Question about freelining

[bill jacques]

When freelining, how do you get the bait out? is a float used? any weight used? I have tried it a few times without any success, bait just didn't seem to cooperate

[festeroo031985]

Well BJ when freelining its always better to of course go WITH the tide if bait not cooperatin make it cooperate loop rubber band through your swivel and blow baloon half way up and wrap band around baloon and the tide will take the baloon and of course bait will follow and as always wind is a factor as well when its windy i dont even bother trying to freelin however a very effective method i just dont like screwin around with fighting to get the bait out...i dont use any weight when freelining...good luck hope this helps/

[havetofish]

No weights or balloons, thats not what is meant by freelining.
Although, suspending a bait 6-8' below a balloon can be very effective, if the bait still stays down.
I have done this with a 1 oz sinker above the swivel and 4' of leader and then the balloon tied about 6' above the swivel, with a decent current.
Now you need to have a good idea about how far down the tops of the rockpiles are or you will be too far off the bottom or you will get hung up. Adjust the lengths to the rockpile.
Them pinfish love to swim into the rocks and around some other snagged tackle.
Some of the rock pile tops are shallower than you think. Knowing your rock pile helps alot.

Freelining... SkyJay is a pro at this, so maybe he'll jump in. I learned a lot from his past posts.

Its a combination on amount of resistance of wind and current. Braid creates less drag on both.
Hook a bait (pinfish) over the anal fin. The larger the bait the easier to get him to swim down.
Small pins will come up with the slightest wind blowing on your line or with just a modest
current creating drag on your line. Then its a question of keeping him moving. You feed some line and he swims down.
Then the wind or current starts creating resistance on your line and starts pulling him up.
The further out you go the more resistance there will be on your line, because more line will be in the water and in the wind.
This is why you need a strong swimming fish. They have to be able to overcome all the resistance.
When they quit swimming for you, change bait.
Pinfish will sometimes get to the bottom and just stay there, so you want to give them a twitch now and then to keep them moving.
If you fish the edges of the rocks , you'll get the bait trying to enter the rockpile where he can get ambushed by a waiting Gag.

Oh, and just when you get him doing what you want and out 150 yds, flipper will snatch him or a boater will cut you off and you can start all over again.

[SkyJay]

Yep, that pertty much covers it.

[bill jacques]

Thanks for the info guys, I'll give that a shot on my next trip out