What marlin how to

[Hardtail Hunter]

Hey guys
With a bunch of people seeing marlin inshore this year I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice?
When you see them tailing what do you pitch at them? Does anyone use artificials?
What size leader?
Hook sizes? Circle hook?
Any must have Trolling lures?

Thanks
J

[Tuna Meltdown]

Live scup.

[CaptainAlex]

We used to always use live eels in the 80's ... guys from MV have caught a few this year with white Sluggos

[LeeG]

Ballyhoo work well-naked and skirted.

[backman]

make that ballyhoo work well with a crew that works well with ballyhoo !

Ballyhoo still work OK w/ a less than crack crew; thank god!

[idigitu88]

You raised whitey with your last minute trip Larry?

[LadyB]

Hey J,

If you are pitching for whites behind the islands, the best baits to use are either a live scup or live eel's using a circle hook with light tackle.

Always pitch it beyond the fish and not between the fish and the boat if you are able. Sometimes following a white at a distance ( i know this hard because you want to hook up) will lead you straight into several others.

[Regulator 26]

I fished the Nantucket tournament for years back in the 80's. That was when they first prohibited live scup because there were to many fish being caught. I heard stories of boats having a scup hanging from each rigger just touching the water as the boat rocked, boat stopped, engines shut down, and doubling up.
We used bare ballyhoo rigged on wire. We'd cast as far ahead of a tailing fish as you could, open the bail and let it sink. The fish would ALWAYS pick it up as it dropped.
I'd have to agree with the comment on the scup,but wonder if a legal size one by today's regs. would work as well as the mini sized ones back then