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Post by jeremiahisbrown on Jul 7, 2016 19:23:20 GMT -5
Everyone on the piers dreams of catching those trophy fish. One of the biggest reasons we go here specifically, is because we have a better shot at a kingfish, tarpon, grouper,cobia and such without ever needing to set foot on a boat. That said, most of these fish are usually caught farther away from the bridge than most people can cast using some specialized gear and methods. This tip should help some newbies and seasoned veterans alike to hook into something that may REALLY stretch their strings!
First of all, you can only attempt this method WITHOUT the presence of dolphins. You'll get bait jacked EVERY TIME.
Second, you need an outgoing tide going AWAY from the pier.
What you'll need:
* biodegradable balloons
*swivels
*fluorocarbon leader material
* circle hooks
* lifesaver candies
*beads
*live bait, preferably a hardy one, such as a pinfish or blue runner. Greenies work as well, but they're more fragile.
Tying the rig: from your mainline, tie off to a barrel swivel. On the other end, add a 4-8ft of leader, 30-80lb test mono or fluorocarbon will serve you well depending on your target size fish.
Run your leader line through the lifesaver candy, tying an overhand knot on it and tie a short, weaker piece of line to it. Tie the other end of this weaker line around the stem of an inflated biodegradable fishing balloon. at the end of your leader, attach your hook.
The bait: use the aforementioned baitfish, hooking it near the tail behind the anal fin. This will make it swim down.
Fishing the rig: toss it over the side of the pier and let the tide carry it out to sea over the reefs. This is the time where you can sit and have some time to wait. Smoke a cigarette, drink a beer, answer texts, check the forum, anything to occupy you as you wait for it to drift off. You can open the bail on your spinning reel or use the bait clicker on a casting outfit to release line freely as it drifts. After awhile when the lifesaver has mostly dissolved, jerk back on the rod sharply and the baitfish will pop free of the balloon and immediately dive to the safety of the reef - right into the mouth of a hungry grouper.
* occasionally, a kingfish or other pelagic may grab the bait as it drifts. They'll take off, and the balloon will detach itself.
* you'll need a fairly high line capacity to drift over the reef
*since the balloon is biodegradable, it dissolves back into the environment and will not harm anything or pollute the water
Watch out for more tips and tricks like this and More in my 3rd installment of fishing tips "FISHIN TIPS #3" coming soon. Tight lines!
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Post by seabird on Jul 7, 2016 19:44:28 GMT -5
JB: Very interesting post. The hardest point is the first one, performing this without dolphins present. Those dolphins can appear very quickly out of nowhere. I am sure mackerelman will have further comments. Keep those tips coming!
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Post by jeremiahisbrown on Jul 7, 2016 19:50:25 GMT -5
JB: Very interesting post. The hardest point is the first one, performing this without dolphins present. Those dolphins can appear very quickly out of nowhere. I am sure mackerelman will have further comments. Keep those tips coming! For sure! I was just about to mention him! I'll probably be uploading more tips tomorrow. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2016 20:25:28 GMT -5
<Run your leader line through the lifesaver candy, tying an overhand knot on it and tie a short, weaker piece of line to it. Tie the other end of this weaker line around the stem of an inflated biodegradable fishing balloon. at the end of your leader, attach your hook.>
Ok, I am not understanding the above. Tie a short weaker line to where? Is this weaker line a 3rd line segment? Also, where does the beads come in?
Can you please clarify for the intellectually challenged, Jermiah? Lol.
D
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Post by havetofish on Jul 7, 2016 20:26:27 GMT -5
This is what free-lining does without the balloon. I have used many methods including balloons. The artificial reefs are about 200 yds to the end of the longest ones. The balloon helps if your have trouble getting out far enough without getting snagged. If thats the case then start far to the left of the rock pile your trying to get to the end of. The danger zone for flipper is between 0-100 yds. He knows where to hunt. Then again if you hook something out that far, you better have the right gear to retrieve him fast before flipper can get to him.
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Post by Mackerelman on Jul 7, 2016 21:35:02 GMT -5
Jeremiahisbrown:
I have Freelined with a Balloon for Many Years. Havetofish has the Correct Idea behind the Balloon. As long as the Wind is Behind You, the Balloons will Work. I have even tied a Weight on to Hold down Cut-Bait so the Birds don't get it & also when I use Half Frozen Ballyhoo & Large Sardines as Bait. I normally Fish with a Live Large Pinfish or Live Large Grunt to catch Grouper out at the Piers.
The only Problem that We run into in the Tampa Bay Area is the Water Temperature. You basically have to put the Live or Dead Bait right in front of the Grouper to get him to take the Bait. The Grouper like several other Varieties of Fish do not want to Bite when the Water Temperature gets Hot for them. Several times I have set out My Bait & Walked from one Rock Pile to another, Reeling My Bait In & Out on the Rock Piles to Catch My Fish of Choice.
And Yes, You do have to Watch Out for Flipper as You do this. Pinfish is like Candy to Him. I was doing the same thing last Year at the NS Pier when Flipper got Pissed at Me & came back to the Pier & stole My Floating Bait Bucket Full of Pinfish & Grunts. Flipper & Friends are Very Smart Animals out in the Water.
