White marlin spreads?

[arthurj]

I was hoping to get some opinions from the best about white marlin spreads. With my fishing grounds in the gulf closed off for who knows how long I figure I should spend some times changing my strategy. I've only been fishing for 4-5 years and I have missed a hell of a lot of billfish, mostly whites. This is probably because I have been lazy and mostly pull plastics, but I guess it is time to switch. So am I correct in thinking that most pull dink ballyhoo with a few teasers? What i am most interested in is the actual drag settings and methods of feeding the baits properly? do you use a rubber band with some slack line, then the reel in freespool with the clicker on? What do you like to do, or what do you feel works best?
Thanks a lot

[Bert Rodgers]

We gennerally run small ballyhoos rigged with circle hooks on #80 mono leader. The reel of choice is a TLD25 for most folks in the mid Atlantic region.

For teasers either 2 dredges or a dredge on one side and a squid chain with a ball/islander chaser on the other.

Flats are 30ft behind the boat and rigger baits are fished fairly close.

Trolling spead is about 4 1/2 knots.

Finally, finding the birds is key.

Bert

[arthurj]

Thank you Bert. Do you keep your lines rubber banded with the reel in freespool or do you count on getting to the rod before he eats it?
Thanks

[Squidnation]

Thank you Bert. Do you keep your lines rubber banded with the reel in freespool or do you count on getting to the rod before he eats it?
Thanks

Been watching the pros do it for a while and for the most part this is what i have observed

4 dink baits on TLD 25's or Tyrnos with 40lb mainline and 60lb floro or 80lb clear mono leader snelled to an 8/0 or 7/0 circle hook

long riggers are usually about have way up the rigger and about 70ft back but this changes drastically from boat to boat.

Two squids chains on the teasers. Preferrably Squidnation

Two dredges on a big boat or one on a small boat. Preferrably Squidnation Squid Dredges but I guess mullets are a good substitute Just kidding but after seeing what the squids did last year I will no longer buy mullets.
Dredges should be placed on the chains if possible. Deep enough to no rise on a down size but not so deep that you can't see them.

Flat lines can either be along side of the dredge or behind it. have seen both.

More and more I see the clickers on on the flat lines but in free spool with a light clip and about 10-15 twists in the line.

clickers off on the long riggers. I have seen twisted or straight through the clip. I prefer straight through to try and feed through the clip. 4.5 to 5.6 knots. wake pattern, visibilty of your dredge and how your baits swim are the biggest factors in trolling speed. That is what I have been told by some of the best guys in the business.

Hope that helps. It really helps to charter one of the top billfish boats during a hot bite to really learn. Its worth the price of admission.

Good Luck

[arthurj]

Awesome thank you. And I'm going to give you a call soon about one of those squid dredges!

[arthurj]

So to change the scenario a little bit... with blues around too, do you think it looks funky to fish when you throw in a big lure in case one shows up?

Deciding on a teaser for both blues and whites, would you rather pull a dredge or something like the bowling pin rig? We are fishing out of a 29 regulator just to keep that in mind.
Thank you

[Bert Rodgers]

So to change the scenario a little bit... with blues around too, do you think it looks funky to fish when you throw in a big lure in case one shows up?

Deciding on a teaser for both blues and whites, would you rather pull a dredge or something like the bowling pin rig? We are fishing out of a 29 regulator just to keep that in mind.
Thank you

I usually run a Horse/Islander combo on the short rigger behind the Squidnation chain. 5 12" pink squids will get a blueones attention.

Bert

[teddyp]

I keep a Horse hoo pitch bait ready in case a BM shows up. If you really want a shot at a BM then put a plug one of the long riggers. I like to keepo the white marlin spread tight and uniform close to the boat. You might be surprised to see a BM eat a smaller bait so don't worry to much about it.

[arthurj]

So you might keep something big on a long rigger... would you run hooks in that lure or just a teaser and be ready to pitch something to it?
Thanks a lot

[captnemo]

I recently switched out one of my teaser chains for a squid nation spreader bar off the rigger, hook less and the action was great compared to the chain, only ran it one trip and didn't have a white come up to it, but it was a really slow day anyways, only saw one white flag on the way in.

Have seen a lot of the OC boats when fighting a fish with their teasers hanging and they were bars, not chains.