InTheBite

Final Results: Leg Two of the 2019 Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown

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Triple the number of billfish released during Leg 2 compared to Leg 1 of the tournament series.

 Los Sueños Resort and Marina, located at Playa Herradura on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, held the second leg of its sixth annual Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown billfish series, presented by Chantilly Air, February 27 – March 2, 2019. A total of 45 of the world’s most competitive billfishing teams comprised of 214 individual anglers challenged each other over three days of fishing. The Los Sueños Triple Crown Series is a catch and release tournament which awards 100 points per sailfish and 500 point per marlin release.

Fishing is always amazing at Los Sueños, but it was exceptionally good during this second leg of the three part tournament series. During Leg 1 in January, the 44 participating teams released 648 billfish over three days, or 15 fish per boat. This time around, with 45 boats competing, this number was passed by 3:15 pm on Day 1! It was sailfish bite all the way, with a total of 2,063 billfish released, translating to an average of 46 fish per boat.

[Read more…]

Shimano Debuts New Spinning Reel Technology: STELLA SW Series

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POPULAR SIZE STELLA SW SPINNING REELS CONTINUE SHIMANO’S TECHOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS

  • Four New Reels – Stella 8000PG, 8000HG, 10000PG, 140000XG •

LADSON, S.C.  – Winter/Spring 2019 Introduction – For Immediate Release – 2.19 – When it comes to saltwater fishing, the right reel with the right features plays a big part for a successful day on the water. Shimano’s thorough understanding of this ‘right reel’ is made clear with the new, re-designed Stella SW 8000PG, 8000HG, 10000PG, 14000XG, now being introduced at sports shows from coast-to-coast and soon to be available from select tackle shops in mid-March.

The new reels will be at the centerpiece of Shimano’s product booth at key saltwater fishing-focused shows this winter and spring, kicking off with the World Fishing & Outdoor Expo this week  on Feb. 28, the Fred Hall Show in Long Beach, Calif., on March 3, the Saltwater Fishing Expo in Edison, N.J. on March 15, and the New England Saltwater Fishing Show in Providence, R.I. on March 22.

Joining Shimano’s proven cold-forged HAGANE Gears for lasting durability and smoothness and ultra-durable HAGANE Body, the four new Stella SW reels introduce Shimano’s new Infinity Drive technology and HeatSink Drag to serious saltwater anglers.

Shimano’s Infinity Drive improves the winding experience of these new Stella SW reels “through the use of new main shaft supporting structure to eliminate friction within the pinion gear,” explains Trey Epich with Shimano’s product development staff. “We are able to optimize the winding torque by 26-percent, taking these reels to the next level of incredibly smooth and light rotation when fighting a big striper, sailfish, tuna or roosterfish.”

Especially when fighting bigger fish like yellowfin tuna and 50-pound-plus class stripers, anglers will quickly notice the advantages of Shimano’s HeatSink drag – offered on the Stella SW 10000PG and 14000XG. “With this new technology, we able to dissipate the heat build-up when hooked into a big fish to a special ‘heat sink’ insulation sheet, keeping heat away from the spool surface and drag washer where it can cause the drag to not function as needed,” said Epich. “Plus this also keeps heat off your line so you’ll see less line breakage.”

Featuring Shimano’s proven Cross Carbon Drag, the Stella SW 8000 size reels, both the 4.9:1 gear ratio PG version and 5.6:1 gear ratio XG version, are designed for use with braided line only. “With the drastic reduction in weight to these reels over past versions with our new lightweight spool design, braided line won’t spread and retract like monofilament,” Epich explains.

To handle the effects of saltwater on the reels, the new Stella SW models feature an IPX8-reated waterproof body. “When you add in the reliability from Shimano’s cold-forging capabilities with our HAGANE Gear and HAGANE Body design, durability from our IPX8 waterproof body and our X-Protect labyrinth design construction that offers exceptional water resistance and prevents water intrusion, along with power from the HeatSink Drag and smooth operation from our Infinity Drive, anglers easily can see why we say our Stella reels have no rivals in the saltwater fishing world,” said Epich.  “We aim to excel in three key areas – durability, power and operability, and this new Shimano technology and design features found in the Stella SW 8000PG, 8000HG, 10000PG and 14000XG all come together to reach our goal in developing the most durable and strongest reels in the fishing industry.”

