Which is Better - Ballyhoo Rigging?

[witchdoctor]

I almost hate to ask this question in this thread and keep it alive,but here goes.

Why is it so important not to use a pin rig for billfish? It seems you are worried that a billfish might feel the pin and spit the bait. I would think the hook itself would be felt before the pin all the way at the head of the bait.

My only single billfish experience was when a blue hit a wahoo bait on 9 wire! He inhaled it and i dont think he cared what was connected to it!

[sportfishingusa]

I almost hate to ask this question in this thread and keep it alive,but here goes.

Why is it so important not to use a pin rig for billfish? It seems you are worried that a billfish might feel the pin and spit the bait. I would think the hook itself would be felt before the pin all the way at the head of the bait.

My only single billfish experience was when a blue hit a wahoo bait on 9 wire! He inhaled it and i dont think he cared what was connected to it!

thats not a bad question at all..

when your billfishing not very often especially whitey fishing they will come into the spread and take the bait.. you want it in free spool and let them take it for a little bit and inhale the bait..

if you trolling tuna and catch a white it is a hungry angry one and they will come in and inhale the bait and come in HOT as they say..

if you trolling straight marlin they will hit the bait and just swim away in their bill and then swallow it down or try to swallow it down after they thrash it a little bit..

if they feel any tension (drag) or something sharp poke them they will turn away.. the hook is placed in a spot where they should get stuck right away.

[PelagicDE]

I keep hearing about speed. Im sure the rubberband method is probably the quickest. When speed is the main concern I have backup hoos rigged up on leader ready to be be replaced with the old bally rig. Unclip the one and clip back in the new one and out it goes. This leaves me time to re-rig the old rig and it goes in the bally box and waits to be put back in the rotation. Leader is cheap, hooks and weights can be reused, so why not rig up more before you go out?

[Fish Dad]

I keep hearing about speed. Im sure the rubberband method is probably the quickest. When speed is the main concern I have backup hoos rigged up on leader ready to be be replaced with the old bally rig. Unclip the one and clip back in the new one and out it goes. This leaves me time to re-rig the old rig and it goes in the bally box and waits to be put back in the rotation. Leader is cheap, hooks and weights can be reused, so why not rig up more before you go out?

I think the folks that use snap swivels and keep their leaders separate can take the time to rig befere hand and even keep rigging after all the lines are deployed to keep a continual stock of rigged ballyhoo. But lots of folks are going to the wind-on leader where the witch or islander is attached directly to the leader. This mean everytime it has to be re-rigged, its a line NOT in the water so speed is important. I can see why rubber bands and springs are important to folks who use the wind-ons because it gets the bait back out faster. Any line not in the water is not going to catch a fish.

[BTH284]

We area all guilty of rigging while fishing (I like to have a pre rigged stuff ready if not windon fishing). But, when you are constantly rigging non windon stuff form not having extras you cannot beat fish to the rods or pay attention to the spread unless there is a dedicated worker for this chore. I agree with the windon rigging though, gotta be done no way around it. It does bother me with windons that the hook is not as sharp after every fish and it does take time to brush up the point. Good idea would be to have a substitute rod that is ready to take its place and keep rotating them.

[WAHOONBOX]

I keep hearing about speed. Im sure the rubberband method is probably the quickest. When speed is the main concern I have backup hoos rigged up on leader ready to be be replaced with the old bally rig. Unclip the one and clip back in the new one and out it goes. This leaves me time to re-rig the old rig and it goes in the bally box and waits to be put back in the rotation. Leader is cheap, hooks and weights can be reused, so why not rig up more before you go out?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE PELAGIC....



MY PREFERENCE IS NOT TO HAVE A COOLER FULL OF LEADERS AND SUCH...PLUS I DO NOT LIKE A SNAP SWIVEL IN FRONT OF MY BAIT UNLESS IT IS 18 FT FROM IT....AND MOST RECREATIONAL GUYS CAN NOT HANDLE A 60 LB FISH ON A SHOT OF 18 FT LEADER ATTACHED TO A SNAP SWIVEL...NOTHING DEROGATORY ABOUT THIS BUT IT IS A FACT.