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Post by Mackerelman on Jul 7, 2016 21:40:45 GMT -5
<Run your leader line through the lifesaver candy, tying an overhand knot on it and tie a short, weaker piece of line to it. Tie the other end of this weaker line around the stem of an inflated biodegradable fishing balloon. at the end of your leader, attach your hook.> Ok, I am not understanding the above. Tie a short weaker line to where? Is this weaker line a 3rd line segment? Also, where does the beads come in? Can you please clarify for the intellectually challenged, Jermiah? Lol. D Dpagates, You put a Glow Bead on Your Leader next to the Hook. It illuminates the Bait for the Fish. It Really Works. Using the Glow Bead is what I was using on the 2Georges trip when I caught those Groupers. I will show You next time We go out Fishing for Grouper. |
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Post by jeremiahisbrown on Jul 7, 2016 22:27:01 GMT -5
<Run your leader line through the lifesaver candy, tying an overhand knot on it and tie a short, weaker piece of line to it. Tie the other end of this weaker line around the stem of an inflated biodegradable fishing balloon. at the end of your leader, attach your hook.> Ok, I am not understanding the above. Tie a short weaker line to where? Is this weaker line a 3rd line segment? Also, where does the beads come in? Can you please clarify for the intellectually challenged, Jermiah? Lol. D You basically tie an overhand knot around the lifesaver with the leader. Then tie some weak line to another part of the lifesaver for the balloon. Kind of like using one of those 3 - way swivels. The leader will break the dissolving lifesaver when you jerk the line so the baitfish can swim free of any resistance. The weak line and the balloon will just float away. The weaker line is meant to break under the pressure of being dragged through the water or breaking if it does get snagged somehow. I mean REALLY weak line. No more than 6 or 8lb test. It's only purpose is to attach the balloon. |
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Post by jeremiahisbrown on Jul 7, 2016 22:36:42 GMT -5
A red or glow bead sliding down to the hook helps make your bait fish look like a target. You'll see what I mean when that pinfish starts kicking and you see the little red flashes around the hook. I remember doing this and a few other tricks to make my live bait different from the rest of the school a few times. A bead also comes in when using the stationary version of this rig that floats and doesn't detach. I use a sliding snap for that one and the bead is my stopper. I'll write about that one in the tips tomorrow.
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Post by havetofish on Jul 8, 2016 0:06:24 GMT -5
A red or glow bead sliding down to the hook helps make your bait fish look like a target. You'll see what I mean when that pinfish starts kicking and you see the little red flashes around the hook. I remember doing this and a few other tricks to make my live bait different from the rest of the school a few times. A bead also comes in when using the stationary version of this rig that floats and doesn't detach. I use a sliding snap for that one and the bead is my stopper. I'll write about that one in the tips tomorrow. What glow bead flashes enough for you to see below the surface of the water, whether day or night, especially if some distance out. You must be talking about a different kind of glow bead. |
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Post by jeremiahisbrown on Jul 8, 2016 14:33:54 GMT -5
A red or glow bead sliding down to the hook helps make your bait fish look like a target. You'll see what I mean when that pinfish starts kicking and you see the little red flashes around the hook. I remember doing this and a few other tricks to make my live bait different from the rest of the school a few times. A bead also comes in when using the stationary version of this rig that floats and doesn't detach. I use a sliding snap for that one and the bead is my stopper. I'll write about that one in the tips tomorrow. What glow bead flashes enough for you to see below the surface of the water, whether day or night, especially if some distance out. You must be talking about a different kind of glow bead. Something about glow just works. I don't even know. It really works better at night, but apparently fish can see UV glow paint and colors better. Glow beads work on bait rigs phenomenally well at night, yet a glow/chartreuse grub is hard to beat for speckled trout and reds midday. Go figure. In fact, prefer glow over clear or pearl white sometimes. I read an article and went to a seminar once where the guy talked about using UV paint jig heads and shining a blacklight on them before using them and triggered more fish. They do it for walleye often. |
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Post by havetofish on Jul 8, 2016 15:59:39 GMT -5
What glow bead flashes enough for you to see below the surface of the water, whether day or night, especially if some distance out. You must be talking about a different kind of glow bead. Something about glow just works. I don't even know. It really works better at night, but apparently fish can see UV glow paint and colors better. Glow beads work on bait rigs phenomenally well at night, yet a glow/chartreuse grub is hard to beat for speckled trout and reds midday. Go figure. In fact, prefer glow over clear or pearl white sometimes. I read an article and went to a seminar once where the guy talked about using UV paint jig heads and shining a blacklight on them before using them and triggered more fish. They do it for walleye often. Not questioning if glow beads work. Was asking about seeing them flash? |
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Post by aussieguy on Jul 8, 2016 17:23:33 GMT -5
the fish are "suppose" to be attracted to the bead (either a red bead or a very small glow stick near the hook)
fisher persons won't see it,
they have used red beads in Australia for a long time as well
Not a fan of releasing a balloon
they are NOT as Bio Degradable as manufacturers want you to believe
even if it takes weeks instead of months to degrade it can easily kill a turtle if ingested
if you want to use balloons make sure you can retrieve them please
There is some balloons on the market that have a small LED + battery inside them you can see them for at least 200yards
(walmart has them)
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Post by jeremiahisbrown on Jul 8, 2016 17:39:34 GMT -5
Something about glow just works. I don't even know. It really works better at night, but apparently fish can see UV glow paint and colors better. Glow beads work on bait rigs phenomenally well at night, yet a glow/chartreuse grub is hard to beat for speckled trout and reds midday. Go figure. In fact, prefer glow over clear or pearl white sometimes. I read an article and went to a seminar once where the guy talked about using UV paint jig heads and shining a blacklight on them before using them and triggered more fish. They do it for walleye often. Not questioning if glow beads work. Was asking about seeing them flash? The shiny, reflective beads that walleye fishermen use. I order them from jannsnetcraft.com |
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