# Live Baiting Question



## panhandlephinsphan (Aug 25, 2008)

Live baiting questions: i know you can just toss whatever live bait out there and let it swim where it wants, but what if you want to drop it down to where you know the big fish are? For instance- if you know the big fish are at 300 ft, how do you drop down a hard tail to 300 ft? Downrigger or just a weight on the line? Weight on the line is dangerous because it adds a lot of weight on the line. Downrigger with a live bait can get tangled in the mainline that the bait is on. Thoughts?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Break away leads.


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## Walton County (Aug 23, 2016)

Same as above.

Run about 100’ of line out, wrap a lead on with a rubber band and drop it down to wherever the marks are holding up.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

300 ft just make about a 5 ft. Long line with hook tied into swivel. With lead weight. Butterfly a bait fish like a mingo. Hook the lips and drop down. 
To butterfly, simply cut from tail on one side of backbone up to ahead of gills and down the other side. Remove the backbone. Put on hook
When it hits the bottom it resembles a fish swimming. Big fish love them. Never had one tangle.


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## fishboy (Oct 6, 2007)

We rubberband a bank sinker 50-100’ up the line and send the bait down to where the tuna are marking. I also think with proper boat driving and chunking you can get a free spooled/ hand fed chunk down pretty deep. Not unusual to have 1/3 or more of a reel off the spool when they pick up the bait. Then it’s just slide the lever forward and start cranking


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

sealark said:


> 300 ft just make about a 5 ft. Long line with hook tied into swivel. With lead weight. Butterfly a bait fish like a mingo. Hook the lips and drop down.
> To butterfly, simply cut from tail on one side of backbone up to ahead of gills and down the other side. Remove the backbone. Put on hook
> When it hits the bottom it resembles a fish swimming. Big fish love them. Never had one tangle.


Im pretty sure OP is trying to target tuna.


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## panhandlephinsphan (Aug 25, 2008)

OK- so I don’t need to use the down rigger- I can use a breakaway weight similar to what this guy is talking about in the video: 




Simple answer. I am still such a newb! Thank you for all of the info everyone, I appreciate it.


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## Baitsoaker (Jan 27, 2017)

"I've never seen a fish swim butt first"
Hilarious


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## Walton County (Aug 23, 2016)

panhandlephinsphan said:


> OK- so I don’t need to use the down rigger- I can use a breakaway weight similar to what this guy is talking about in the video: https://youtu.be/sYrsPGXiYhI
> 
> Simple answer. I am still such a newb! Thank you for all of the info everyone, I appreciate it.


Newb here as well but that is exactly what we have done. We always run it out a lot further than that, typically around 100' or so. We pitch the bait out, freespool, and then wrap the lead on and send her down.


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## Walton County (Aug 23, 2016)

Dbl post....


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## Baitsoaker (Jan 27, 2017)

Newb here as well


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