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Snapper
 
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| Hey fellas, I feel a little lost over here in the "Blue Water" section, but was wondering if anyone could offer any advice on productive baits for wahoo, dolphin and even marlin fishing here. I have slow trolled live greenies for sailfish but that's about it. I have the inshore, freshwater, bottom fishing, etc. under control, but could really use some experienced advice. Perhaps someone may be interested in showing me some tricks on my boat in exchange for some inshore techniques? I'm up for that! Here's what I do know: 1. Blue/White Islander with a ballyhoo. 2. Slow trolling or pitching livebait on weedlines and structure. Questions: I have heard the Yo-Zuri Bonitas are good, but in what color and size. Also, a friend of mine swears by the pink Stretch 25's and 30's for wahoo. I've got tons of trolling lures from Berkley such as KonaJets, SoftTops and Daisy Chains as well as all the 200-400 mono, sleeves, etc. so I'm covered there. Mainly, wondering about the Yo-Zuris and the Stretches, or any other baits that you guys may use. Are the ballyhoo rigs that much more productive than the other baits? They seem like a real pain to prepare and keep them properly presented. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Eric C. Holstman Eric Holstman's Signature Expeditions www.ericholstman.com ericholstman@hotmail.com 18507484368  -2008 Hewes 21 Redfisher/Yamaha F225 Sport -Edgewater 18CC/Yamaha 90 "TIGER BARB" -Contender 25 Open/Twin Yamaha 150's ________________________________________________________________________ -
Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup 2006 #6 Team of the Year Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup, FLW Redfish Series and IFA Tour 7-time National Championship Qualifier Former TV Host of "Sportsman's Challenge" ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel(2003-2005) Creator/Host of the "Hook, Line and Sinker Seminar Series" (2006-present) 2008 Berkley National Saltwater Commercial and Campaign "The Official Equipment Provider of Woo"
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Sailfish
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Sailfish
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Sailfish
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ericholstman (5/14/2008)
They seem like a real pain to prepare and keep them properly presented.
I thoroughly enjoy rigging naturals and take great pride in my ability to do so. I would love to work for a company like baitmasters out of south florida for a few extra bucks as I finish up college. If you're ever over in Orange Beach, I'll show you everything you need to know...from rigging ballyhoo on J-hooks AND circle hooks, to squid for swords, spanish for pitch/skip baits, split-tail mullet, live-bait bridling, etc.
 Team PrimeTime
Auburn Wakeboard Team
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Grouper
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Welcome aboard and to the wide wide world of offshore advice.
Yozuri Bonitas are an awesome lure for wahoo or tuna fishing. Make sure to spend the extra couple bucks on the single hook rigged bonitas with the built in swivels. The double hook rigs, for several reasons, are inferior. Of course, sometimes you can get them at Tommy's sale so cheap that its worth buying them and re-rigging them using split rings, but mainly they can leverage themselves out of big wahoo, they're dangerous and they provide an inferior hook up ratio. Pull them from 5 knots up and they work great. There is no arguing that the Stretches also work, but I don't pull them for a number of reasons. Like the double hooked bonitas, they're dangerous. After one or two good hits, they get out of tune and don't run right and they're a fouling nightmare. Pink and silver are good as are the red headed white ones and you can't deny they catch fish. I'd prefer to run orange and black or purple bonitas although I've worn 'em out on one I got from Tommy and re-rigged after painting chrome with spray paint.
The blue and white islander with a ballyhoo is another lure that catches fish. Personally, they're not my thing and I think that the key to their success is that everyone pulls at least one. On the shotgun, there are many other lures that produce that don't require ballyhoo, but when you ask 20 people what they run out back, from Boston to Houston it's the Islander meat bait. I'd prefer the Black Bart wicked rigged with a single stiff rig and suspect that the Islander has a lower hook up ratio than most properly rigged trolling lures for several reasons I'll not bother you with here. Mainly, the bait runs on it's side so rigging the hook to come out the belly really means its facing left or right. If the fish hits from the back side of the hook - particularly billfish that are trying to crush and then eat, you're getting a crappy hook up percentage. Crash biters aren't as bad, but still you lose hook ups. I suspect if you rigged a fake hooter with the hook facing up like a keel and fished it like that you'd fix the problem, but haven't tried and with the new meatbait/circle hook rules put on us by NMFS, I'm not going to bother to try.
My current favorite lures are the Aloha Beauty from Erik Rusnak in any size, but particularly the micro in pink. It's been on fire for years. The dolphin colored Schneider Yap is #2 and we almost always have either a Bart Super Plunger or some size of Breakfast on one of the flat lines. People swear by Moldcrafts, but I could take or leave them. Their chugger with a meat bait should work with a circle hook rigged out front with very light drag and a long feed period for a patient and attentive crew, but I'm so looking forward to not having $2000 worth of ballyhoo to tend to each year I could giggle. The absolute best new line of lures we've added lately has been Roddy Haye's Legend Lures - Andromeda and Merlin - they're the only 2 lures I run with double 180 hook rigs and they work great.
________________________________________________________________________________________
www.topconstructioninc.net
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Trigger
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MODERATOR
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Xanadu (5/15/2008)
My current favorite lures are the Aloha Beauty from Erik Rusnak in any size, but particularly the micro in pink. It's been on fire for years. The dolphin colored Schneider Yap is #2 and we almost always have either a Bart Super Plunger or some size of Breakfast on one of the flat lines. People swear by Moldcrafts, but I could take or leave them. Their chugger with a meat bait should work with a c | | | |