# Teasers



## Fish N Tales

What do you experienced guys recommend pulling for teasers on a 26cc with outriggers? This past season I pulled 2 squid daisy chains on the inside/short rigger, and had the long riggers rigged with a ballyhoo/ilander 10ft or so behind the daisy chain. I pulled a naked ballyhoo on the shotgun and sometimes ran a flat in the prop wash, usually another ilander or maybe a feather. I also have a dredge teaser with ballyhoo I never really use. I rig all my ilanders with 400 mono. 

Should I have a hook or bait at the end of the daisy chain? Currently it's just the daisy chain and no hook. I also have a couple of bird teaser daisy chains. One thing I have learned with bill fishing is you can spend as much money as you want lol. 

Am I on the right track? Should I be pulling more baits? What about those large chugger teasers?

Thanks in advance....I need all the advice I can get! 

By the way main goal is to catch a bill, but a wahoo would be awesome too.


----------



## Chris V

Keep it simple and don't overwhelm yourself is the first thing I'll say. Pull a basic five line spread until you get the hang of staggering baits and clearing lines with a big fish on or multiple fish. As far as lures, I could go on and on. With teasers, I have four that I rotate with smaller boats. 

1) dredge with plastic ballyhoo or shad
2) spreader bar with plastic ballyhoo or squid
3) bowling pin chain
4) small fender teaser

I pull these generally on teaser lines on the transom or rear gunwale cleats. It's much faster on a smaller boat to clear the teasers with them being cleated off. If you want to run them off of the riggers, pull the spreader bar or a daisy chain of large squids or similar baits that don't produce a lot of drag.


----------



## MSViking

As Chris said, keeping it simple is important. I always preferred the Moldcraft fender type teasers or a string of bowling pins tied off on a cleat. They are easy to use and retrieve. I tried using dredges etc... but on a CC they are a pain combined with the fact that you can't see the dredge from the cockpit, therefore you could have fish all over and not know it. Just my two cents.

Robert


----------



## Fish N Tales

Thanks guys for the advice. So what is more important, the teasers or the # of baits? I'm just trying to get a general setup concept to work with.


----------



## MSViking

On number of lures, my opinion is that for blue marlin 3 lures are plenty, one off each rigger and one down the middle. Having said that, we are blessed in our waters to have shots at wahoo, dolphin, sails, whites and blues. Therefore having a variety of sizes of baits will most likely improve your overall catch rates. I always ran to halyards off my outriggers, one for short and one for long. I ran 2 lines off each rigger plus a flat off each corner and then a shotgun for a total of 8 lines. But I would not feel handicapped with just one line off each rigger.

Robert


----------



## Fish N Tales

Thanks Robert! I pull 2 lines off each of my riggers as well, but 1 is usually the daisy chain. I reckon I will try using the transom cleats to free the other rigger line. Another question is hooks. I currently use a 10/0 j hook. And is 400 mono overkill?


----------



## Chris V

There are a couple questions that don't really have a "correct" answer. The size of the hook and leader material squarely falls on what you anticipate. On my flatlines, which usually have larger lures or wahoo plugs, I will generally fish 300-400lb leader. On most other baits I rarely fish over 300lb mono and have never had a cutoff with it. 

As far as number of baits, you will be missing out on a lot of action with other species if you pull nothing but large surface baits for Blues. An easy spread for your boat is the classic "W" spread of one on each rigger, two flats and a long center, with two teasers cleated off. If you have plenty of help or have developed a routine for clearing quickly, then you can add more with confidence. You just don't want to jump the gun too quickly and lose the fish of a lifetime because of being overwhelmed.


----------



## Capt. Myles Colley

Hard to beat a squid chain for a teaser. I like to put an Islander express on the back with some type of bait on it ( Mackerel, mullet, ballyhoo, belly strip). Try to keep your spread simply. If your just fun fishing I like a spread with Idlander ballyhoo combos. I would probably use 300lb leader with a 9/0 or 10/0 depending on the bait. This is just a basic spread and there are many adjustments you could make for different situations. Good luck.


