Ballyhoo whats more important............

[merry marlin]

Good question Pitchbait and for me there is no definite answer on this... Before moving to NC I had never put a weighted lure or chin weight on a balyhoo...
All we did in West Africa was slip a small squid for protection and that hoo had to skip to be "in our mind" effective...
Here we fish a much rougher sea and for me adding the weight "in my mind" is just giving better protection to your bait which won't wash out as fast as if it is skipping. Most flying fish, needlefish, mahi's, squid will get eaten while they are trying to escape not while they are gently swimming 5.5 MPH under water....
When a school of tunas show up in your spread they won't care so much about the look, they want to eat before brother or sister gets that wounded food...
It's all in the head of the fisherman who's boat is not on top of fish. No matter how fresh or how well it swims if you're fishing where there is no fish you can't catch! Put anything in the water where there is fish and they'll eat it...
I'll be moving back to where there are fish when the kids are out of college!!!! If I can hold out that long...
MM

[hunt4fish]

If it ain't swimming right,you ain't gonna come tight.. But I do love to run a naked skipping bait right @ the edge of the propwash,or right behind a dredge. My.02 worth..

[Russell A. Jost]

Swimming.. bad bait is not an option.

[92 feet down]

It's gotta swim right. No doubt.

[#1Gaffman]

Swiming like a champ.

[whitey]

I woud rather have a fresh bait skipping on the surface then a bad bait swimming perfect.

[#1Gaffman]

I woud rather have a fresh bait skipping on the surface then a bad bait swimming perfect.

what the hell would you know, you cant catch fish. Go change oil!

[whitey]

what the hell would you know, you cant catch fish. Go change oil!

I don't know anything I was just posting an answer for Vinnie.

[EMTAE]

What i like to do before i rig them is take 3doz place in a 5 gal bucket bill down(after you poop-em and pop the eyes out)in salt water add 1 cup of brining salt and ice. Makes for a nice ice cold brine.