting at this years Big Game Bash and should have some gear with him. I am actually adding some more of his lures that I will pickup at the BGB. I have several of his Munson Mahi lures and they work great both out East and at the Canyons. He also makes some great Marlin lures as well and will rig any lure to your specs. I have asked him questions many times and he has always been very honest with what works best for him or ways to change up the spread.

[keithj]

I've definately heard good things about the Beamish lures. Have never run them myself. Was looking for any personal experience out in the canyons with the eyeballs though. Maybe it's not what your running but being in the right place at the right time? There's a lot of good fisherman on this board and I'm sure some of them have thoughts on what lures need to be in the spread when the sun starts getting low...

[cappyD]

Roland's stuff(Beamish Tackle) is great. We fish it all the time. I will have a couple of Castafari lure packs for sale at the Bash and both will have Beamish lures in them...and for good reason! Eric at the Hook-Up sells them too. I have to say on the Bigeye front...there really isnt a lure that works better than another from what Ive seen. Its more about being in the right place at the right time...finding the fish down low with big pods of squid...most bigeye schools hang in the thermocline or just beneath it munching on squid...ALL DAY LONG. Every bigeye I have caught out there...and I mean every fish has been chock full of squid...sometimes dozens...

If you find the bait...and fish...you just have to pound those numbers over and over, and eventually the bigeyes will come up and pounce on just about anything thats in the water They do like deep water...not usually way up on the shelf. They also usually come up once in the am and once at dusk around 7:30. Ive caught half my fish within a few minutes of 7:30pm. Spreadar bars and mold craft daisy chains are certainly good teasers to help bring the fish up. But once they are in the spread...watch out! they are very aggressive and will eat hoo, squid, and even skipjack. I know people who have caught eyeballs on skippies. Hope this helps! Looking foward to talking more about these elusive creatures in a few weeks!

[DGOOD]

All of the bigeyes that I have ever caught, only a few mind you, have come on spreader bars, and all were green. I agree with Damon that they are usually packed with squid. The only bigeye we had this summer must have had 30 huge fresh squids in it's stomach.

When a wolfpack crashes, though, they don't seem to care what they're eating as I have had them hit bars, ballyhoo, and even a 4 inch tuna clone on the flatline.

Also, Roland's gear is the balls. The last boat I fished on had a ton of his stuff and the Munson Mahi was THE best lure when rigged with a ballyhoo.

[cappyD]

Yes indeed...that little guy catches fish...which is why its in the Castafari Canyon Pack! It can be run in all positions too.

[keithj]

Good thoughts. Interestingly, 3 of the 4 bigeyes I have hooked have been broad daylight hours- 11AM-2PM. The last fish came when it was nearly pitch black as we were working our way on the edge of the canyon to start our sword drift. That fish was an absolute tank. Makes you think about night trolling for them...

[DGOOD]

Keith our last bigeye came right around 11 AM as well. We had spanked the yellowfin all morning and decided to move off to some pots nearby to pick up some mahi. On our first pass a green machine bar gets crushed and 45 min later a nice bigeye was in the boat. Totally caught us off guard, given the time, but it just shows you never know what's going to bite!

[capbob66]

Dennis Braid make's a lure called the bigeye rocket and it work's really well!!