            To see the Stella SW reels in action, visit this video featuring noted ‘obsessed’ angler Carter Andrews here – Stella SW action in Baja.

            Both handling up to 215-yards of PowerPro braid, the Stella SW 8000PG reels in 37-inches of line per crank, while the faster 8000HG cranks in 42-inches. Thee Stella SW 1000PG has a 4.9:1 gear ratio to retrieve in 40-inches of line per crank and can handle up to 215 yards of 80-pound PowerPro or 220 yards of 20-pound mono.

A size known for its popularity among Cape Cod Canal anglers, the Stella SW 14000XG has the capacity to handle 240 yards of 80 -pound test PowerPro or 260-yards of 20-pound mono and has a 6.2:1 gear ratio to pull in 53-inches of line per crank.

For more information on the new Stella SW 8000PG, 8000HG, 10000PG and 14000XG spinning reels, see your local tackle dealer – visit the Shimano web site at http://fish.shimano.com – or call Shimano’s product support team at 877/577-0600 (6 am to 5 pm Pacific Standard Time).

MAZU Annouces Partnership With ROFFS– Analyses Digitized and Overlaid Directly onto Sportfishing App

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Users Can Now Access or Download ROFFS Reports When Offshore

Reston, Va. and Melbourne, Fla. – mazu, a leading marine technology and satellite communications brand and ROFFS™ (Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service), a scientific consulting company, announced today they have entered a partnership. Now with the free mazu SportFishing app, anglers can view and download their ROFFS fishing forecast hot spots while offshore. Information from ROFFS is digitally overlaid directly onto detailed sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll, current and altimetry charts in the mazu SportFishing app for iPad.

ROFFS provides a variety of the high-resolution satellite-derived fishing oceanographic analyses that are customized for local, recreational and tournament anglers. These analyses are specialized for pelagic fish like tuna, marlin, wahoo, dolphin, sailfish, swordfish, spearfish, shark, kingfish and bluefish. ROFFS professional oceanographers analyze multiple real-time oceanographic datasets including but not limited to; ocean currents, SST, clarity, ocean color/chlorophyll, plankton, frontal boundaries, species habitat of targeted fish, and bottom structure to guide users to the most productive waters for a successful fishing trip. This data is integrated into hot spot locations detailed on an oceanographic map and a comprehensive text description that is easy to understand and use.

SportFishing users can download their report straight from ROFFS website or by their emailed PDF from ROFFS by simply clicking the “Open With” button at the top right and select “Copy to mazu”. The app will automatically open and populate the fishing hot spots onto the screen. Each location is selectable to see the ROFFS analysis about that fishing spot. SportFishing is accessible over satellite for offshore use via mazu m2500 hardware, those users are also able to receive ROFFS reports and updates while offshore and out of cellular or WiFi range.

“We are thrilled to be the first sport fishing technology to offer the exclusive details of ROFFS analysis data in a digital format,” said Craig Myers, director of product management, mazu. “The mazu SportFishing app already offers vital detail and features that no other service provides. By combining ROFFS in-depth analysis onto a free and intuitive platform for users to display makes the SportFishing app absolutely essential for every angler.”

“We are very excited to partner with mazu in this endeavor,” said Matthew Upton, president and owner, ROFFS. “We are trying to create a better experience for our users. By having our analyses more accessible in an intuitive georeferenced platform, combined with all the real-time data and satellite capabilities that mazu provides is going to be a gamechanger for our clients.”

For information about mazu SportFishing, and other mazu products, please visit www.mazu-marine.com. For information about ROFFS, please visit www.roffs.com.

December Issue 2018: Hitting the Docks Now!

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Hitting the docks now— The December issue wraps up 2018 in style! Grab your copy today, available in both print and digital.

Fine Art Oceanic Photographer Kevin Dodge

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Dodge Ocean Photography

Born in South Miami and a third generation native, Kevin spent the last 20 years photographing the world of high fashion and other elegant subject matter. As an avid free diver and lifelong water-sports enthusiast, Kevin has now turned his lens underwater, capturing the beautiful, exciting – and at times dangerous – world that belongs to a vast collection of undersea creatures. Kevin’s new artwork invites the viewer to pause and take a moment to see the silent, yet thrilling, oceanic marvels that few rarely glimpse.

Dodge Ocean Photography

Kevin Dodge’s work has been featured in numerous international magazines and media. His creations are in the collections of Coca Cola, Ford, IBM, Dell, Budweiser, Hyatt Hotels, Bank of America, Johnson & Johnson.

