Dangler rig ??

[Patudo]

Tim & anyone else familiar with this rig,

Can you explain the dangler rig? Not the greenstick - another rig I see in the Hawaii commercial tuna videos. It looks like a short rod? with one or two mold craft squid dangling so that they dap the water. Seems to be used when the boat is drifting? or slow trolling, fishing with live bait and water sprays. That's all I can figure out. Can anyone help me with more info about its construction and application?

Many thanks

p.

[dknott77]

You pretty much hit on the head. But these are usually aluminum or galvinized, 2 1/2 to 3 inch pipe, bent 90 dgrees at the top. The under end usually mounts in the gunnel in a customholder with backing plate. At the business end of the pipe is usually an eyebolt through which your leader is crimped. Leader length depends on distance of eyebolt to surface so that the squids do just touch the surface. Halfway down the leader is usually a heavy duty barrel swivel in which your retrieve line is tied, which gives you ability to jig the squid a bit, as well as pull the tuna close enough to grab the lower portion of the leader and sling him in the boat. Hooks in your squids are usually 10/0 double claw hooks, leader can be what ever you want,but heavy (400lb.) is most common because once those things bite, nothing gives(no drag,rod flex etc.) Hope that helps...D

[Patudo]

Thanks Derek.. Can this method be used all by itself ie after a trolling hookup, or does it work best in conjunction with the live bait/water sprays/other types of chumming ? What size fish would you guys normally deploy this type of rig for.. the shibi size tunas and big mahi or will the big tunas take it as well? Is it normally one squid to a rig, as I kinda remember seeing two squid once? If a second squid is used would both have hooks?

That's a fascinating way to fish - I don't think I've seen rigs like that anywhere outside of Hawaii.

thanks again

P.

[dknott77]

Upon reaching the seamount\weather buoy etc., a spread of 4 jets is trolled as the birds/bait are being located. Once found the jets usually get bit immediately, boat is slowed to idle and put in a modest turn. As the troll hooked tunas are landed, handfuls of palu are tossed in and usually other fish that have followed the hooked ones show up. Danglers then deployed. As far as size, any size the dangler will work from 10 lb. rats to 175 lbers, depends on what size fish are in that particular school. Normally one squid on the dangler, some guys will use two but I can personally attest that having two 75lb. bigeyes on one dangler usually accounts for either one of the fish cutting off the other as well as kicking the s#$@ out of the guy trying to yank them in! K.I.S.S. method really works with this type of fishing. Best way to hooke the larger 100-150 lbers that won't come up to eat the danglers is dropping the age old diamond jig on a handline in the middle of a good bite, usually nails em'. Definetely a cool way to fish, but can be the hardest workout you have ever had in your life.... 6000 lbs. of 40-80lbers in 5 hours of straight dangler fishing is worse than running a marathon, only running marathons doesn't take place in 6-10 footers while on a boat that the gunnels only come up to your knee!!! Lots of fun, but not for the faint of heart! -D

[tunatamer4]

We have used a "variation" of the dangler here in southeast NC. from our bridge rod. Used it basically the same as a greenstick on an 80. A large bird was deployed with the dangler "bait" run ahead of it. Instead of using squid, we ran the fake flyers since that is what the tuna were skying on. It worked the best on the slick ass days when the fish were bustin but wouldn't touch a trolled bally. It worked fairly well except it was a PITA to reel in the fish with the bird still attached, but that's what the charter was for, right?

[Capt. kapoc]

patudo .. Where are these vidios that you are talking about???/

[dknott77]

I think he has seen "Hawaiian Tuna Action", 2 volumes available. Tim and Tracy have them. Made by a guy named Robert Cabos who commercial fishes out of Hilo, HI. Pretty good vids to have in the library....D