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Tackle Tips: Quick Loader and D.R. Blue Marlin

February 21, 2022 By InTheBite Digital Editor

targeting blue marlin

Eight Eights — D.R. Blue Marlin

Based out of Singer Island, Florida, though rarely at her homeport, the 72-foot Viking Eight Eights is on a constant quest for billfish releases. “Our normal schedule is with the boat 21 days. Then we take 10 off and come back for another 21. Out of the 21 days we’ll probably fish anywhere from 15 to 18 days depending on weather and what’s going on,” says first mate Kyle O’Conner.

In 2020, captains fishing out of Cap Cana reported 91 days where they released five or more blue marlin and 15 days with 10 or more releases. “Last year we got to the Dominican Republic July 1 and in two and a half months we caught 100 blues. We had close to 500 billfish releases and 300 tags for the 2020 season,” O’Conner says.

Man-made FADs highlight this world-class Caribbean fishery, with plastic jugs and styrofoam insulation banded together with scrap seine netting and palm fronds, then strategically tethered to the seafloor in efforts to attract forage and predator fish. Targeted with 30-pound outfits, juvenile blue marlin swarming the warm waters of the D.R. are intelligent and accurate feeders, at times displaying finicky tendencies. Here’s how they are fooled on the Eight Eights:

Rod Blank: BlackFin
Rod Builder: Bill Buckland
Guides: FUJI SiC
Thread Wrap: Green/Orange diamond
Butt: AFTCO #1 unibutt
Reel: Shimano Tyrnos 30
Main Line: Berkley ProSpec 30 lb.
Leader: 100 lb. pink fluorocarbon
Hook: 9/0 circle hook
Bait: Baitmasters medium ballyhoo
Skirt: MoldCraft Junior Hooker
Rigging: EZ Swivel

ballyhoo for the quick reloader

Ricardo Núñez — Quick Loader

Whether it’s washing the boat or rigging ballyhoo, the best deckhands are fast and efficient in everything they do. Dredge fishing for billfish typically entails naked swimming ballyhoo pulled from the transom corners, but outrigger baits are often outfitted with a small lure head like a MoldCraft Junior Hooker or Squidnation Slammer to create a larger profile and also help ballyhoo track better in rough seas.

When fishing a chugger/ballyhoo combination, the use of Ringer Swivels to firmly mount and expose circle hooks is a widely popular method. Some mates use an open-eye rigging needle as a makeshift puller to bring the chugger head into place over the O-ring, but a more streamlined approach utilizes a quick reloader fashioned from a length of #19 wire leftover from dredge teaser pin rigs.

With a tiny clasp bent into the end, mates can hook the O-ring and force it out of the lure head to accommodate a circle hook. The simple device not only allows for easy storage and organization of multiple chugger heads, but more importantly enables mates to simplify the process of adding skirts to rigged ballyhoo.

Steve Kenealy was first mate on the 86-foot Merritt Reel Tight and spent countless hours rigging ballyhoo on the docks of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. “We first started using the quick reloader down there about two or three years ago. We can go through a pile of baits when the sails are snapping and this simple tip helps automate the rigging process. It’s a great little device that was introduced to us by a local mate named Ricardo Núñez.”

The best mates know that the more systematic they become in their daily tasks, the less energy is required. Like poking out the eyeballs of a ballyhoo, where you could do it one fish at a time or line up multiple fish on an arrow shaft, this quick loader makes performing a repetitive task easier than ever.

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Fishing, Tackle, Techniques Tagged With: Ballyhoo, Dredge Fishing, fads, fishing tackle, Offshore Fishing

Blood Lines—Perfecting the Fishing Knot

August 10, 2021 By InTheBite Digital Editor

By Steve Dougherty

Excited for the dawn of each day, as fishermen we’re always innovating and adapting rigging techniques to beat fish with the greatest efficiency and consistency. Whether we are catching bait or blue marlin, advancements in tackle and technology continue to offer an unfair advantage. Yet considering the many variables we have no control over, tying reliable knots and creating fortified connections rests at our very own fingertips.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Fishing, Tackle, Tackle Tips Tagged With: blood knots, Fishing Knots, fishing tackle, Offshore Fishing, trolling dink ballyhoo

Reel Racing

July 30, 2021 By InTheBite Digital Editor

By ITB Editor

The masterful abilities of the Japanese in manufacturing excellence is undoubtedly correct. With great attention to detail built into their culture, the prosperous island country in East Asia breeds pride in engineering through a well-educated, industrious workforce and there are enormous efforts made in achieving a state of perfection. In similar fashion to Shimano and their high-performance bicycle groupsets turned fishing reel expertise through high-efficiency gearing with precise cold-forging of 3D metal shapes, Ken Matsuura’s high-end Japanese conventional reels bring about decades of experience engineering precision engine components for numerous motorcycle and race car factory teams.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Fishing, Tackle Tagged With: fishing tackle, japanese fishing reels, Ken Matsuura, shimano

DAIWA to Show Latest Technology and Innovations at ICAST

July 20, 2021 By InTheBite Digital Editor

DAIWA, July 20, 2021—Anglers hoping to work up explosive action on their next trip would do best to carry plenty of dynamite – and that’s exactly what Daiwa’s new Saltist MQ spinning reels bring to the table. Lightweight, smooth, durable and sexy, the entire series features Daiwa’s ground-breaking MQ construction, allowing extra power to be packed inside an exceptionally rugged, corrosion resistant frame. As if that’s not enough, Daiwa has piled on many additional cutting-edge features at a price that offers plenty of bang for the buck.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fishing, General News, News, Press Releases, Tackle Tagged With: daiwa, fishing gear, fishing tackle, icast 2021, new fishing products

Tackle & Maintenance Tips

December 26, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fishing, Tackle Tagged With: fishing tackle, kite fishing, Tackle Tips

Pete & Tommy Schulz Celebrate 25 Years at Fishing Headquarters – Jupiter, Fl

April 18, 2018 By InTheBite Editor

The Schulz brothers, Pete and Tommy, have been teaching, outfitting, volunteering and raising kids to do the same in Jupiter/Tequesta area for 25 years. Their families: Pete and Greta, Clayton, Jessie and JP along with Tommy and Stephanie, TJ and Kristina are so grateful for the opportunity to have their own business and thankful for everyone that has been a part of Fishing Headquarters’ success.

Over the years, they have been involved with Boy Scouts, Saltwater Sportman seminars, hosted seminars of their own, presentations at the WPB Fishing Club, supported the Kids Fishing Program at the Club as well as other kid’s events, father and son camp outs, Tequesta Field Lab, Snook Tagging and more. A member for 40 years, Pete has served on the Board of Directors of the WPB Fishing Club for 15 years, serving as its Chair since 2009. Tommy is not far behind, a member for 37 years. Every Saturday morning since 1998, from 8 to 9am they host Fishing Headquarters Live on ESPN 106.3 FM or ESPNWestPalm.com.

The angler community in Palm Beach County and beyond are invited to celebrate this milestone with Pete and Tommy, their families and friends Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 20-22. Look for 25th Anniversary sales with 25% off or $25 off select items. There will be raffles throughout the weekend with a Costa giveaway with purchase. Saturday and Sunday expect food and drinks as well as manufactures reps on hand with giveaways. Tune to ESPN for more details.

Courtesy of Coastal Angler Magazine – Palm Beach Addition

Filed Under: Featured Stories, General News, News Tagged With: Angler, Community, ESPN West Palm, fishing, fishing headquarters, fishing tackle, jupiter florida, local business, palm beach fishing club, tequesta

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