WMO SPREADS

[tunatamer4]

I have lived in So Florida all my live. I have never seen a White and only a hand full of Blue marlin, just curious if I was fishing the WMO What might be in my spread ? and why?

If it were me, I'd hope to have some white marlin in my spread.

[fishskipper]

6 naked hoos ... Dinks mediums and horse. A mullet dredge port and a ballyhoo bar port. I keep a Spanish rigged on an 80 and a ballyhoo rigged on a 30. Sometimes ill put out a moldcraft or ilander chain as a teaser

NOW THIS IS A MAN THAT KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING!!!!!!

[Deep C]

My approach eacg year varies. This year the boss man wanted to screw the whites and go slob fishin... Out went five monster class and five mid blue marlin class bairs. We had a ball watching rat wites and smallish blues trying to eat the mammoth offerings but the odds of them actually finding a 12/0 on an 18 inch lure is ... welll....not very likely. We busted out a pitch rod today to see if we could sneak one in but despite raising eight whites we only had one of them take the pitch and all we successfully scored on was dolphins...

A zilla spread is hero or zero stuff but the boss man cuts the checks and I wasn't gonna argue.

An interresting side note though is that we pitched two very rare pompano dolphin and my boss drilled what I guess is the new pending all tackle record for that species....

[rarhomes]

An interresting side note though is that we pitched two very rare pompano dolphin and my boss drilled what I guess is the new pending all tackle record for that species....[/QUOTE]

Congrats on the Pompano Dolphin hope it holds up. I didn't know igfa recognized that species. Probably 99 out of 100 would have ate it and not have known the difference

[bigfish4me]

Ill show my northern roots ...i never even heard of a pompano dolphin....but looking at the pic i can see its a different species.

[Captain Fred Archer]

CAPT RICK,

HERE ARE THE VARIOUS APPROACHES THAT I WOULD USE FOR THE MIX OF BILLFISH AND TUNAS, ETC. IN A TOURNAMENT SITUATION. NOW, I'M THE ODD DUCK AROUND HERE, SO BEAR THAT IN MIND AND KNOW THAT I AM TALKING ABOUT HOW I HAVE FISHED FOR MANY YEARS, BUT IT IS MY WAY AND I DON'T REALLY CARE A TINKER'S DAMN IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO TRY IT. ALL THAT I WILL SAY IS, ONCE AGAIN, I HAVE SPENT A HUGE NUMBER OF DAYS RUNNING THIS KIND OF SPREAD DOWN IN CABO WITH GREAT SUCCESS...NOT ANYWHERE NEAR ALL OF THEM IN TOURNAMENTS, OF COURSE, BUT WE WERE FORCED TO BECOME VERY SELECTIVE ABOUT WHAT FISH WE CAUGHT AND WHAT FISH WE DIDN'T ONCE WE REACHED MEAT FISH LIMITS, WHICH WAS VERY, VERY COMMON. SINCE WE RELEASED ALL BILLFISH EXCEPT SWORDS, WE COULD CATCH AS MANY OF THEM AS WE WANTED AND MANY OF OUR CLIENTS ACTUALLY LIKED IT THAT WAY AND DIDN'T WANT THE MEAT FISH, SO WE GOT PRETTY GOOD AT THESE GAMES.

THE FIRST SPREAD REPLICATES PODS OF BALLYHOO. THESE HAVE CHASEBAITS ON THEM FOR WHAT I CALL "AUTOMATIC BAIT AND SWITCH FISHING". AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN A FISH HITS, THE RUBBER BAND (WHAT I USE) ATTACHING IT TO THE TEASER POD BREAKS AND YOU ARE HOOKED UP. THIS ONE IS EXCELLENT FOR CREWS THAT TEND NOT TO PAY ATTENTION OR WHO SIMPLY DON'T CARE TO PITCH TO RAISED FISH. THIS ONE IS ALSO EXCELLENT FOR THOSE FISH THAT POP UP AND ARE GONE IN A FLASH.

THE SECOND ONE WITH THE SMALLER YELLOW TEASERS IS FOR WHEN SMALL BAIT IS WHAT THE FISH ARE AFTER, OR WHEN ALBACORE, SCHOOL TUNA, DOLPHIN AND WAHOO ARE THE TARGETS. HERE, LIKE WITH THE SPREAD THAT FOLLOWS, YOUR DAY ISN'T INTERRUPTED BY ANY FISH THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO WASTE TIME ON, LIKE SMALLER ONES THAT WON'T PUT YOU IN THE MONEY.

YOU WILL NOTE THAT I ONLY INCLUDE CHASEBAITS ON THE "AUTOMATIC" RIGS. THAT'S BECAUSE IF YOU PRESENT GAMEFISH BAIT PODS ONLY THEY WILL STAY UP MUCH LONGER THAN IF THERE IS A TEASER CHASEBAIT TO TRY TO GRAB, BECAUSE INSTEAD OF GRABBING ANYTHING, THEY TRY TO BREAK UP THE PODS, WHICH ARE "SQUARED OFF" AT THE BACK SO THAT THERE ARE NO STRAGGLERS STICKING OUT, TO FLUSH OUT SINGLE TARGETS. IN THIS CASE IT IS YOUR PITCH BAIT THAT "FALLS OUT OF THE POD" AND BECOMES THE TARGET. THIS REALLY WORKS GREAT.

