Outrigger Tag Lines?

[MakoMike]

I ran them for a while, but don't bother anymore. I never noticed a difference in hook up percentages, and they are a PITA.

[Deep C]

On our blue marlin bites we went from about 1 for 3 to 3 for 4 on our ratios. On whites we went from 1 for 2 to 2 for 3... Tuna, it really didn't make a difference...

[Fluka Brasi]

awesome info guys... thanks.

[Sea Draggin]

The tag line itself has a snap swivel at each end. I just clip the one snap to where I have my rigger clips already set.
The rubber band gets wrapped around the troolling line about six or seven times so it wont slide. One loose end is then drawn through the other and then that is attached by the other snap swivel...

Another good lesson here from one of the masters of the Deep. Pretty work there.

[clt_capt]

How does the band connect to the rigger and also to the lure?

The guys in Hawaii crimp a short (8 - 10 inch) piece of dacron to the end of the tagline. They just use a simple loop knot in the dacron to hold the rubber band.

First - wrap the rubberband around the fishing line 4 -5 times and loop it through itself and pull tight. Then tie the rubber to the dacron.

The guys I fished with in Hawaii had a floss wrap on the fishing line at the point they normally put the rubber. Each rod was marked (port, stbd, long, short) - basically they could replicate their spread every time with their eyes closed.

Seems to work well for them.

One thing I did notice in the short time I ran them, the tag returns worked a lot better if I put some silicone spray on a rag and wiped down the halyards at the beginning of the day.

[Deep C]

The floss deal works great... Especially when you get a righteous spread worked out in conditions that dont change much. I still go wiith the band around the line deal though so we can adjust with different baits in different conditions... See part of our day is done with a mix of combos and slower pull design plastics then we switch at days end to higher speed all plastic and the end run is usually up sea which requires a reset for distance and a different head shape and length.

[tagnbrag]

If pulling plastic, I too always run taglines. I spent 2 seasons fishing with Peter Pakula and we lost VERY few fish on lures using a good system that incorporated Tag lines.

You basically have a tight system, with no slack. Combine tagline with good stiff rod tips, and extremely sharp hooks (like the Teflon Coated SL12 Gamakatsu's or Pakulas own KATANA hooks) and you will have a huge improvement on hookups. Punching the hooks into a billfish is just so much easier, even on 4lb's of drag !

We fish either 16lb or 37lb test over here depending on the season, and we always use taglines when lure fishing.

They are simple to setup and can be clipped on and off if you fishing with baits. Tagline returns are inexpensive to buy as well.

There is an excellent article at:-

http://www.pakula.com/book/Riggers.htm

I hope this helps.

Cheers

Wayne