What is the best way to target billfish in tournaments from north carolina to maryland using dead bait with circle hooks. What types of spreads do you grady guys pull or would you recommend?
Targeting Billfish in Tournaments
- Thread starter Wannderer
- Start date
What size billfish? Well I can't speak for there, but in Australia for juvenile Blacks and Sailfish we use Gar(ballyhoo) almost exclusively or else yakka's (very small mackeral) as live bait or swimming or skipping dead baits.
I like to run one bait on a Downrigger, as the bait schools we fish around are often below 50ft.
We have 2 skipping baits in the riggers and the other bait is a flat line.
If it is quiet then we will also run a shotgun way back with a small skirted lure.
The gun boats with towers are doing mostly switchbaiting with 2 teazer baits or lures(no hooks) and sending back either a livie or a dead bait when a fish is raised. The tower helps here in being able to see fish that are hanging behind or below the teazers.
Jim Dalling one of our most successful skippers reckons without a tower we miss up to 80% of the shots.
I like to run one bait on a Downrigger, as the bait schools we fish around are often below 50ft.
We have 2 skipping baits in the riggers and the other bait is a flat line.
If it is quiet then we will also run a shotgun way back with a small skirted lure.
The gun boats with towers are doing mostly switchbaiting with 2 teazer baits or lures(no hooks) and sending back either a livie or a dead bait when a fish is raised. The tower helps here in being able to see fish that are hanging behind or below the teazers.
Jim Dalling one of our most successful skippers reckons without a tower we miss up to 80% of the shots.
Hookup1
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Billfish Tournaments
The spread is the easiest part. If your in it to win it you should be fishing for the big white. Leave the big blue marlin for the battlewagons. Naked ballyhoo on 30's. Four off the riggers, one shotgun one flatline. One dredge and a teaser off the port and starboard cleats. Everything fish'ed short - 50' to 150' back except maybe the shotgun. For billfish you need to be able to see whats going on.
I sometimes fish a soft head wide range off the shotgun instead. Biggest white I have ever seen (Norfolk canyon release during MA500) and several blue marlin on blind strikes from this position.
The bigger problem is where the water is and where they have been catching. You may neeed to be fishing that day 100 miles from tournament central in less then perfect conditions. If you do get the big one you have to be able to get back before the scales close. The bigger faster boats are more able to go anywhere anytime - a huge advantage.
The spread is the easiest part. If your in it to win it you should be fishing for the big white. Leave the big blue marlin for the battlewagons. Naked ballyhoo on 30's. Four off the riggers, one shotgun one flatline. One dredge and a teaser off the port and starboard cleats. Everything fish'ed short - 50' to 150' back except maybe the shotgun. For billfish you need to be able to see whats going on.
I sometimes fish a soft head wide range off the shotgun instead. Biggest white I have ever seen (Norfolk canyon release during MA500) and several blue marlin on blind strikes from this position.
The bigger problem is where the water is and where they have been catching. You may neeed to be fishing that day 100 miles from tournament central in less then perfect conditions. If you do get the big one you have to be able to get back before the scales close. The bigger faster boats are more able to go anywhere anytime - a huge advantage.
Billfish
I agree with Hookup1......I fish out of Ocean City, MD..... the self pro-claimed "white marlin capital" .....and have been involved in several of the white marlin opens. The most important part is finding the water and the bait to hold the marlin. Years ago a short 60-65 mile run to Poorman's or baltimore canyons seemed to yield tournment quality fish. The last few years, water temps have been way off and most of the fish have been coming from the south Washington canyon down....now, before anyone screams, I'm not saying there were not fish caught in the northern canyons but the winners/ larger fish seemed to come from the south.....along with the naked ballyhoo, I like to add a small 4 inch plastic squid, hides the nose a little bit and on the shotgun I usually use an artificial ballyhoo with a blue and white islander in front. Can't remember the times I've pulled that to have it save the day, with a nice tuna, mahi, and at odd times blue marlins......those things are beasts and fun to catch but no match for 27 ft boats. good luck
I agree with Hookup1......I fish out of Ocean City, MD..... the self pro-claimed "white marlin capital" .....and have been involved in several of the white marlin opens. The most important part is finding the water and the bait to hold the marlin. Years ago a short 60-65 mile run to Poorman's or baltimore canyons seemed to yield tournment quality fish. The last few years, water temps have been way off and most of the fish have been coming from the south Washington canyon down....now, before anyone screams, I'm not saying there were not fish caught in the northern canyons but the winners/ larger fish seemed to come from the south.....along with the naked ballyhoo, I like to add a small 4 inch plastic squid, hides the nose a little bit and on the shotgun I usually use an artificial ballyhoo with a blue and white islander in front. Can't remember the times I've pulled that to have it save the day, with a nice tuna, mahi, and at odd times blue marlins......those things are beasts and fun to catch but no match for 27 ft boats. good luck
what if it was more worthwhile to target blue ones than sails and whites? what kind of spread would you pull?
Hookup1
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Blue Marlin
OK - I'll take the bait...
Catching a blue marlin that can win a tournament is a completly different game. Assuming you can get there and back and still have time to fish you have to have the equipment and crew to catch, wire, gaff and put a 600+ lb. fish in the boat without killing someone. A crew of weekend warriors can make a few mistakes and still catch a 90 lb. white marlin. That's not going to happen with a big blue.
Based on your questions I have to believe you haven't done this before. Consider putting some time in doing this on a experienced boat for a blue marlin only trip. You will learn how to do this much faster and be safer.
There are countless articles on lure selection and pattern setup in Marlin Magazine and The Edge Magazine. Everyone has a different approach or secret lure. There is no shortcut. You really have to put the time in.
OK - I'll take the bait...
Catching a blue marlin that can win a tournament is a completly different game. Assuming you can get there and back and still have time to fish you have to have the equipment and crew to catch, wire, gaff and put a 600+ lb. fish in the boat without killing someone. A crew of weekend warriors can make a few mistakes and still catch a 90 lb. white marlin. That's not going to happen with a big blue.
Based on your questions I have to believe you haven't done this before. Consider putting some time in doing this on a experienced boat for a blue marlin only trip. You will learn how to do this much faster and be safer.
There are countless articles on lure selection and pattern setup in Marlin Magazine and The Edge Magazine. Everyone has a different approach or secret lure. There is no shortcut. You really have to put the time in.
Blues and Sails
good reply hooked up.....as far as Sails.....you won't see too many north of OBX......the water just doesn't support it. My suggestion is to start small and work your way up. The White Marlin Open is the first full week of August...$1000 entry then calcuttas.......good place to watch and learn.
good reply hooked up.....as far as Sails.....you won't see too many north of OBX......the water just doesn't support it. My suggestion is to start small and work your way up. The White Marlin Open is the first full week of August...$1000 entry then calcuttas.......good place to watch and learn.