----------



## sniperpeeps

+1 for bowling pins those things raise fish


----------



## Gotta Gaff 'Em

Simple is good.... Back in virginia we run squid chains with big chrome islanders off the riggers as teasers. They sit right off the transom corner. If we run a dredge the teasers sits just behind it. Fish come off the dredge up to the islander and we drop the flat back to them. Squid teaser is 5 moldcraft squid usually pink, green or purple. The islander is rigged with a horse ballyhoo. If we are searching for blue marlin instead of running an islander we run a moldcraft chugger behind the squid instead, or a large jet head, or big sailure from islander. The color of that is preferred blue/white, black/purple or pink. Dredgres are normally plastic ballyhoo. IF you are fishing for white marlin, one of our friends found this wicked teaser. Its like $400 but its made out of surfboard material looks and swims like a white marlin. runs right behind the dredge and it raises fish hard!!!! OUr white marlin spread is mostly 150-200lb at most. If they are shy ill run 100. flat lines are naked dink ballyhoo shorts are normally either naked mediums or squid skirted. Longs will be lures looking for a blue marlin IN the back. Usually an Islander and a jet head. Islander baited jet head naked. You can alwasy run a small squid spreader bar off your teaser reel and just leave it unbaited. We have done that in the past with some success


----------



## GWally

This is a great thread. Since I have my last rod holders installed, thought I'd jump in for advice. I'll be set up for 6 lines, 2 outriggers, 2 flats that angle out at 45 degrees or so (just the way they had to be set due to no flat surface available) and 2 stern mounted flats each a couple feet to each side of centerline and running straight back. I have an umbrella rig with birds for one cleat and a daisy chain for the other and could run a spinning rod deep off the center as a third "mahi" rig. I'd like to set up to maximize options basically thinking 2 riggers big for possible Marlin hits, the 2 angled flats for wahoo since I am more confident in the strength of the mountings and the 2 stern lines for Mahi. I'll need to conserve fuel so I expect to be trolling in the 5-7 or 8 knot range. I have a Yozuri knockoff for one flat and one of the others in the picture for Wahoo (after I rerig them with wire). Looking at other posts, I have some smaller lures similar to little stubbys for Mahi and bigger things for a shot (hopefully) at a Marlin. I'd appreciate recommendations as to placement of this spread and, which lines would be good for using birds.

It doesn't show in the pictures but, the heads of the lures have a slight angled concave cut. It looks like it should help them dive but, I won't know til I get to pull them.


----------



## billin

*teaser*

keep it simple at first unless you have a really experinced crew 6 lines and a teaser on a small boat is a recipe for disaster. Start off with a basic 5 line spread put a bird on the center rigger so you can see it stagger the rest of the spread so you can turn easily and then introduce a teaser if you dont have a center rigger cut it down to 4 lines.Bowling pin chains work very well in this area IMO. Keep in mind in the intial rush with the reels still screaming you have to clear the crap on that side of the boat so dont complicate it more than it has to be. Wahoo fishing is king here they respond well too teasers. Billfish atleast the whites and sails we normally get here respond very well to naked baits and dredges get the strip dredges and you have less chance of screwing up keep a trolling weight in front of it and just run it off a down rigger. As Robert stated you will have a hard time seeing fish turn on so prospect the dredge with the spinning rod and a naked hoo from time to time. Also you really need to learn how to rig baits that plastic stuff looks good on the shelves i buy it too but nothing beats a hoo rigged right. excpet live bait of course.


----------



## rufus1138

damn this makes me want to ride along with someone offshore just to see what its like.


----------



## Southern Charters LLC

hours and hours of boredom with moments of utter chaos. Yeah that sums it up


----------



## Fish N Tales

Southern Charters said:


> hours and hours of boredom with moments of utter chaos. Yeah that sums it up


Lol! I sure do love it tho! For some reason I'd rather troll all day with 1 knockdown than bottom fish. Don't get me wrong I love it all, but trolling is awesome. 

