Need Fishing Gear Advice

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Harry Brown

Got me thinking now. Do Dolphin actually go for bait/lures, or are they smarter than that?

We have never had dolphins pay any attention to our lures - they seem too interested in our boat instead.

However, we did get into a pod of pilot whales once where the pod was swimming with our boat like dolphins do (very scaring having something that big drafting on you - let alone 8 of them). After a while playing with the boat, two of them dropped back to our lures and started playing with them. They would nose right up to the lures and flip them around, swim under them and throw them up in the air with their fins/tails, etc.

The only reason we were not afraid of hooking one was because we were preoccupied with the terror of having several of these large animals riding/drafting within inches under the sterns on each side of our rudders and saildrives while several others were riding/drafting within inches under our bows.

We were so happy when they finally left - felt like hours.

Mark

[GreenIssue]

Originally Posted by Serapium

Wow- thanks for all the input folks! I'm definitely diggin this forum for all the incredible advice we've gotten on such a huge range of topics. While I did indeed go on a 'spending spree' it's not like I've broken the bank or anything. Here's what I've amassed so far:

One huge lot of lures
4 Penn / Similar reels
Four saltwater poles from 6' - 9'
20 sets of 50 hooks in various sizes (these are also for trade with locals)
Various other small tackle

Total outlay so far is about $225.

I'm definitely leaning towards the hand fishing while underway. Seems logical to me, and will get a couple rigs. In terms of lures, I do have a big bunch that I got cheap as a lot. Don't really know what I'm looking at though... Maybe some advice on which of these will work and which I should stash for trade goods?

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/xolt8t81g...hlpldr6cQImTTa
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/ycn1i4t1t...ZlFqI6SOqhHvLa

The cedar plugs work well and they are not too expensive... there is a photo of one on a yo-yo set up that someone posted on this thread

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by GreenIssue

The cedar plugs work well and they are not too expensive... there is a photo of one on a yo-yo set up that someone posted on this thread

We also find the cedar plugs work well for us.

Using a yo-yo hand line with a bungee has worked great for us for the last 17 years of cruising. We have a variety of lures depending on what speed we are traveling. Rapalas work very well at less than 5 knots. We also run a wire leader as the lures are so expensive we hate to loose them to a toothy beast! Usually we run 2 lures off the back. One running deep and the other in the surface.

Try making lures using a bottle top and a chip bag. It has been very successful with Mahi Mahi. The only real expense is buying a hook and maybe a piece of wire leader. What a lure made out of a potato chip bag... WTF! Laugh all you want but they do work!

You can see a detailed write up on how to make your own chip bag lures on our website under "Other Good Stuff". Also listed there are some tips we jotted down from 4 summers fishing in the Sea of Cortez.

Happy fishing!

Chuck
Jacaranda
Nuku Hiva, Marquesas



www.jacarandajourney.com

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Yes, it's what old timers call Mahi- Mahi or whatever its called now.
I believe the name was changed because tourists wouldn't eat Flipper or maybe fancy name = higher prices

Wait, are we not supposed to eat Dolphin/ Porpoise???

Seriously though when out fishing on the smaller boat if we are dragging rigged ballyhoo, Porpoise / dolphin will strip the bally hoo off the hooks, once in a great while one will take the line on a 30mph joyride but they usually drop the rig, Never actually hooked one and if you did, they are wayyy to powerful to reel in.

[Terra Nova]

In the canned tuna we get nowadays you can barely detect the taste of Dolphin.

[dilligaf]

Maui and Tuna are on the surface, don't worry about going deep, they feed on the surface

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Harry Brown

Got me thinking now. Do Dolphin actually go for bait/lures, or are they smarter than that?

Dolphin the mammal right? Never hooked, nor heard of, one being hooked or even foul hooked. Have had them playing off the bows many times while trolling. No worries.

They will screw up your fishing if you are going for smaller species though, because they are very effective predators...terrified fish dont feed!

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Delancey

kiss.

Ha, Ive got exactly the same rig aboard....plus all the complicated stuff!

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I have never heard of them going for it, I've caught most everything else though, even seagulls, but I believe somehow Dolphins know better.

Ive had seagulls be a serious nuisance...especially when spin casting...have had them catch the lure in flight...real pain to get treble hooks out of a freaked out seagull !

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by chouliha

...

Try making lures using a bottle top and a chip bag. It has been very successful with Mahi Mahi. The only real expense is buying a hook and maybe a piece of wire leader. What a lure made out of a potato chip bag... WTF! Laugh all you want but they do work!

...

I make up my own lures too out of random stuff and they are surprisingly effective. Lures of PVC plugs plus a plastic skirt or unlayed line are very inexpensive and work well. While finished lures are spendy, many of the components to make them are not, I stock a bunch of plastic skirts of different colors and a some PVC plugs in my tackle box...quick and easy to make up a new lure.

Read an article once by a sport fishing captain who on a bet made up a lure out of an old flip-flop and caught Marlin on it!

[Serapium]

The general consensus I'm getting from the responses is that 'squid' looking lures (whether mass produced or homemade) tend to be the most effective. Is that an accurate statement?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by colemj

...

However, we did get into a pod of pilot whales once where the pod was swimming with our boat like dolphins do (very scaring having something that big drafting on you - let alone 8 of them). After a while playing with the boat, two of them dropped back to our lures and started playing with them. They would nose right up to the lures and flip them around, swim under them and throw them up in the air with their fins/tails, etc.

...

Had two come up right under my hulls once, I didnt see them, but I did notice the depth go to a few feet from off soundings...we were, or should have been, in a few thousand feet of water. That really got my pucker factor up for a few moments! Once I confirmed we in fact were in deep water, I started looking around and noticed a big silhouette right under the boat...he then rolled out and looked at me with one eye...I think he was grinning!

[sartorst]

Most of the time I troll a squid like lure, but tried a diving type lure with a bill and no swivel in the line OMG do you know how many revolutions a fouled lure can turn and what it will do to the line in an hour!!!!

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by chouliha

...
Try making lures using a bottle top and a chip bag. It has been very successful with Mahi Mahi. The only real expense is buying a hook and maybe a piece of wire leader. What a lure made out of a potato chip bag... WTF! Laugh all you want but they do work!

...

Cool idea. Sort of like "flashabou" material which is used in lure/fly making. Definately gonna try this one.

Commercial flashabou:

http://www.amazon.com/Packs-Flashabo.../dp/B00D824EKY

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Serapium

The general consensus I'm getting from the responses is that 'squid' looking lures (whether mass produced or homemade) tend to be the most effective. Is that an accurate statement?

Cut open a tuna's stomach and you will almost certainly find squid in there.