Dodge Ocean Photography

Kevin’s current oceanic art can be seen in a series of limited-edition prints he describes as Ocean Blue, celebrating the mysteries of our oceans and the beauty within this seemingly silent world.

“Creating this art has allowed me to capture the extraordinary moments when I encounter beautiful, yet wild, creatures and share these experiences with others.”

Dodge Ocean Photography

When Kevin is not shooting on location, he works from his studio in Delray Beach, Florida. His first love is spending time with his children and creating lasting memories. He is a staunch advocate for ocean conservation and hopes to share this desire for good stewardship with future generations.

View more of Kevin Dodge’s artwork by visiting:

 www.dodgeocean.com

The Young Guns of Sportfishing: Captain Kennedy Hernandez

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If you’ve fished in Guatemala in the last 19 years, there is a pretty good chance that you’ve seen Captain Kennedy Hernandez. A true professional of intense fishing skill, Hernandez is a family man who is humble, straightforward and friendly. Kennedy’s rise to the Captain’s chair is a tale of how skill and dedication can pave the way for opportunity.

Growing up in Guatemala, Hernandez started out washing boats at Fins and Feathers. “My dad was a maintenance man there and used to fill the boats with fuel. So, after school I used to help him cleaning the pool or passing the fuel hose to the mates. Seeing the boats every day, I always told myself that one day I would work on one of them. I couldn’t have been happier when the first mate on the Intensity one day asked me if I wanted to help out on the boat. I immediately said yes – I didn’t even ask what my monthly salary would be,” Kennedy recalls. “That’s how I started my career – as a washdown boy, for Captain Rick Ogle, one month before I turned 13.”

While washing boats, it was the late Captain Aaron Valdez on the Magic who first gave Kennedy the opportunity to work as a second mate. This opportunity led to a full time offer for the same position aboard the Pelegian with Captain Brad Philipps. “After five months, I became first mate. I fished with Brad from 2000 through 2016-17 seasons,” recalls Kennedy.

While running Captain Brad Philipps’ cockpit, Kennedy experienced epic fishing. “The most impressive was the 2006 season. We caught nearly 100 blue marlin and nearly 2,000 sailfish. Our best single day ever was 91 sailfish,” Kennedy recalls. “I rigged the ballyhoo and all of the baits, and I’d run the cockpit.” While Kennedy is too humble to provide the total number of sailfish and blue marlin that he caught while fishing with Philipps – both on conventional tackle and fly, it is safe to say that it is a number not seen by many other crewmen. Proof of this statement is the pile of The Billfish Foundation top mate awards he received.

“Brad and I also fished in Cape Verde together in 2012 and 2016. We fished in Costa Rica. He took me to the Seychelles Islands and on safari in Africa, too. I’m really grateful to Brad,” Kennedy says. “All the guys here have helped me (speaking of the captains who fish out of the Pacific coast of Guatemala’s only marina). Brad really taught me a lot about being a captain. He used to let me run the boat in or out. It was very simple, but it was very important to me.”

On some level, anyone who works on a boat benefits from investment generated by sportfishing. For those passionate about life on the water, a captain’s job or a position in the cockpit not only provides a livelihood but a great lifestyle. While this is true for anyone, there is an added level of benefit and profile to a captain’s job in places where it may provide a higher standard of living than might otherwise be possible.

“Sportfishing has done a lot for me. I started when I was really young. A sportfishing job is one of the best in the port. It allows you to make enough money to live really well,” Hernandez explains. “It not only changed my lifestyle but gave the chance to be a sportfisherman instead of a commercial fisherman.”

Captain Kennedy Hernandez pictured with his wife and two young daughters.

After having compiled an incredible resume in the cockpit (Kennedy is a wizard of a mate), there was only one place left for Hernandez. “Being a captain, it’s a different feeling. It feels wonderful,” he says. Captain Kennedy runs the Typhoon, a 31-foot Bertram, owned by American Eric Goetz. Captain Kennedy and the Typhoon run charters for Big Buoy Fishing – www.bigbuoyfishing.com.

For a Young Gun who has already achieved a tremendous amount in his career, Kennedy maintains a level head and a wise bit of perspective. A man of faith, Hernandez first credits his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the success he is experiencing. “I am not a guy who wants a lot of credit or lime light. I’m simple. I just want to do my job well and make my clients happy. I’m focused on that when I get to the boat every day.”

In addition to his work running the charter boat in Guatemala, Kennedy also fishes the occasional tournament in other places. “I am going to the White Marlin Open in August. I’ll be fishing with Hank Draper. I will run the boat a bit and help in the cockpit. I fished the tournament last year too – working in the cockpit. It was one of the most fun tournaments I have fished. It was my first time in the US, I was very impressed,” Hernandez says. If the past is any indication, Hernandez future will be a bright one. Success could not have happened to a nicer guy.

2018 InTheBite Subscriber Giveaway Fishing Trip

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Drew Ward of Houston, Texas won the 2018 InTheBite Subscriber Trip and a day fishing with Captain Harvey Shiflet on the Anticipation. Hitting a grand slam the first day, Drew and friends had a great time!
For your chance to win next year’s trip, just be actively subscribed to InTheBite Magazine as of January 1, 2019. Drawing is early 2019!

Old Salts Rule: Captain Mike Merritt

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Captain Mike Merritt: 50 Years in Fishing and Still Going Strong

by Capt. Dale E. Wills

While at the helm of the 52-foot Irvin Forbes-built Billfisher, Captain Mike Merritt had a young deckhand named Arch Bracher. One day Bracher asked if he could try something different when it came to leader material. Capt. Merritt, in his easy-going style said, “Sure go ahead as long as it doesn’t cost us any fish.”

Weeks later the Billfisher was steadily doing just a little better than the remainder of the Oregon Inlet charter fleet. It was evident something was going on when one day as they approached the marina. “I’ll be behind your boat when we get in,” radioed Capt. Bull Tolson. That evening when the Billfisher backed into its slip at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Capt. John Bayliss helped with one stern line and Tolson helped tie up the other. The impromptu meeting and the tackle inspection that ensued changed white marlin fishing to this day. The year was 1988.

Prior to the Billfisher’s experiment, the entire North Carolina fleet used wire leader with ballyhoo. Bracher’s decision to use mono leader and dink ballyhoo baits, similar to his Mexico sailfishing spread, brought about change in the fleet. Bracher’s eagerness to catch more fish and Capt. Mike’s willingness to change is one of many contributions Merritt and his crews have developed for the sportfishing industry.

A Life Spent on the Water

Capt. Mike “Bubble Gum” Merritt, is 50-year fishing professional. Growing up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, he was destined to live a working life mostly on the water. “At the age of six, I had a bicycle and a fishing pole and every day I could, I would ride down to the water and fish. One day a thunderstorm blew in and my mother got real worried and hopped in her car and came looking for me. When she found me, I was unphased by the storm and continued to fish. From that day on, my mother would tell anyone who listened, ‘That boy is going to be a fisherman when he grows up.’”

In 1968, fresh out of high school, Capt. Merritt’s first full-time job came as a mate on a 48-foot Manteo-built boat named Germel with Capt. Dan Lewark. “I made $90.00 a day for an offshore trip,” says Merritt. After seven years as a mate, in 1976, Merritt stepped up to the bridge on his own 40-foot Warren O’Neil, the Billfisher. “I only had a VHF radio, a compass and a Flasher for electronics. We would use landmarks for navigation. Upon returning to port from offshore, at the first sight of land, if we saw cottages, a water tower and/or a lighthouse, we were five or ten miles north of Oregon Inlet. If we just saw beaches, we were south of the inlet,” recalls Merritt. From 1976 through 1991, Merritt was a fixture in the Oregon Inlet Charter fleet along with the Billfisher boat name. Boat builders, such as Sheldon Midget, Billy Holton and Irvin Forbes each had a Billfisher name on the transom through the years. “The 52-foot Irvin Forbes was my first twin motor boat in the late 80s,” says Merritt.

Merritt began building the Billfisher charter boat legacy in 1976 with his first captain’s job on this 40’ Warren O’Neal.

 “One day in 1991, while getting fuel for my charter boat, a man asked me to run his boat. At that point, I wanted to give the private gig a try. It didn’t take long before I was traveling the world. I fished Bermuda, St. Thomas, Mexico (Puerto Aventuras) and the Bahamas.” Asked about his biggest catches, Merritt reflects on some large fish. “We weighed in a 958-pound marlin in Oregon Inlet, released a bigger blue in St. Thomas and a big one in Venezuela. I’ve seen a lot of big fish in my career,” says Merritt, humbly.