ANY SHORTER DISTANCE FROM THE SNAP SWIVEL TO THE HOOK IS A DETERENT FROM RECEIVING A STRIKE IN MY EYES......A SWIVEL SPLASHING AROUND IN FRONT OF A BAIT HINDERS THAT BAIT AND ALSO TUNAS HATE SWIVELS!

SO...WHILE MEATFISHING....I AM USING WIND-ONS.......MY CONNECTION IS A #80-130 LB SPRO BARREL.......I USE A 30 FT SHOT OF 100LB REGULAR MONO LINE FOR MY LEADER TAKEN FROM A 9LB BULK SPOOL


NOW A SMALL #75 ROSCOE SWIVEL FISHING FOR WHITES OR SAILS IS ACCEPTABLE @ 6-8 FT IN FRONT OF A BAIT.....BUT FOR YFT , BIGEYE AND BFT....NO WAY. INCREASE THE LENTGH OF ONES LEADER TO THE SWIVEL AND I PROMISE MORE STRIKES.


I GUESS I RIG SO MANY BALLYHOO THAT I COULD ALMOST RIG ONE WITH MONEL AS FAST AS I COULD A RUBBERBAND

PRACTICE PRACTICE...

I WANT TO MAKE SURE I AM CLEAR ON THIS...I WILL CONVERT TO RUBBERBANDS WHEN I SEE THERE IS A TORRID HOT BITE GOING DOWN....AND ONLY BECAUSE OF THE SPEED OF RE-RIGGING....WHEN TUNA ARE CHEWING THEY WILL EAT ANY RIG YOU THROW OUT THERE ANYWAY...I KNOW IT...WE ALL KNOW IT.


BUT I DO START MY DAY OFF WITH BAITS RIGGED WITH MONEL....THESE BAITS ARE ON "HOMEMADE" WIND-ONS" WHICH I DISCARD AFTER EVERY TRIP..........WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR ME TO CUT THE MONEL OFF A SPENT RIG AND GRAB MY RUBBERS? WHAT???? 3 SECONDS???

[sportfishingusa]

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE PELAGIC....



MY PREFERENCE IS NOT TO HAVE A COOLER FULL OF LEADERS AND SUCH...PLUS I DO NOT LIKE A SNAP SWIVEL IN FRONT OF MY BAIT UNLESS IT IS 18 FT FROM IT....AND MOST RECREATIONAL GUYS CAN NOT HANDLE A 60 LB FISH ON A SHOT OF 18 FT LEADER ATTACHED TO A SNAP SWIVEL...NOTHING DEROGATORY ABOUT THIS BUT IT IS A FACT.

ANY SHORTER DISTANCE FROM THE SNAP SWIVEL TO THE HOOK IS A DETERENT FROM RECEIVING A STRIKE IN MY EYES......A SWIVEL SPLASHING AROUND IN FRONT OF A BAIT HINDERS THAT BAIT AND ALSO TUNAS HATE SWIVELS!

SO...WHILE MEATFISHING....I AM USING WIND-ONS.......MY CONNECTION IS A #80-130 LB SPRO BARREL.......I USE A 30 FT SHOT OF 100LB REGULAR MONO LINE FOR MY LEADER TAKEN FROM A 9LB BULK SPOOL


NOW A SMALL #75 ROSCOE SWIVEL FISHING FOR WHITES OR SAILS IS ACCEPTABLE @ 6-8 FT IN FRONT OF A BAIT.....BUT FOR YFT , BIGEYE AND BFT....NO WAY. INCREASE THE LENTGH OF ONES LEADER TO THE SWIVEL AND I PROMISE MORE STRIKES.


I GUESS I RIG SO MANY BALLYHOO THAT I COULD ALMOST RIG ONE WITH MONEL AS FAST AS I COULD A RUBBERBAND

PRACTICE PRACTICE...

