# Rigging Lures



## Kim

Here is the place to show how you rig your lures and get a critique form peers and professionals on the forum. They will help you improve how you rig them. It is also the place to ask for advice on how to rig them from the forum professionals. The hope is that this thread becomes sort of a lure reference library as far as "how to' do it goes.


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## Captain Woody Woods

*Proper crimping techniques*

I think I have enough photos here to eliminate the description, but am happy to provide one if someone needs. Basically, I use a bench swage for all of my connections. Cut the mono off at a steep angle as it often facilitates going into the crimp, then burn the end so it mushrooms, pull it tight, and crimp. If I have to crimp something on the fly (while offshore), I prefer REAL crimpers, such as the ones found here: http://www.meltontackle.com/products/sea-striker-ch-18-deluxe-hand-crimper.html

And not the little $20 cheap ones.

-Capt. Woody Woods


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## Kim

*Long hookset sliding pin rig Part 1*

The disadvantage of the normal pin rig is that you have a short hookset and the short strikes on the baits don't get hook ups. So your choice is to either buy pre-rigged dual hook or rig with a long hookset using wire or monofilament. This is a slightly modified standard long hookset with monofilament line, rather that crimping the pin it is held securely in place by means of a press fit/compression.

The materials I used are as follows; Moimoi #200 leader 1.40 mm diameter, Malin SS leader #15 .035 inch diameter, Bill Fisher size 1.7 aluminum sleeves, Bill Fisher large rigging springs and Braid #100 - #300 chaff tube.

First Picture: Slide on rigging spring, three aluminum sleeves, 3/4 inch length of chaff tube, hook of your choice. Cut a piece of #15 SS leader 1 1/2 inch long.

Second picture: Tag end came in from the inside of the hook and should be of sufficient length so that when the hook bow sits in the anus of the bait the tag end with the pin will pierce the lower and upper lips of the bait (Ballyhoo). Cinch down on the mainline, verify that tag end length is sufficient.

Note: line must be done this way because the pin will cause some damage to the tag end of the line as it is forced into the tight fit inside the sleeve. If you do it the opposite way the leader line will be damaged inserting the pin creating a weak spot in the leader.

Third picture: Crimp the aluminum sleeve forming the hook loop. I use the cheap $25 dollar crimpers.

Fourth and fifth pictures: Slide the second aluminum sleeve over the tag end a little short of the position you want for the rigging pin and slide the #15 SS piece into the sleeve on top of the tag end. Avoid twisting the line, if it twists, the hook and pin will not be in alignment, if that happens pull the pin out and try again until you have good alignment of hook and pin. This is the part that makes this all work, the diameter of the leader and SS pin form a compression fit inside the aluminum sleeve, thus pulling the bait by the head and not the hook.


Sixth and seventh pictures: Using the crimpers, close the jaws over the line below the pin/sleeve and pull the pin into the position you measured for the length of the Ballyhoo you are using. Slide the third aluminum sleeve over the still straight pin. This sleeve will prevent the pin from tearing up your bait while threading the leader through the bait.


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## Kim

*Long hookset liding pin rig Part 2*

First picture: Shows the third sleeve over the straight section of SS leader ready for rigging bait.

Second picture: This is what the finished rig looks like, notice how far back the hook is from the as yet unbent pin.

Note: I didn't take pics of threading the leader through the bait, I used a bait needle and just pulled the doubled up leader up through the bait from the anus and out of the gills. I also use a couple of small SS tubes that I can run through the baits gills down the body, out the anus or even half way between the anus and tail which the bait needle won't do.

Using needle nose pliers bend the pin upwards to a 90 degree angle to the leader, pierce the bait under the lower jaw up through the top, wind the rigging spring over the pin and when it's seated cut the excess pin off with wire cutters. At the same time you can snip off the excess tag end so it's close to the rigging pin.

Sixth and seventh pictures: With the hookset long to the tail end of the bait you can adjust the depth of the bait into the lure using beads.

If you want to rig this on a shorter bait than what was measured for, pull the pin out, slide the second aluminum sleeve back towards the hook for a shorter hook set, reinsert pin as before. Just make sure you measure it against the bait before threading the leader and bending the rigging pin. Also the chaffing sleeve I slide over the hook and hook loop is a personal preference, I don't like floppy hooks.

Note: You need to make sure that you take a good pair of crimpers, aluminum sleeves(crimps), chaffing tube to form the leader loop after the bait has been threaded. It's probably a good idea to have things precut, prepackaged and ready to go.