Looking Back

When asked about his role models, Merritt reflects, “Tony and Omie Tillett come to mind, but I have just too many to name.” It turns out that the fishing is only one of the things Merritt cherishes from a life on the water. “It’s been the dock comradery and the people who make up the fishing community which have made my career so blessed. I’ve had some great times around the dock.” In a chuckle Merritt says, “The Oregon Inlet Charter Fleet is home to some of biggest pranksters you’ll find anywhere. I could go on and on about the stuff we would pull on each other.” Here is one of Merritt’s favorites.

“In the early 90s, we were fishing a tournament when a small outboard decided to try to drive through the middle of the fleet. As luck would have it, the outboard hooked up with a nice marlin. It didn’t take long before the outboard gets on the radio telling everyone how big his marlin is.”

From (L to R) Angler Dr. Langon, Jeff Reibel and Captain Mike Merritt. The image was taken in September 1977, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center during the second year of the Oregon Inlet Billfish Tournament.

“As time passed any boat remotely pointed in the outboard’s direction was given instructions to deviate course. The outboard continued drifting with the current and miles from where it first hooked up when the situation took on another dynamic. The captain began desperately trying to communicate with a big Japanese tanker ship.”

“’Japanese tanker, this is the outboard with the twin motors, please alter your course, we are fighting a marlin….Please turn left.’ After failed attempts to reach the ship, the desperate outboard called anyone asking if they knew what channel the tanker was on. ‘You have to use channel 13’, I responded.”

“Seconds later, with the entire charter fleet tuned in… ‘Japanese tanker, this is the twin outboard, can you please turn, you are going to run over my fish. Merritt, in his best broken accent responded, “‘Ahhhhh, twin outboard, no can turn ship.” In disgust, the outboard radioed one of buddies saying “I can’t believe he won’t turn and every one of my radios onboard were made in Japan.”  Eventually, the tanker passed, and I’m not sure if the outboard ever caught the fish, but us charter captains sure had a good laugh after that,” says Merritt.

This was the first grander caught on Jo-Boy out of Oregon Inlet, NC. Interestingly, the fish was caught on a 9/0 Penn Senator with 100 lbs. mono (not much line capacity). A young Capt. Mike Merritt can be seen with the ball cap on along with many Carolina legends including Capt. Harry Baum, Sam Stokes, Timmy Pierce and Harry Baum. Jr.(we need help identifying everyone).

These Days

Today, Capt. Merritt has returned to the charter business and can be found at Pirate’s Cove running the Sandra D.  When asked about the difference of captains and crew compared to days gone by, Merritt says candidly, “Electronics and dredges.” So what advice would you give a future captain or mate? “Choose this industry because you love meeting people and you love fishing. It takes a certain character trait to do what we do as a career. I’ve never thought about doing anything else.”

You can charter Merritt by visiting www.sandradsportfishing.com or call 252-305-2825

The Fine Art of Live Baiting

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by Elliott Stark

Live baiting is founded on a very simple biological concept. Since the very first time two fish swam in the ocean, the big ones have been trying to eat the little ones. In spite of the simplicity of the precept, live bait fishermen represent one of fishing’s most secret of societies. Fine tuning their presentations, crafting marlin bites that are as intimate as they are spectacular, the captains who have perfected the fine art of live baiting have long been viewed as secretive and mysterious.

Their craft—catching big marlin using live bait—has been passed along from person to person in much the same way that Aristotle or Socrates advanced their philosophies. Originating from such exotic ports as Hawaii and Panama, taught from captain to mate in the cockpit of some suspiciously slow-trolling vessel, live baiting has taken the marlin tournament scene by storm. The introduction of live baiting to the Gulf of Mexico has turned the 800-pound blue marlin from a fish of a lifetime to something you need to hang in order to be in the conversation for winning a tournament on any given weekend in the summer.

Given its incredible popularity—increasingly tournament teams need to be proficient live baiters in order to have a chance in kill tournaments, a discussion of when, where and how to live bait effectively may be in order. Far from being a one size fits all proposition, live bait aficionados from different regions illustrate the many nuances to its practice. From Panama to Hawaii to the Gulf Coast, when properly deployed, live baiting is an incredibly effective and efficient way to target large marlin.