Thanks everybody for the help!


----------



## Chris V

If you cut the size of the weight on your dredge down, you'll see it better since it will run just below the surface. I keep my dredge tight to the transom if fishing from something outboard powered; about 25ft or so. Don't think for a second a billfish won't come up to that thing in the prop wash either. 

Hookless spreader bars for teasers are one of the most underutilized teasers on the gulf coast IMO. We raised several bills this year on mine, including an estimated 450-500lb Blue. They are especially effective on whites and sails especially. I put 24 plastic ballyhoo on mine usually (I have a squid bar too) and has crazy action within 30ft of the transom.

A bowling pin or gooney bird chain is just awesome and there's no other description needed.

I still haven't tried the mudflat teasers yet even though I hear crews rave about them


----------



## Capt. Alex Pinney

I still haven't tried the mudflat teasers yet even though I hear crews rave about them[/QUOTE]

I've used mudflaps , had fish come up on them , but I prefer a squid chain . Some people are making small dredges out of the small mudflaps , they look good .


----------



## billin

*mud flaps*

I have tried them on a dredge they worked just fine I just prefer the strip tease dredges cause they dont get all knoted up and you can get them back in the water faster IMO.


----------



## Chris V

billin said:


> I have tried them on a dredge they worked just fine I just prefer the strip tease dredges cause they dont get all knoted up and you can get them back in the water faster IMO.


I have had the exact opposite with strip teasers. We've had them knot up to the point of tearing. I've pulled them quite a bit but never found solution. Is there a trick I'm missing? Either way they did raise fish


----------



## Gotta Gaff 'Em

Get a wahoo bomb. A lot of different companies make them or you can make your own. Heavy chrome head, sometimes jet sometimes not. Black and red or black and purple. Rig with a horse ballyhoo. Run it on one of those 45's and hang on. they like to eat on the turns. Dont forget to run some naked ballyhoo in your spread as well

http://www.candhlures.com/wahoo-lures/mr-big-mylar.html One of my favorites in black and red. the smaller version is great too. Caught many a virginia and north carolina wahoo on these. Can either run them naked with double hook wire or wire to single hook rigged with horse ballyhoo


----------



## billin

*strip dredge*

never had them get knoted while using them no matter how many times i pulled them in and dropped them on the floor the key is to pick them up by the umbrella they may be wrapped around the arm but its generally easy to straighten out. That being said if you dont store them properly when traveling with them out of the water you are correct the wind ties better knots than I can. I use paperclips and fold the strips end over end and clip them about 6 inches from the rig arm. This always works but in the event you lose your clips and it gets tangled on the ride home take thr strips off the dredge and soak them in a bucket with warm water and Dawn dish soap for a few minutes that will generally lubricate and free them up enough to prevent damage.


----------



## cblaze

When you say run flat. Can you describe?


----------



## Gotta Gaff 'Em

A flat line is a bait run off a transom holder and held down with a release clip. This release clip can also be a rubber band wrapped around handle, ive seen paper clips, stiff wire, or just an outtrigger clip that has been crimped to the ring on the back of the rod. Flat baits are usually naked ballyhoo, but can be lures


----------



## GWally

*Flat line*

We ran our flats directly off the rods and just used releases for our riggers but, it has been a while, things may have changed.


----------



## Chris V

Flat lines are all of the above. It generally comes from running from a clip off the stern, but nowadays it pretty much just means your transom lines, preferably from a bent butt rod to keep the line angle low. You can pull anything from a flatline and I prefer a larger bait or lure


----------



## Gotta Gaff 'Em

That being said there have been times where I know wahoo are in the area and I have run a Maruader in really tight to the boat right under and behind the dredge and had some amazing strikes on it. Tuna will take it too. It all depends on what you are after, what your boat and crew experience will allow and what you have and are comfortable fishing with.