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## my3nme

How long is the leader Kim?


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## Kim

The leaders for tuna I have made 1 2/3 arm spans, I guess that's about eight feet, I never measured it.


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## TCAT

Kim,

In my humble opinion, I wouldn't rig the hook so far back in the hoo. This will stiffen the bait and you'll lose action. While trolling most of our short strikes are either bulldozers (massively large hartails), peanuts (small chicken dolphin), or super chickens. Big wahoo, dolphin, or tuna will normally inhale the bait. Also...I would ditch the Jobu hook (at least that's what it looks like). 

KJ


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## Kim

Good eye T, that is a Jobu and I used it for demonstration, I won't be using that one to fish with. If they run stiff I could always debone the little suckers. I haven't deboned on a dead bait in years. The Moimoi leader is pretty flexible and I was hoping that it would be forgiving enough. I'll let you know how it works the end of next week weather permitting.


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## Chris V

It would understatement of the year for me to say "I hate pin rigs". I always rig my ballyhoo pinless and without springs, just a hook and wire. This keeps the bait totally natural looking and gives me endless rigging options regarding hook style, hook placement, straight running or split bill, etc


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## gbRED112

What wrong with jobu hooks?


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## TCAT

I've tried the Jobu and it seems like I lost more fish after hook up. Went back to trusty old Mustads. Not to mention they tend to corrode and rust once the paint wears off. I have and continue to use 7731 or 7732.


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## SnapperSlapper

Jobu hooks are horrible for ballyhoo. They have a very thick eye and shank, which makes them want to turn sideways in the bait. In addition, they seem to come unbuttoned way too much on ballyhoo bites. They are not designed for rigging ballyhoo. Been there, done that, got the t shirt that said "many missed fish". The 7731 we started with is still the best all around ballyhoo hook. On light tuna dusters I will use the long shank owner ballyhoo hook. But for all around, you won't go wrong with a 7731. 6/0 or 7/0 for small/medium ballyhoos, 8/0 for all around pulling, and 10/0 for horses.

For lures I like the jobu style, but I think the Hayes hook is better (same shape, but stainless). With that said I have a lot of senior wide ranges rigged up with double 10/0 jobus, and that is a very good combination .


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## gbRED112

I was asking because I have my trolling lures mainly rigged with jobu bought from j&m. Don't use them for ballyhoo.


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## Captain Woody Woods

gbRED112 said:


> What wrong with jobu hooks?


Theyre horrible


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## Kim

I still have a few lures rigged with them but they are ones I don't use. The problem I have with Jobu hooks is that they are super ecologically friendly and that means they start rusting about the time they hit the water. I prefer SS Mustad hooks myself but I think I'm going to try some from one of the online stores I saw in a post, their SS hooks were about half the cost of the Mustads. If they work out great and some money available for more fishing porn, if not back to Mustad.


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## lowprofile

I have all my skirts rigged with 8/0-10/0 jobus. haven't had any thrown hooks yet (only caught 14-16 fish since using them exclusively) but they do start to rust quick. im thinking about switching over to the Tuna Bends and only running single hooks from now on. I rigged up with doubles and my 9-10" lures didn't seem to be running right. 

we can't get ballyhoo or flying fish out here unless we go and catch them ourselves so I rigged up and Ilander with a skirt. I know some people do it this way but not sure how they do it. I've just been told "use a skirt instead". I stuck a 4oz egg weight in the head to get it to run deeper. thoughts?


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## Kim

Let us know how it works. People started rigging jigs with little glow octopus and they hooked up on more fish. It worked good enough that major the lure manufactures started lines of jigs rigged like that. I kind of like your idea and I'm going to rig one up to try but I think I'll use a mylar skirt for a little more flash.


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## SnapperSlapper

People have been pulling ilanders with skirts behind them for years around here high speed trolling. We caught a 2nd place wahoo in a tournament on one last year. We rig an ilander with two 7-9" squid skirts with a 2 oz weight in each skirt. Rig it on heavy cable with a 10/0 southern tuna hook with the point of the hook about even with the back skirt. J&M sells them already rigged like this. It looks very similar to the one shown in the picture above.


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## Kim

I have some rigged like this but the Ilander idea is new to me. Which Ilander do they rig for high speed? Could you post a picture.


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## SnapperSlapper

Nah. I don't want to post a picture and have someone tell me I held it too close to the camera. You should pull that, looks like a winner.


