$$Tuna gear$$

[Mark Mc]

Hey Mello,

"Fishtrap" is a trademarked name for a certain plastic swimbait. Other similar makes are "Big Hammer", "AA", and "Tomcod."

See: Fishtrap home page

You put it on a leadhead like these:

web page


We've been just killing the tuna on these the last several years. Both trolling, and then after a hookup (from any troll rig) stopping the boat & fishing these on light gear, casting to the jumpers, etc.

Good luck.....Mark

If you plan on crimping your leaders play with the crimpers until you get the crimp down. Too much and you break your line, too little and they slip :depressed:

[OceanBlue]

CraigC has the whole "How To: tuna gear" shootin' match up on his website.

Craig - you out there? Help? Link?

[Mello-Yello]

Thanks Mate! I've already read it, printed it, read it again, then once more. still in the process of memorizing it.

I'm just trying to wrap up my entry level tuna course so I can start moving on to the advanced stuff..

Craig's site

http://geocities.com/crchowto/index.html

[fish assassin]

Remember, if you have to ask "how much", you can't afford to go out and
get any of those "free" TUNA!!


-assAssin-

[Pilar]

'Free Tuna' ha ha ha ha ha hahhhhhhhaaaaaaa L.O.L.

Mello Yello, advanced course ... make sure you catch 'Puffin' on a day when he is fishing Tuna alone. It sounds like you found the stuff. Use the perfect loop for a knot or figure out the crimps. I like the knot, no way to screw it up.

As he describes it 'One legged man in an *** kicking contest.' What I saw was big Jon doing some weird cross between Tai Chi, ballet, Nascar and a little caveman thrown in for flavor.

In and out of the house to steer and back and forth between handlines, the carking tank, fishbox and the stand up rods. All this while yacking on the VHF and smoking a cigar. Good luck even trying to hang onto his coattails.

[tailchaser]

Before the big trip is made come over to the house and I'll show you how to do it the next time you're in town and charleston. Like everyone else I have a couple of tricks on rigging on an aluminum boat that may help out during the mayhem.

tc

[corrirod]

Mello,

To answer #3 and #4, feathers make more bubbles and also make the bait appear larger in the water, especially when you get slack in the line between waves.

[Master Baiter]

Does anyone have the link to the above referenced post by Pilar from last year handy? My search came up fruitless! I too keep a scrap book of tips on the boat just in case of emergency.

Thanks,

MB

[Miss B Haven]

MB - Getting late in the day? :whazzup: The link is posted about 5 threads up. Here it is again though (this one has the pics too):

Craig's site

http://geocities.com/crchowto/index.html

[Mello-Yello]

http://geocities.com/crchowto/index.html

[Mello-Yello]

Wow! I'm gonna have to start drinking the cheap stuff!

Went to Englund's in Charleston today. Bought:
10 zuchini Tuna-Clones
10 Zuckers (they let me mix and match too!)
4 purple/black
4 green/white/yello
2 Root Beer
25 pack of Pescaro barbless Tuna Hooks
100 yds. of 200# mono

I already have my handline, swivels, snubbers.
So, I'm guessing this is an adequate start?

Once I heal up from that excursion, I'll buy a couple planers, perhaps a couple cedar plugs, a few more colors, and what else?

I've tried to be a good student and do my homework. Still a few questions though that I can't seem to find solid info on.

1. What is a fishtrap?

2. I'm seeing some tuna rigging using crimp connections, others using the "perfect knot". How about a little discussion on this...

3. Feathers, these are the jigs that have feathers rather than the broom and/or rubber tenticles?

4. What do feathers bring that the others don't?

When I was at Englund's today picking through stuff, an older fellow asked "you really seem to know exactly what you're looking for! How does a guy learn all this stuff?" I told him, "you have to have a computer..." The reality is, you have to know where to look. A big thanks to all the Salty Dogs for their unselfish wisdom, uncanny sense of humor, and respect for their fellow fishermen/women!

I wish I could make the clinic this Friday but it's waaaay too far. Besides, they're calling for 2' or smaller wind waves and 6' swells this weekend. Gotta get some scales in the boat.

BTW, The fellow at Englunds had nothing but good to say about the iFish Discussion Board. Well, he did comment that there are some fanatics hangin out there. I'm taking that as a compliment!



M-Y

[Miss B Haven]

Mello- I'd get more than "a couple" of cedar plugs if I was you. Switch from the cheap stuff to water and you might be able to afford them. They were hot last year for me (way back on the rods).

Pilar did a great post last year on the full meal deal Tuna rigging (I've got a print out in the boat :smile: ). The post (two actually -separate info one on terminal rigging and one on handlines) is in the 2001 archives but the pics are gone. He's trying to get permanent storage for that sort of thing.

All you guys who are complaining about cost really need to try the egg sinker/bead and hoohie (hoochie -typo but I think I like it- forever known as Tuna Hoohies :grin: !) rig. What- a buck or two each?

[Master Baiter]

Sorry folks, I was expecting an Ifish thread, I did not know that that was the same!

[blubeast]

The tuna rigging pictorial by Pilar & his Mate was in my opinion one of the most useful ever to be listed on this forum. Too bad it bit the cyber dust.

Lucklily I had saved it, and have given an intact oopy to Pilar to get it re-posted.

Yes it's good it's included on another site... but imho not enought credit for its creation is given to Pilar. I agree it should be on ifish...

Thanks again to Pilar for his willingness to help teach others.

[ 04-17-2003, 08:03 AM: Message edited by: blubeast ]

[Miss B Haven]

What happened to Craig anyway- haven't see a post from him in ages! :whazzup:

[Mello-Yello]

Absolutely!! I made up 15 tuna riggings and two 100' handlines last night using it. I especially enjoyed the overhand knots every 18" on the handline...ack!... I can see why you can't buy these thing commercially. You couldn't pay someone to do this, you have to really want it.

A HUGE thanks to Pilar and his Mate!


When can we expect the offshore how-to video?

[Miss B Haven]

Mello - I can relate to the hand lines! I had Johns "lessons" printed out and in the boat. 400 foot roll of Tuna cord, all the hardware and a bottle of Tennesee's finest. Tied up a 40, 2-75 and 2-100 foot hand lines. Took all dang night to do those knots and way to much of the Jack! :shocked:

Ouch - sleep deprivation and a hangover!

[OceanBlue]

Now you know why John makes me do the knots in the handlines.

[Dynamite]

OK-OK-OK!!!!!!!!

Now I know how to make them, how many of what lengths should a guy have. How do you space out the lines when we can finaly quit talken and start fishen?

[DriftR]

Tuna gear and more tuna gear. We just can't get enough tuna gear. One thing I think most all tuna fanatics who go out on a regular basis should have:
One at least and maybe two PRESSURE COOKERS. Because that canned tuna in the winter months is so good. Just having one Pressure cooker going takes too long. That is unless you have access to a cannery.

I don't know how well it would work but if you use a trolling clip (like a longline clip only with a smaller opening) with the bungi cord on it you could make a long handline and then set it to the right length for your wake.

I also thought that figure 8 knots tied left hand right hand would make more of a bubble trail. It was much more work.

[Mark Mc]

Something just hit me, after seeing folks talk about different length handlines. At the last tunaholics meeting in Newport, I got a funny look from someone when I said I prefer short handlines (40 ft max w/ leader; even shorter). What I didn't say was that this is when fishing a combination of mostly rods, and just one or two handlines. So these shorties are right on the corners, and the lure is in the wake. The rod line jigs are to the side & behind the handline jigs. However, sure if you are going to fish mostly or all handlines, then you need various lengths to get the good spread.

"V" for victory

[Miss B Haven]

I've got some handlines set up that the snubbers can be adjusted on. Instead of the typical rubber bungee, they're a 1/2 of a ten speed bike inner tube. The tuna cord is fed through the middle of the tube. Grab both ends and strectch the inner tube tight and then release, keeping the tuna cord inside. Roll the ends back on themselves an inch or so to double the thick/strength and put a couple of half hitches over each end. Ends up just like a giant Kokanee snubber. If you want to shorten a line you just undo the hitches and slide the tube down the line and rehitch.

[Pilar]

Great idea Mel! The tuna tutorial is on the way to Jen @ ifish. We (Jen and I) have been working out a tackle making area on the board for permanent storage of these pictorial essays. Many thanks to Dale (Blubeast) for squirreling away the long 3 part tuna tackle post. It took a long time to put that together and even though I still have the pics, I was not looking forward to making it again.

Thanks Blubeast

For now if you want to do a tackle lesson for everyone either post it like I did the tuna essay and we'll transfer it to permanent storage or email it to me at my broadband acct. jwells@coemfg.com and I will put it up for you.

Also coming soon a GPS library for salty dogs. We do not have the details figured out but I will post about it and get a discussion started.

[ 04-17-2003, 11:03 AM: Message edited by: Pilar ]