Yo yo questions after reading many posts

[Matt Johnson]

We've lost enough right next to the boat while pulling aboard that the gaff is used to keep dinner.

[HansSolo]

Im with Matt on the gaff. Trying to haul a thrashing 30-50lb fish on deck over the life line with just the line is a good way to lose dinner. Once on deck, vodka (or any cheep booze) in a squirt bottle sprayed on the gills kills them instantly. This is the setup that we use; 50-100' of parracoard with 25' of 300lb mono and a quick attach swivel at the end. I have tried it with and without the bungee and I find that it helps reduce the chances of the fish tearing off or straightening out the hook when you are moving along at 6-7knots

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by HansSolo

Im with Matt on the gaff. Trying to haul a thrashing 30-50lb fish on deck over the life line with just the line is a good way to lose dinner. Once on deck, vodka (or any cheep booze) in a squirt bottle sprayed on the gills kills them instantly. This is the setup that we use; 50-100' of parracoard with 25' of 300lb mono and a quick attach swivel at the end. I have tried it with and without the bungee and I find that it helps reduce the chances of the fish tearing off or straightening out the hook when you are moving along at 6-7knots

The difference is that I use >150 feet of 100-pound mono, which has 5-10 times the stretch of 75' of para cord. The fish I seek run deeper. That is why I don't need a bungee.

[wjsobers]

Anybody use yo yos in fresh water lakes? Or are lakes more for sport fishing?

[puffcard]

The small yo yo's are not for trolling, those from Amazon are better suited for bottom fishing for 1-7lb size fish. They could be used for fishing off a dock at a lake or off an anchored boat. Trolling you might be able to them and land a small mackerel. We use both rod and reels and yo yo's, but a gaff makes landing the bigger fish at the both much easier.

The best tip I can give you is to match the line size to the hook size. You just can't set a 7-0 tuna hook with 10lb test line. The opposite is true, where 150lb line with a small hook, is an over kill and will pull the hook. The mono line provides the much needed shock absorbing at the first hit and maintaining pressure till the fish is on the boat. DO NOT USE BRAIDED LINE FOR HAND FISHING. Also gloves should be on your hands when handling fish. A good friend lost a hand do to a cut from a billfish's bill, some nasty Bactria on fish.