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## Kim

LP exactly where are you in the S China Sea? Also did you use one of the heavy Ilanders or a regular one?


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## recess

Use the weighted islander


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## lowprofile

Kim said:


> LP exactly where are you in the S China Sea? Also did you use one of the heavy Ilanders or a regular one?


I'm not sure since I don't have two to compare but the head itself is 3-4oz so I'm assuming its weighted. 

I'm in Okinawa Japan. an island about 500 miles south of mainland japan and 450-500 miles NE of Taiwan.


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## Kim

Okinawa, E China Sea on one side Philippine Sea on the other I believe but dang the water is cold. Great fishing too, a lot deeper than what we are used to here. When it comes to jigging you will probably see the newest innovations ahead of us so keep us posted on the latest and greatest.


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## Kim

Recess (Tim?) on the Ilander the offset hole that gives the lure it's swimming action , does that cause a problem with chaffing the leader at higher speeds? A few years back I bought some King lures on a wire leaders that were offset and they ended up wiggling enough to break the stranded wire right at the entry hole in the lure body when I tried them at higher speeds.


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## recess

Never had a problem with islanders chaffing , 6' of 400lb sevenstrand always seem to work . but I prefer #174 single strand to see where and how the fish hit the lure cause of the bend-kink where it hit it.


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## lowprofile

Kim said:


> Let us know how it works. People started rigging jigs with little glow octopus and they hooked up on more fish. It worked good enough that major the lure manufactures started lines of jigs rigged like that. I kind of like your idea and I'm going to rig one up to try but I think I'll use a mylar skirt for a little more flash.


It trolled great. Did not get a hookup on it though. The only lure that caught a hoo for us this weekend was a big chrome jethead with a bright pink skirt. 

I rigged my skirts with wire after running into so many wahoo and losing lures. They ran like shit. So I re rigged them with 200 and 500lb mono and they all ran 1000 X's better. Wire doesn't affect the island lures or jet heads but I didn't have a good experience with the silicone/ clear resin heads.


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## Kim

LP have you tried these yet? I had some tossed in with my last order of jigs to try them out. Odds are you have seen them over there before we were even aware of them. (can't get pics to load will try from phone)


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## lowprofile

Kim said:


> LP have you tried these yet? I had some tossed in with my last order of jigs to try them out. Odds are you have seen them over there before we were even aware of them. (can't get pics to load will try from phone)


I've seen them. they sell them with the trolling lure rigging and next to the deep knife and butterfly jigs (in appropriate sizes). Language barrier has kept me from asking about them. I haven't seen them used though.


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## Kim

My North Carolina buddies all swear by them so I thought would give the rings with grommets a try. Both of the ones in the pic are for jigging. The barrel swivel doesn't have bearings but it is pretty smooth. I'm going to try them on jigs, stick baits and poppers to see how it goes. I might even try the surface lures using assist hooks to the ring and no hooks on the lure itself.


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## Kim

Beat the heat a little today rigging up some new lures. Decided to rig with some of the Jobu hooks to use them up. When they get too rusty for the Sharpe marker I'll have gotten my money's worth out of them. I even rigged a few with some double hook rigs that were in one of the hook trays. Also put some OTI Raptor hooks on some Shimano Orca sinking pencils. I tied a few assist hooks because I thought the ones on already were too short.


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## Kim

*Jig face lift*

This is an El Cheapo Williamson that I got for five bucks on sale at the Ships Chandler in Destin. It got sharked on its first drop, but I didn't need that hook anyway. Since then it has scored with YFT, black fin, AJs and a couple grouper, so it earned a day at the spa.

The first pic shows how I had it rigged with a bearing swivel to a fluorocarbon wind on leader.

The second pic shows how I rigged it with a new type of swivel that has a ring to put the assist hook on and a grommet for terminal connection to the leader. The terminal knot I used is the AG Chain Knot and just retied to the wind on leader..


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## lowprofile

Found this online. Interesting combos to make some wahoo lures.

http://www.marlinmag.com/species/fish-species/wahoo-weaponry


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## Kim

I rigged up a couple like the Big Billy Jet. Both lures are the same as far as I can tell with an exception one has caught fish and the other hasn't.


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## Justin618

lowprofile said:


> Found this online. Interesting combos to make some wahoo lures.
> 
> http://www.marlinmag.com/species/fish-species/wahoo-weaponry


Good find, LP. I should be at the nipple or further right now but nursing a sore tooth and doped up on meds. 

I'll be buying/making some trolling lures in the next few weeks.


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## Kim

*TYing an assist hook*

trying to see how this works to do the post under the lure rigging thread.


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## SnapperSlapper

I'm only being a little bit of a dick here, but do you ever pull your lures and actually test whether they catch fish?

We caught our biggest yellowfin of the year this last weekend on a beat up ilander that I had trimmed a few inches off the skirt because of all the rust on it. But it was in the right place in the right time, rigged good enough to catch the fish, with a ballyhoo that hadn't been brined because I forgot to pick up salt and baking soda, and we managed not to lose it.

Just curious. Thanks.


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## lowprofile

Everything I've post on this site has caught fish, except that islander/skirt combo in this thread. I rigged that up and only used it once, it trolled great and stayed down up to 9knots but no takers that day.

I caught my biggest Mako on a slow trolled mackerel with a black and purple skirt in front of it. Nothing fancy or special.


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## SnapperSlapper

Lowprofile, my post wasn't directed towards you. You are fishing on the other side if the world with home made lures made from banana peels, duct tape, good old ingenuity and catch fish. My post was to the dude that is always posting about rigging, and knots, and lures, and what ever else; and telling every one else how to do it.

Mad respect to you for trolling crazy stuff in the sea of china, or wherever. You don't know what does work and what doesn't work till you try it.


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## SnapperSlapper

By the way our go to wahoo lure is a black/purple ilander rigged in front of a skirt with a 2 oz weight in it followed by another skirt with a 2 oz weight in it. Rigged on 480# cable. We caught a tourney winning wahoo last year on it. We lost one lure during the rodeo when an outboard boat cut behind our stern while dragging two high speed lures at 15 knots. His prop cut the cable off right in front of the lure. I lost a $40 lure. I imagine his prop cost a lot more than that to replace. But the above poster I was referring to would be the dude that would run across the stern of a boat pulling high speed lures.


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## lowprofile

Ooh, this is going to get interesting. I do have to say though, these rigging and lure spread threads have made it easier to select the right terminal gear and figure out where to place lures in a spread.


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## Captain Woody Woods

lowprofile said:


> I do have to say though, these rigging and lure spread threads have made it easier to select the right terminal gear and figure out where to place lures in a spread.


I would take what you read on here with a massive, massive grain of salt.


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## Captain Woody Woods

Kim said:


> The disadvantage of the normal pin rig is that you have a short hookset and the short strikes on the baits don't get hook ups. So your choice is to either buy pre-rigged dual hook or rig with a long hookset using wire or monofilament.


Or you can rig your ballys with circles and fish them appropriately (freespool from outriggers) so that when a fish does hit it, there is no resistance and the fish inhales the bait whole.


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## Kim

If you don't like a thread don't read it. If you have something constructive to add post it. If all you have to say is negative nasty or derogative start your own thread. If you have rigged up some great lures, post them with pics and share it with the forum. Reading about a great lure may not be enough to replicate it. The whole forum is aware of who the great anglers are because we get to read about and watch some of their fishing adventures but the majority of us are regular people who enjoy fishing. This thread is intended to share ideas on how members rig their lures etc. If something is posted by any forum member myself included that helps someone else catch a fish then that was a successful thread.


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## SnapperSlapper

Hey Kim, I just posted up a pretty damn good description of a good wahoo lure that has caught a 1st place wahoo. Actually, basically the same lure that lowprofile posted a picture of in an earlier post and asked about. I gave some real world experience about a lure like that, and how we rig it and run it. As opposed to some hypothetical crap read on another forum.

If you don't like my posts, you can take your own advice and not read them. Like I said in an earlier post, if you would actually go fishing you would gain some credibility in terms of telling everyone how to rig and run their lures. 

The Labor Day tournament is this weekend. Hope to see you there.


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## whome

This thread is awesome!


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## Justin618

Kim said:


> If you don't like a thread don't read it. If you have something constructive to add post it. If all you have to say is negative nasty or derogative start your own thread. If you have rigged up some great lures, post them with pics and share it with the forum. Reading about a great lure may not be enough to replicate it. The whole forum is aware of who the great anglers are because we get to read about and watch some of their fishing adventures but the majority of us are regular people who enjoy fishing. This thread is intended to share ideas on how members rig their lures etc. If something is posted by any forum member myself included that helps someone else catch a fish then that was a successful thread.


Don't worry about him. He's been kicked out of every marina I can think of lol.