I WANT TO MAKE SURE I AM CLEAR ON THIS...I WILL CONVERT TO RUBBERBANDS WHEN I SEE THERE IS A TORRID HOT BITE GOING DOWN....AND ONLY BECAUSE OF THE SPEED OF RE-RIGGING....WHEN TUNA ARE CHEWING THEY WILL EAT ANY RIG YOU THROW OUT THERE ANYWAY...I KNOW IT...WE ALL KNOW IT.


BUT I DO START MY DAY OFF WITH BAITS RIGGED WITH MONEL....THESE BAITS ARE ON "HOMEMADE" WIND-ONS" WHICH I DISCARD AFTER EVERY TRIP..........WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR ME TO CUT THE MONEL OFF A SPENT RIG AND GRAB MY RUBBERS? WHAT???? 3 SECONDS???

I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK EL BOXO.. VERY WELL SAID.. I AM ALSO ONE FOR WINDONS AS WELL.. AND I DID NOTICE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS AS I ADD LENGTH TO MY LEADERS I DID OBTAIN MANY MANY MORE STRIKES THAN I USED TO..

EVEN ON ALL MY ARTIFICIAL I WENT FROM WHAT MOST USE AS 6-8 FT IN FRONT OF THE BAIT TO ABOUT 15-20SOMETIME..

I LEADER EVERY SINGLE FISH ANYHOW WETHER IT BE A TUNA OR ANYTHING SO IT IS A WAY TO GO.. PLUS WITH THE WINDONS AND 100FT OF 130 OR HOWEVER MUCH YOU USE ONCE YOU GET THAT LINE AROUND THE SPOOL GAME OVER!!! ATLEAST THATS HOW I FEEL.. I LIKE TO HAVE THAT LEADER IN MY HANDS JUST LIKE YOU DO..

HELL,

90 PERCENT OF THE TIME WHEN WE TROLL, CHUNK, JIG OR ANYTHING OFFSHORE I DONT EVEN TOUCH A FISH UNLESS I REALLY HAVE TO.. I FIND IT MUCH FOR FUN AND EXCITING TO LEADER MARLIN, LEADER TUNA AND STUCK A GAFF SO FAR THRU HIS DAMN GILLS I SEE IT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND FLY IT OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AT MACH ONE!! LOL HAHA

NOW TO ME.. THAT IS MY WORLD AND THE TRUE THRILL OF THE GAME..

IT DOESNT TAKE AS MUCH SKILL TO FIGHT A FISHY AS IT DOES TO GET THAT BABY BOATSIDE AND INTO THE BOX!!

[PelagicDE]

Im gonna take you up on your advice box. nothing wrong with having longer leaders and smaller terminal tackle.

We do switch to a 100# spro to crimped 100# momoi. this set up has no problem with clearence. To switch a bally the old rig is cut
(lose 1.5 inches from the leader) and a new one is crimped back on, The leaders is around 10-12 feet due to the way we run our spread so this is an easy method for switching. Though this setup can be wound on, I found that wireing the fish still gives for control, plus if the fish wants to run the gear isnt tearing through the guides.

Heres why we run a shorter leader. We run our spreaders in close. To me the boat is the biggest teaser. The fish notice the boat and then the spreader bars( which act as a really good teaser) behind the hooked squid in the bar we run naked or ilander combos stagered between 5-15 feet back. The fish dont seem to notice the spro or snap swivels with this spread as the fish seem to be focused on the bar first then usually drop back to the stragling bally. This spread seems to be killer for raising bills, they seem to love starring down the bar and then dropping to a longrigger bait. The tuna dont mind it either as they seem to crash the bar or hit the bally to the inside. The white bite between the balt and poormans last weekend was crazy.

i am deffently going to switch to the 30 foot wind on for bluefin as we run ilander/ horse combos a little to alot further back from the boat, and also for the shotgun bait for the other spread as I can see the swivel playing a vital role in deterance.

[SLAYER25]

WIRE IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO