Spanish on the Cheap Question

[Sea Frog]

My grandfather who passed away many years ago once shared a story with me about going on a charter out of Morehead sometime in the late 1930's. He said that they fished for spanish using chicken bones rigged on some sort of "coiled" wire leader material. Has anyone EVER heard of this tactic in the past? According to his story they loaded the boat. I find it very interesting how fishing trends change over time. Please share any similar stories of how fishing has changed and if anyone can confirm the "chicken bone" tactic I would love to hear it.

[Deep C]

We had a neat old tackle shop where I grew up with stuff from the 30's forward that they sold there. Among them was whalebone jigs... They were an inch and a half or two inches long, rigged with a double hook wired on. Kinda shaped like the "boone birds" of today and they were absolute death on tuna. Also common was the standard good ol red and white jap feathers that crushed the tuna... Neither one resembles the green machines of the 80's and nineties or the death feathers made by zuker or my self of the mid 90's. Now that part of the world is just discovering ballyhoo. In the mean time an old standby from up that way, the cedar is being "discovered" in other areas...

[Sea Frog]

I really like hearing that stuff. Sometimes I wonder if it has been so long since a fish has seen some of those old tactics if tried again today they would be successful. But I guess its hard to argue with fishing tech. Afterall, some of the new stuff runs so well I would like to jump overboard and eat it

[tunatamer4]

Frog,
I use to fish with an OOOOLLLD salt here and he too mentioned the chicken bone tactic. He said they would let them dry, thread wire through them and haywire on a hook. He thinks this was the idea behind the "GOTCHA TROLL" lures of today which resemble the cedar plugs. Who knows?

[Chilli]

My grandfather used turkey wing bones for macks out of morehead city. He would dry the wing bones out and knock the marrow out of them. He would then assemble them in the same fashion as I showed on the "Pen rig". The wing bones had a slight curve to them and would perform similar to a surgical tube rig in he water. They would flutter and spiral giving the illusion of a fast kicking bait. They would also take the straight sections of the wing bone and tie a clouser like pattern on them. He called them spanish flies. He would also use these flys on the great lakes targeting King Salmon. To answer you question, yes they did use them. The straw and pen rigs of today are the same principle, where just cashing in on the ease of plastic...

[Sea Frog]

Thanks, good to know...I'm glad I have confirmation. I guess the "coiled" wire leader material was for extra action or some such