----------



## GWally

*Dredges*

I'm getting closer to figuring out my setup. Any preference as to dredge compostion? I've seen all kinds of "critters" used. I have a couple with squid but, have seen some impressive looking ones with flashy holographic ballyhoo. How about the combination of dredge with birds incorporated in front of the squid.


----------



## cblaze

Chris, have you run these?


----------



## ak555

All the information in this thread is great. After reading this and other articles about teasers, I am still trying to decide what would be best for my set-up and typical fishing areas.

Basically, I want to increase the effectiveness of a 25' CC trolling spread (w/o outriggers, but do have a pair of those outrodders that fit into the rod holders) when trolling around and past the Edge. 

I am not targeting billfish, but am looking to raise / catch any of the other possible suspects (wahoo, mahi, tuna, etc).

First, what seems to be the most effective and easily used multi-tasking teaser for this application?

Next, my inclination at this point is to a acquire a spreader teaser bar about 36 inches in width with either 6 or 9 inch squids in blue/white, pink/something, green/yellow, or black/purple. This brings a whole slew of other questions / requests for opinions.


Colors?
Also, how does everyone recommend deploying a spreader (teaser alone on reel; cleated off; attaching a hooked chaser bait directly to teaser on the reel, etc.)?
Spreader bar material (titanium, stainless steel, composite)? I have read some are more prone to tangling, etc.
Squid vs ballyhoo as to the teasers?
 6in or 9in baits?

I am looking into the Seastriker titanium 30" to see how it would work in my trolling spread since I can get one for about $30 w/ 10 9" squids. So, any opinions on that product would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.


----------



## MSViking

For years I trolled out of a Contender 25. For a teaser I suggest simplicity, spreader bars can be giant pain to store as well as deploy plus they do not always run right depending on sea state, they can toss and tumble. Bowling pin and or fender type teaser are a better bet for a center console in my opinion. Easy to store and deploy, they dive under your prop wash (bars can get lost in the wash) and they are cheaper.

Robert


----------



## SnapperSlapper

In my opinion, it is more important to be where the fish are than what you are pulling. In addition, I've often found that on a small boat one or two people end up doing all the work. One person driving the boat, and the other person doing all the clearing. Clearing 6 lines and 2 teasers is often too much. With that said, bowling pin teasers raise a lot of fish in my experience. I usually don't pull teasers unless there are at least two other people on the boat that know what to do when there is a bite.


----------



## ak555

Thank you Robert and SnapperSlapper. After your comments and researching the bowling pin / fender idea, I have decided that would be the best for me.

Can you provide some recommendations as to what bowling pin set-ups you like best?

Questions I have are:


Size? (9 in or 13 in.)
Configuration? (Multiple pins stringed together; one pin chasing a mini daisy chain; etc)
Colors?(bonito, mahi, etc)
Brand and model? (tormentor; braid; playaction, etc.)

Looking to buy one that would be the best for trolling for wahoo, kings, mahi, and tuna around the Edge and north or around the Ozark. Also, looking to buy one that will last a long time, but also does not cost an arm and a leg.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Yellow fever 23

X 2 for for the bowling pins, simple and effective.


----------



## Yellow fever 23

I run mine behind a small chain just out of the prop wash,
One off each transom cleat on a 23 contender.


----------



## MSViking

I really don't think it matters that much as to color and size, it's just something to get a fish's attention. I seen all manner of fish chasing all sizes and colors of teasers. I am not so sure fish are nearly as smart as we give them credit for. I would just buy one that looks good to you and does not break the bank.