THE LAST DIAGRAM IS OF A BIG VERSION OF THE STANDARD BAIT AND SWITCH SYSTEM. SHOULD NEED NO EXPLANATION, OTHER THAN TO NOTE THAT WHEN I AM BAIT AND SWITCHING I ONLY RUN TWO SETS OF TEASERS, ONE OFF OF EACH CORNER. I BELIEVE THAT MORE IS LESS WHEN IT COMES TO HOW MANY RIGS YOU HAVE OUT WHEN YOU BAIT AND SWITCH FISH AND FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN, INCOMING FISH EASILY FIND THE SHORT PODS IF YOU DON'T INTERRUPT THEIR PATH TO THEM WITH BAITS THAT ARE FURTHER BACK IN THE PATTERN. PLUS, CLOSE FISH ARE FAR EASIER TO BOTH BAIT AND HOOK THAN ONES FURTHER BACK IN THE PATTERN. TO EACH HIS OWN ON THAT, OF COURSE.

FINALLY, THE TOAD TEASER IS NOT RUN WHERE IT IS SHOWN IN THE DIAGRAMS. INSTEAD, IT IS RUN SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE TEASER PODS.

IT'S ALL IN THE MARLIN BOOK. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, STEVE, EMAIL ME AT FREDARCHER@COX.NET AND I WILL SEND YOU ONE WITH MY COMPLIMENTS.

[Squidnation]

Four dinks baits two flat and two long with the pin just a hair higher then the short riggers.one big bait in the right short. A natural squid, spanish or horse/chugger on the right short behind the right teaser. Right teaser is squid chain. Right dredge is a natural mullet or natural ballyhoo. If anything ever changes it is the teaser chains. They could be big plugs, chuggers natural ballyhoo, little squids, big squids. Teaser chains are the only real variation I have noticed on the best boats. Left dredge is the same, left chain is a squid chain or a natural ballyhoo chain. two dinks or small mediums on the left hand side. Screw the speed requirements. Travel at the speed your baits look best. Usually 4.7 to 5.3 knots.

I am not a pro but I talk to the best every day. Pros that win day in and day out. It doesn't change. Here's the kicker. Why are these pros so willing to tell me or just about anyone that asks what there spread is? Because the spread is just part of the equation. Shared information amongst the best is the most crucial factor. Ability to read the water you are fishing is the second most important factor. How to drive the boat when the first fish pops in the spread is just as important. Thats the stuff that doesn't generally get shared.

Blue marlin spread is different.

[WAHOONBOX]

SOME THINGS IN THE SPREAD OF THE SEA SPLENDOUR ARE COOL IDEAS OF WHITEY'S AND NOT MINE TO SHARE....YET.........AND I SHALL KEEP IT THAT WAY

BUT ..........MY BEST ADVICE....IS TO KEEP IT SIMPLE.

NAKED SMALL & MEDIUMS ARE THE MAIN COURSE FOR DIRTY WHITE BOYS......TWIN TEASER CHAINS OFF THE RIGGERS....A PITCH BAIT OR THREE LOCKED N LOADED.

AT LEAST ONE 80 IN A SHORT RIGGER WITH A STALKER CLASS PLUG.....

MULLET DREDGE OFF THE RIGGER ON AN ELECTRIC KRYSTAL REEL AVAILABLE FROM STALKER AND OFF THE HOOK B&T.... THE ELECTRIC DREDGE REEL IS NOT THE WAY OF THE FUTURE.....IT IS THE WAY OF NOW!!!!

GUYS, BEING A NATURAL BAIT RIGGING MATE ALL MY LIFE....I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SAY THIS....BUT I CONFESS WORLDWIDE RIGHT HERE AND NOW......FOR THREE YEARS NOW, THE SEA SPLENDOUR HAS ADDED A LITTLE POP TO THE MOUSE TRAP BALLYHOO DOWN THE SHORT CENTER.....IT IS CALLED THE "BAITHEAD" ....THIS ADDITION WAS TOTALLY ANDY'S IDEA BACK IN 2006 AND SEEING IS AND WAS BELIEVING FOR ME......

I HAVE FISHED A TOTAL OF 39 DAYS SINCE THE SUMMER OF '06 ABOARD THE "SEA SPLENDOUR " TARGETING WHITES AND TUNA.....AND I SWEAR ON THE MATES BIBLE THAT A 'BAITHEAD ' BY STALKER OUTFITTERS THAT IS PERFECTLY RIGGED WITH A MEDIUM & CIRCLE IS PURE HEAT!.....THIS RIG HAS OUTPERFORMED THE NAKED BAITS .........AND I DON'T HAVE A LEGITIMATE ANSWER AS TO WHY....

THIS IS NOT A SALES PITCH PEOPLE......THIS IS MERELY THE FACTS.....AND FACTS ARE FACTS....I MEAN BAITHEADS

THE BAIT HEAD IS VERY TINY...WITH BEAUTIFUL ACRYLIC CUSTOM HEAD.....THE DESIGN CREATES A TENDER NERVOUS WOBBLE OF THE BAIT......IT IS SMALL ENOUGH TO RENDER THE THROAT OF THE CIRCLE HOOK TO THE PERFECT HOOK UP POINT....THE CORNER OF DA JAW...... IT SEEMS THE DIRTY ONES ZERO IN ON THIS BAIT FIRST

MY LATEST TUNA VIDEO SHOWS FIRST HAND WHAT THIS LITTLE DEMON WILL DO TO DA YELLOWFINS

[rarhomes]

I just got back, been fishin. Big Smokers are the main target with some reports of Sails and an occasional Wahoo in the Daytona/New Smyrna Beach area, the water has warmed back up and we should be seeing some pogies pods with some big tarpon pretty soon.

I see some really good information and ideas have been added since I have been gone, it's gonna take some time to study it all, but thanks for all the great input.