Offshore Fishing Reports - Live Baiting??? - I believe I asked this last year but can't remember. When trolling with live baits and get a fish on, what do you do with the other lines when you reel them in? I've thought about putting them in the livewell

lunkerlure · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:45 pm Post subject: Live Baiting???

I believe I asked this last year but can't remember. When trolling with live baits and get a fish on, what do you do with the other lines when you reel them in? I've thought about putting them in the livewell but then I'll have a tangled mess, taking them off the hook and throwing them in the well but this would be hard on the bait, leave them hanging in the water, or toss them and use fresh baits. The only thing about tossing and using fresh baits seems like you would have to have alot of bait on board. I'm going to try live bait next weekend if the weather is good.
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Tommy Stewart
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chumpuppy · Ol'Salt Joined: Apr 17, 2007 Posts: 135

If I have a crew on board I'll keep the baits in the water as long as things are manageable. Usually leaving the baits out will result in other strikes. Always get the down rigger up because sure as hell the fish will get wrapped in the line to the ball.

I fish by myself a lot so that means fishing 3 lines - one long, one short and one down on the downrigger. If I get another fish on when fighting the first I just leave that rod in the rod holder and tighten the drag slightly up from strike. I'll point the boat down wind then put the engine in neutral, that usually keeps everyting tight. I think you'll find that leaving the lines out will get you more fish.

blueoceaneyez · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:38 pm Post subject:

We reel our others in, leaving them boatside . . . but if the fish on is going nuts around the boat we will bring the others in and leave them hanging in the livewell. We don't put them all the way in the livewell, just a little ways in & shut the lid so they can move around on top but not freely swim around & get tangled.
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Back-Lash · Ol'Salt Joined: Dec 15, 2004 Posts: 702 Location: MT.Olive

Tommy it sounds like you need to go to Back-Lash's school of live bait fishing Smile

REHolden · Ol'Salt Joined: Sep 20, 2005 Posts: 1130

Tommy

In Tournaments we always clear the other lines immediately, fun fishing just depends on which line gets hit and how hard the fish is running to how fast we clear the rest.

Most of the time when we reel them up we just toss them if we have enough bait - they are usually stressed and hard to keep alive anyway.
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Back-Lash · Ol'Salt Joined: Dec 15, 2004 Posts: 702 Location: MT.Olive

MWKelley · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:00 pm Post subject:

I always try to keep the top water lines in if I can. Often moving two gunwale rods to the sideways T-top rocket launchers will keep at least two baits and rods out of my way. Sometimes I can't keep them in, but I will wait until the last minute to pull them out.

My downrigger balls almost always come up. But before reeling in the ball, I pop the downrigger bait from the clip and let the bait swim up to the surface through the entire water column while I reel in the ball. This will occasionally result in a strike as the bait moves towards the surface. <-- I learned this trick on this site, and I use it now regularly.
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skipperspride · Deck Hand Joined: Feb 07, 2007 Posts: 9

We put 1 back in the well so we have a bait ready to go back in the water when we boat the fish all the others we toss or put back in the well after we remove them carefully from the rig
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James Strange
Skipperspride lures

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Turbo Rattler When You Got To Make Some Noise

robby · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:10 am Post subject:

guys i wouldnt have believed if i hadnt seen it myself, but popping the line out of the downrigger has netted my biggest fish. a 28#r at the swansboro tourney, a 27#r at the us open. so these guys are speaking the truth.....
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Robby

Level-5 Fishing Team

23ft Seafox

timscarborough · Mate Joined: May 14, 2008 Posts: 16

how do you pop the downrigger?

skipperspride · Deck Hand Joined: Feb 07, 2007 Posts: 9

if you dont pop the downrigger and get that ball out of the water fast at first sign it is a good fish that downrigger will cause you to lose it cut it off it will
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James Strange
Skipperspride lures

www.turborattler.com

Turbo Rattler When You Got To Make Some Noise

Back-Lash · Ol'Salt Joined: Dec 15, 2004 Posts: 702 Location: MT.Olive

tim the way you pop a down rigger .. you tighten down on your rod tip almost to the water hold your drag real tight then jerk the rod tip high it should pop the line loose from the downrigger release ,, you should also run your release as loose as you can that will keep your bait in the release

mannysmate · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:12 am Post subject:

Just curiosity.....why is it most king fisherman use a downrigger-ball vs planer-rods with a salty Question

(my guess is speed but I've heart about slowtrollin with planers)

skipperspride · Deck Hand Joined: Feb 07, 2007 Posts: 9

Offshore Bob · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:42 am Post subject:

Tim, the proper way to deploy a down rigger bait is to let out about 20 to 25 ft of line then put the clicker on and put the rod in the rod holder. reach out and get the line and with your finger twirl it about 4or 5 times then clip the loop you made in the line into the rigger clip. Then without touching the rod let the ball down slowly till you get the hang of it to your desired depth. Put reel in gear and check drag. The reason for the loop in the line is so the bait will stay 25 ft behind the ball and your line to the rod will be tight , there should actually be a bend in the rod tip. This makes for a positive hook up and when you want to check the bait you simply take the rod and give it a firm jerk upward and pop the line out of the release.
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