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## SnapperSlapper

Beach sharker fishers are the best. The absolute best.


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## Kim

This forum is about fishing, not what ever this has become. If what I post is wrong or inadequate then I encourage you use your considerable expertise, knowledge and experience to make a thread to share that with the forum and help make us better anglers. I guess totally ruining a thread is what you intended and apparently have accomplished since the moderator stepped in just to stir the pot. if you have an axe to grind with me send it in PM. Has it ever occurred to any of you what this kind of mess looks like when people stop and visit our forum? What kind of impression do you want to leave with people, hopefully this isn't it.


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## Justin618

SnapperSlapper said:


> Beach sharker fishers are the best. The absolute best.


It does suck carrying tiagra 130s to and from the beach/boat.


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## SnapperSlapper

I don't think I ruined this thread. I just asked if you had caught any fish on all the stuff you post on here. I never got an answer, but I think I got the "what would people that visit this forum think" card pulled on me. I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy catching fish.

Everytime that you post something and someone that has credibility questions it or calls you out on it, it turns into a 5 page thread, with half the posts being from you trying to convince everyone you are right.

And then we have the guy that apparently only shark fishes from the beach gettng in the middle of the "how to rig offshore lures" thread. Now that IS awesome.


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## Justin618

SnapperSlapper said:


> I don't think I ruined this thread. I just asked if you had caught any fish on all the stuff you post on here. I never got an answer, but I think I got the "what would people that visit this forum think" card pulled on me. I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy catching fish.
> 
> Everytime that you post something and someone that has credibility questions it or calls you out on it, it turns into a 5 page thread, with half the posts being from you trying to convince everyone you are right.
> 
> And then we have the guy that apparently only shark fishes from the beach gettng in the middle of the "how to rig offshore lures" thread. Now that IS awesome.


Who are you referring to? LP or me? I never gave advice.

Just bc you think someone "only" fishes from shore and does no offshore fishing is ignorant. Guys on here can chase reds, then yak a bait out then get on a boat and tag a marlin all in the same week. 

What I find funny is someone with snapper in their name trying to tell off a sharker that he doesn't know what he's doing. Now THAT is funny. Snapper is one of the first fish that comes to people's mind to go after when they have noobs on their boat.


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## panhandleslim

Justin618 said:


> Just bc you think someone "only" fishes from shore and does no offshore fishing is ignorant. Guys on here can chase reds, then yak a bait out then get on a boat and tag a marlin all in the same week.


Tagged how many Marlin????????

The tag stick is usually what we give to the noobs to Marlin fishing.


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## Justin618

panhandleslim said:


> Tagged how many Marlin????????
> 
> The tag stick is usually what we give to the noobs to Marlin fishing.


Huh?? All I'm saying is just bc a guy big shark fishes from shore doesn't mean that's all he knows. Not saying I know everything, but just bc LP is in here talking and researching lures doesn't mean he doesn't know just bc he shark fishes from shore.


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## lowprofile

Only tag our Marlin get is a price tag. $7lb.


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## panhandleslim

lowprofile said:


> Only tag our Marlin get is a price tag. $7lb.


Everything is 'FOR SALE' where you are. I just got back from the far, Western Pacific and saw 12 Blue Marlin lashed to a FAD float. Needless to say, they were not living.


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## Capt. Alex Pinney

Some people on here need to put the magazines down, get off the internet and go fishing .


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## panhandleslim

Capt. Alex Pinney said:


> Some people on here need to put the magazines down, get off the internet and go fishing .


Too true!!!!


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## lowprofile

panhandleslim said:


> Everything is 'FOR SALE' where you are. I just got back from the far, Western Pacific and saw 12 Blue Marlin lashed to a FAD float. Needless to say, they were not living.


Not everything. Believe it or not there is no market for shark and Mahi aren't even considered a valuable fish. It's all about those skipjacks. A the only reason anyone targets marlin is because you can cash out around $2k with one fish.


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## team_A_II

What's a marlin ?


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## MrFish

team_A_II said:


> What's a marlin ?


Clown fish from Finding Nemo.


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## Chris V

team_A_II said:


> What's a marlin ?


Looks like a spoonbill-ed catfeeesh, but bluer and jumps a lot


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## panhandleslim

team_A_II said:


> What's a marlin ?


Oil rig in the GOM.


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## whome

Capt. Alex Pinney said:


> Some people on here need to put the magazines down, get off the internet and go fishing .


How Ironic are a couple of the "likes" you got there little brother :whistling:


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