Planers or Downriggers- what's the Deal-eo?

[Dads Dream]

Ok, ok-
I have been trolling and dragging tuna spreads for 3 yrs watching suspended fish down 40-60 ft beneath my boat- they ain't comin' up for me....WTF

Besides all the ideas that a 22' CC won't raise fish...does it make sense to add a downrigger into my 4-6 line spread? You know, throw down a single or double rigger with a big Rapala or Braid diver? Or is a planer the answer?

[Bert Rodgers]

DD, a planer or downrigger can be the difference between hero and zero sometimes.

Bert

[Shortfin]

I had a serious improvement BFT catching on Cape cod bay with addition of 4 teasers on an 18 CC we have no riggers so improvisation was needed

going forward, i leave no attachment points on the vessel blank ,Stern cleats , water ski d rings all have something connected it looks like a mess but it has helped .
some of my teasers are as close as 10 feet from the motor
I.E Daisy chains ,Spreader bars with floating squids

here is a pic of one of that we use it is an Offshore Innovations Bar with Squidnation Floating Squids ,,you might say Mahi colors will not work on Bluefin in cold water "WRONG"

[Dads Dream]

Shortfin & BR-

Whoa! excellent- appreciate the creative ideas- sounds like more lines- create more diversity in the spread

I missed out on all the fun in CCBay last spring.....sat in my office wishin' instead of fishin'.....just need a good report

whatdyou offer in the downlow position of your spreads- any special candy offerings?

[Shortfin]

DD Believe it or not I use only 5" Squids and 7" Stingers in Black and Purple in addition to Green and Yellow ,,,and of Course we fish Green Machine Chains and Bars KISS is my plan on the small boat

When the chance arises on larger vessels with heavier tackle i go more traditional 9" offerings and 13" stingers this is easier due to higher angles of the main line

I have never had any luck with deep diving plugs but that is not to say they do not work


Never tried trolling dead bait up there

[Bert Rodgers]

Here in the Mid Atlantic the bait of choice for the deep line is a large ballyhoo with an Islander or one of Squidnations Matazas on it. I also like a swimming mullet on the down rigger, but if bluefish are around that can be pricey. For artificials I would be more inline to run a Drone Spoon on the deep line than I would a plug.

Also we run the infamouse WWWWFnB line. (200-300 yards back)

Bert

[Persistence]

I like both ideas mentioned (more baits and/or Planer with a bait like a Drone spoon or rigged bally). Drone spoons have caught lots of Bluefins for us here off VA (as well as Mahi, YFT and Wahoos) but for sure, if you're pulling 6 lines, I would have two of them be Spreader bars and if you can fit other teasers out there then do it but I personally like to have hooks in everything while tuna fishing.

There are many lightweight spreaders that can be run from outriggers. Capt Freds, Canyon Runner, Reel Draggin. Check em' out!

Glenn

[Dads Dream]

Shortfin- Persistence & Bert R-
love the idea of the drone spoon or the ballys DL w/ skirts....actually, I'd rather be at Bally's watching skirts on the DL........

oh, back to fish tawk-

Can't complain, but fishing NNE....I've got a only a few target species when trolling the deep~ BFT are the ultimate quarry and they've proven elusive to me & my 1st 3 yrs in my little CC

Trying to mix it up and learn some new offerings & ideas~ we have BFT & GBFT, hmmmm what else.....the occasional bluefish will jump in there to pop a flatline~

Other than that- it's all about some great groundfishing for cod/haddock, we have all the makings for great sharking in the NE~

It's exciting to remember fishing NJ, OC Md & Hatteras as a kid~ and while those fisheries have changed since the 70's when I was a kid....it seems a lot of the sport fisheries are still producing (mahi, YFT, BFT (winter- right?), some billfish (but less than when I was a kid)

Thanks guys for your input!

[Bert Rodgers]

It's exciting to remember fishing NJ, OC Md & Hatteras as a kid~ and while those fisheries have changed since the 70's when I was a kid....it seems a lot of the sport fisheries are still producing (mahi, YFT, BFT (winter- right?), some billfish (but less than when I was a kid)

Thanks guys for your input!

Off OC no real winter fishing. They me be getting a tuna here and there with the unusual early bulge in the Gulf Sream this year but it's still a month away from expecting anything. If I were to pick one week of the year for all pelagics off OC the 2nd week of Sept would be it.

Bert