----------



## SnapperSlapper

The bowling pin rig I use the most consists of 4 13" pins. I'm not exactly sure of the brand, but i think they are tormenters. As for color, it doesn't matter IMO. Mine are a bonito color, but they are chipped on the edges and missing paint from getting hit by fish and slung around in the boat. I also have a string of the 7" play action in white and blue. They look good, but if I'm gonna pull a teaser, I want it to be a teaser. The other two teasers I use are a big 16" soft head chugger behind 4 12" squid, and a string of 5 12" squid. I also have a couple 9" squid chains, but I put hooks in mine and run them from a reel on the short rigger when I run them.


----------



## axman

hook-less stretch 30 pulling a ballyhoo dredge three way 300lb swivel 300lb mono 24ft back works great.


----------



## Tobiwan

We pull blue and white bowling pins and a black Bart extreme breakfast from the transom and squid chains from the bridge teaser reels.


----------



## panhandleslim

F-N-T, 

You just got about $20,000 worth of advice for free. How to distill all of it? Number One - always go with the local knowledge. What works in Virginia, Carolina, North Drop, etc. MAY work here but it is the knowledge of the SUCCESSFUL Captains, Crews and Owners that you should tune your ear to. These guys are always looking to try NEW things but when the chips are down they go to what works best and I think they have been very forthcoming with you. One unique thing about the fishing around here is that lots of guys use the 'kitchen sink' approach and it is good to mix things up but what are you really after? As the post went on, you sort of morphed your species. My approach is to target Blue Marlin and let whatever else is out there just 'bail on'. I have seen everything that swims eat lures designed for Blue Marlin. That said, when tuna are in the mix, a bullet shotgun can't be underestimated (and is effective for Whites and Sails). For your boat size, I wouldn't get all 'wrapped around the axle' with dredges....just too much to deal with. My choice of Teasers....Mold Craft's Enormous Johnson with a large bird in front but it is effective without the bird and so easy to deal with and you won't chip it dropping it on the deck (except for the bird). Some extremely successful guys that I have fished with don't use ANY teasers at all. They run a four or five lure spread and everything has a hook in it. When you are where the fish are, when they 'feel the need for feed' too many things in the water can be a detriment, not an advantage. When Blue Marlin are really on the feed, we have just gone to two teasers on teaser rods and pitch baited the interested parties. You will miss out on the 'incidental' wahoos and tunas but hey, Blue Marlin are my thing. You seem to be leaning toward wahoos, tunas and Kings......Bullets and jets for tuna, black and red Islanders for Wahoo, Moldcraft Super Chuggers for Dolphin (I like purple and orange). Concentrate on your spread more than your teasers. Your questions are why J&M has a whole room devoted to nothing but offshore lures and rigs. Don't let all this stuff fry your mind. Good luck on getting bitten out there.


----------



## ak555

Thank you all for the great suggestions and feedback.

I totally agree with focusing on the spread and worrying less about the teaser.

However, I do wish to get one teaser in the mix to see how it changes my current running. Given that the bowling pins and fender teasers look simple to deploy, retrieve, etc., I have decided to start there.

I will be continuing to look into acquiring some bowling pins, but a chain of them are not as cheap as I was hoping. As such, I think I will bide my time while I look for some second hand Tormentors on the internet.

In the meantime, it looks like fun messing with the fender teaser. Since, I already have almost all the materials, it just comes down to buying some Krylon spray paint and spending the time. The two variations: (1) running lures in front of the fender as a pure teaser; and (2) attaching a friction clip to the back of the fender and running a line with rigged lure off it, should keep me occupied for awhile.

Thanks again for all the great replies. Keep the comments coming.


----------



## marlinchaser

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 (no hook) 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. The spreader bar is a Williamson brand that I got on sale at Bass Pro. It runs well, attracts fish, and relatively easy to handle and store. How do I know it attracts fish?; well I have to replace squid that have been bitten off every few trips or so. Had a white marlin up and slashing the fool out of the kona head teaser last year. (J&M tackle made the teaser a couple of years ago for just the cost of the materials; great bunch of guys). To make all that work I normally have a 3-4 person crew that are briefed ahead of time.


----------

