# Dredges?



## knoxclark3 (Mar 10, 2013)

Hi, 

I am new to trolling and I was wondering about how dredges are used. I know that they mimic the natural behavior of baitfish, with the dredge mimicking the school and the hooked bait or lures following behind mimicking the stragglers that the fish will go after. What I don't know is how dredges are deployed and used. Are they attached to rods as well, or can they be tied to the boat on a cleat or a ring on a rigger? Thanks in advance for helping the newbie  .

Knox


----------



## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Dredges are awesome and most are tied to the transom. I however only use the lighter dredges on a 31' center console boat.

Sailfish will tear them up quickly..!!


----------



## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

There are some good threads over on hulltruth about dredges as of lately. I discourage the use of them on center consoles. It's a lot in the water and with a minimal crew, a lot can go wrong quickly, all the while working a fish, retrieving the dredge(s) while dodging the outboards, clearing lines, etc. The bigger ones pull a tremendous amount of drag, and if you think you can hand over hand retrieve one all the while a hot blue is slashing at it, you are in for a rude awakening.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/sportfishing-charters-forum/512776-dredges-center-console.html

Check out my comments on this thread as well: http://www.thehulltruth.com/carolinas/497485-my-first-billfish-lure-should-sc-coast-2.html

Good luck. I love dredges, just not on center consoles.

Here is a link to the ones I like: http://binnacletackle.com/MarlinMayhem.html


----------



## marlinchaser (Oct 11, 2007)

Here's my2 cents. I have a 24" CC and I run one 5 line spreader bar, (7 soft squid on center line 4-5 squid on either side and 2 squid on the outside lines) off Starboard cleat. I run a medium Kona type head (dolphin color) teaser off the port side, 2 outriggers, 2 flats and one long center; almost all with different colored Ilander's with medium ballyhoo. I will occasionally run naked ballyhoo off outriggers and an artificial off the center. I generally have a 3-4 person crew and each has assigned duties such as 1 takes one side 1 takes the other (long line, outriggers, flats, then teaser/spreader bar), one drives or catches fish. Start turn into fish, reduce power some and start clearing. This has been successful for me on my boat but everyone has there own ideas. I will say that, IMHO, a medium to large dredge would really be unwieldy.


----------

