TUNA TROLLING.

[jbonvetti]

Nature of the beast. Tuna feed different than marlin.

Tuna don't really "kill" there prey. They just eat it.

The whole principle behind dropping back to marlin is that Marlin make sure their prey is dead before consuming. That's the whole dropping back thing.

The reason for the dropback is because white marlin and sail fish will T-bone the bait take it away from the pack so they can turn it and swallow head first...your theory would make live baiting impossible there bud...

[Big Jay]

The reason for the dropback is because white marlin and sail fish will T-bone the bait take it away from the pack so they can turn it and swallow head first...your theory would make live baiting impossible there bud...

You completely missed what i said.

Please re-read my statement then read yours one more time as well. Essentially the exact same thing.

You ever watch an underwater vid of a Marlin feeding?

EDIT: Excuse me...dead OR stunned is how i should have re-phrased it.

[zar2754]

Not only do I like about 15lbs of drag tuna fishing I also like for my outrigger clips to be tight.

you bring up a good point CT,

there is a definite slack-line period from when the line pops from the rigger clip until it becomes taught off the rod tip,

this actually supports the minimal resistance theory,

unless someone has noticed worse hookups off their riggers opposed to off their rod tips?????

[Captain Michael Buffington]

you bring up a good point CT,

there is a definite slack-line period from when the line pops from the rigger clip until it becomes taught off the rod tip,

this actually supports the minimal resistance theory,

unless someone has noticed worse hookups off their riggers opposed to off their rod tips?????

to stick it abit. I definately have better bite to hook-up ratio on my flats. I ran into this when SC, shoe, Cape, and me did Venice awhile back. Hunters(the captain) is a very good fisherman and well respected in the area. He fished the live bait on clicker and gave them 3 or 4 seconds to eat. I on the other hand fish the rell if I'm holding it out of gear but go immediately to strike on a bite, if it's in the rod holder it's in gear. A 60lb tuna doesn't need to "mouth" a hand sized blue runner, he inhales it. The only tuna I'm going to feed is the one that eats a 2 pound skipjack.

Mike

[zar2754]

I definately have better bite to hook-up ratio on my flats.
Mike

good feedback, thaks capt.

how tight do you set your rigger clips?

[Captain Michael Buffington]

good feedback, thaks capt.

how tight do you set your rigger clips?

it makes sense, but most of my tuna thing is live bait/kite/chunk stuff so I just set them to snap right off. Most of our gulf tuna on the troll is fairly incedental. We probably as a whole don't spend enough time doing it cause we have so many other options with the rigs. When I'm trolling, I fish it all in gear and expect the mate or myself to be on our game to drop back to a bill.

I have worked with many captains and owners and the majority of them either twist the line 8 times before putting it in the clip or use a rubber band system. With those measures in place the bait is stationary till the fish or the mate pop it loose. I much prefer to have the line running through the clips so I can see the fish and react and have more of a hand in deciding whether or not he bites. Didn't mean to stray off topic.

Mike

[zar2754]

I have worked with many captains and owners and the majority of them either twist the line 8 times before putting it in the clip or use a rubber band system.
Mike

i agree with you 100% on this topic i want the ability to quickly adjust, drop back, crank in, or release a bait, with out having to pop it out of the rigger clip manually because of twists or rubber bands..

Zar

[sportfishingusa]

you want the rigger clips tighter but not locked down.. you should be able to open them with one hand or a yank of the line with a little bit of force..

the problem with them being two tight is that the line could get caught up.. the clip could lock up and fail and when you got to bring the line in to change baits or whatever you have a problem knocking it out..

also if you tighten them up make sure when you are done and on the way home you loosen them.. depending on what kind you use sometime the salt in a locked clip could foul it up a little bit..

and i always tend to have my flat lines set a little above strike with a decent lock on the clips.. i find that when any fish comes into the wash to eat a bait they are normally "hungry as hell" and take it hard!!

[Captain Michael Buffington]

you want the rigger clips tighter but not locked down.. you should be able to open them with one hand or a yank of the line with a little bit of force..

the problem with them being two tight is that the line could get caught up.. the clip could lock up and fail and when you got to bring the line in to change baits or whatever you have a problem knocking it out..

also if you tighten them up make sure when you are done and on the way home you loosen them.. depending on what kind you use sometime the salt in a locked clip could foul it up a little bit..

and i always tend to have my flat lines set a little above strike with a decent lock on the clips.. i find that when any fish comes into the wash to eat a bait they are normally "hungry as hell" and take it hard!!

from a man who knows(by the way, it's too for also and two for a couple)Sage advice.

Mike

[tunatamer4]

You all bring up good points here, but the more I think about it, the more "flaws" I see.

Setting the drag locked down on the flatlines or baits run directly from the rod tips I have found tend to cause more pulled or missed fish then lines set back in the riggers.

True, they crush the baits and the steel hits home immediately, but with a locked down drag the hook has more of a chance to pull due to lack of stretch in the line. The tight rigger clips will stick the hook and the amount of line out will absorb the initial shock and not rip the hook out of his lip, allowing for a tighter setting while trolling.

It may just be due to the tackle I was use to fishing with. No finess, just search and destroy.