Ultimate Bonito/Skipjack lures and techniques?

[babalaza]

Okie these fellows give me the hardest time of all fish... I cant stand trolling around and them not biting... It's like they got a PhD in making me mad. I'm talking about small ones, say under 7lbs or so.

Some background on these lil creatures.. Its either all rods or nothing, I've tried different lures, speeds, etc, they always have the better hand. Lures include smaller feathers and clones but no deal. I got some tiny feathers, say 2 inch maybe, they get bit sometimes but theres the hook problem. If its big they will not go for it, and with the smaller hook they rarely get hooked or it opens.

They are boat-scared, I tried stopping the boat and casting poppers but they go down or either jump next to damm poppers. Is there any weighted mini popper?

Should I just rig straight up on the line(20lbs)? Meaning no sleeves, flouro or any knot that might scare them off?

Any tips a bonita noob can learn from?

[HOLWACHAGOT]

YOU NEED SOME DAYSAVERS! DEEP C? Where are you?
Holwachagot

[Buddy H]

Take the hooks off the popper and tie a 18 inch leader to the end of the popper add a fly to the other end of your leader and hold on.

[Bert Rodgers]

Clark spoons.

Bert

[Bigeye10]

3/4 ounce, or 1 ounce I like the green or pink. For casting at them.

[Trident]

I like the Fly behind the popper idea from Buddy I would also say to have either a very slow retrieve poping and twitching or a very fast one skippin it back.

But thats for casting and although i prefer casting for fun....

I have always done better trolling for'em and my best spread is 4 or 6 lines all w/ .5oz darts from "mylure". I'll throw out at least 3 different colors and see what they like. Somedays they hit all others they prefer one color far above the others.

Owner makes a nice hook for them that is a 7/0 (i think) long shank that fits them perfect.

I have seen a few days when targeting other spieces that they seem to have "Lock jaw". anyone ever try throwing meat then?


Hope this works for ya

[babalaza]

this the ones you talking about?

Bert the spoon behind a planner or just by itself?

[Trident]

yep thats them

[floridadeckie]

I use those little 3.5" squid skirt with a 1/8th oz egg shoved up into the head with 10' of 20-30lb mono (doesnt have to be flouro) with a 5/o or 6/o o'shaughensy mustad. no crimps and slide it way way back until you can just barely see it skipping at the surface and just under it

[Wireman]

You need to try and match the hatch. If they aren't biting your goods, the bait they are feeding on will be a lot smaller than your lures.

Floridadeckie pretty much nailed it. The smallest octopus skirts will crush them almost every time. No Alibi also makes a tiny mylar metal head lure that is 2" long or less. Mustad makes a extra strong hook that fits in the skirt perfectly. If you tie these lures and hooks directly to clear 20 lb main line your problem will end for certain.

You can also try tying a very small white bucktail jig directly to 20 lb and troll that past the school. You will get bit.