The Theory of Live Baiting

While there may be captains who are exclusively “lure guys,” there are few who avow to only live bait fish. The reason for this is simple: live bait fishing is best applied to situations of opportunity. When imagining when and where to empty the tuna tubes, you must think like a fish. Live baiting works best in places that are most likely to hold fish. Regions of the world associated with a tradition of live baiting all have one thing in common—structure.

It is the structure that holds bait and attracts marlin that make live baiting successful. From Panama—the Zane Grey Reef, Hannibal Bank and the shelf, to Hawaii and its ledges, to the Gulf Coast’s oil rigs, natural or manmade focal points in the ocean provide the live baiter’s bread and butter. Even when fishing structure, live baiting is generally reserved for times when the conditions are right.

When gorilla fishing, it sometimes comes down to a simple choice: sashimi or live bait?

Captain McGrew Rice, a veteran Kona charter captain, is recognized as one of Hawaii’s authorities on the fine art. “We have a lot of natural ledges here. Certain currents push lots of bait onto the ledges. When this happens, we go inside to catch bait and bring it outside to work the ledges. We then wait for the fish to show up,” Rice describes. Captain of the Ihu Nui, a 45-foot Monterrey, Rice has been fishing these waters since his father bought his first charter boat in 1968. Since 1986 he has averaged between 200-250 days fishing per year.

McGrew’s largest live bait-caught blue weighed in at 1,019. His experience and perspective is intensely valuable in how he determines when to deploy the bridle rigs. “We can live bait year round. When we do it really depends on the current and when the bait shows up. You want bait at 60-100 fathoms to know that the current is working right, you know. You don’t want it at 200-300 fathoms,” Rice explains.

Live baiting is about precision and thoroughness. The art can be conceptualized as methodically working an area that you are certain holds fish. Thinking about fishing in terms of three speeds is helpful. If the water is not what you are looking for, you pick up and cruise away at 30 knots. If the water is promising, but you haven’t located a focal point, lure fishing at 8 knots or so allows you to cover ground while trying to raise fish.

When you come upon the location that has everything you are looking for—bait, clarity, water temperature and maybe even some structure (a floating tree in Panama, for instance)- it’s time to toss the small tuna. Depending on region and approach, live baits are fished somewhere between “in and out of gear” to around three or four knots on the trolling valves. In this approach you are not trying to drive over sticknose, you’ve found the dining room and are waiting for him to take a seat at the dinner table.

Captain Jeff Fay, another authority on Hawaiian live baiting, illustrates the nuance of the theory. Fay, who runs his 37-foot Rybovich Humdinger, has been running charters since 1966. “I’m not really sure who started live baiting in Hawaii. I learned it from a commercial fisherman, Olney Roy. He’d been doing it for years, and that was in the 60s,” Fay describes his introduction to the art. “I live bait on structure—usually at the grounds around the 100 fathom mark. I fish bottom structure on the deep side of the 100-200 fathom mark. I fish the up current side of the structure. On the other side, you’ll get more sharks and less marlin.”

Fay’s best live bait-caught marlin are a 967-pound blue and a black of 953. As for bait preference, Fay prefers an aku—or oceanic bonito. While there are extravagantly appointed modern sportfishers that use swimming pool pumps to circulate a dozen tuna tubes, Fay’s approach is straight forward. “We run a big Ruhl pump. When we need more bait we catch it, because we generally only live bait when bait is available.” Rather than catching bait and running, he generally catches it and deploys it in the same spot. Situation is key.

Rigging

While most tournament-winning captains guard the secrets of their hook sets and leader dimensions as closely as the KFC original recipe, generally speaking there are some parameters for what to use and how. While Captain Wade Richardson may be too humble to tell you of his incredible skill in the live bait department, his pile of top black marlin release captain awards from TBF and a 2011 payday at Poco Bueno betray his secret. Wade recently concluded a 15-year stint running The Hooker in Panama, splitting time between Piñas Bay, the Pearl Islands and Coiba.

Captain Wade Richardson’s long time mate Herbie deploys this bite sized treat. Perfect for a black, a blue, sailfish, dorado, roosterfish or cubera.

“Unless I’m tournament fishing, I prefer light leader—300-pound fluoro. We snell our hooks, instead of crimping them, because they’ll run straight on the bait. Crimps can roll over and hook the side of the bait. We also use a section of chafe tubing (where the leader meets the hook) if we’re going to kill a fish. You can control them better that way,” Wade explains.

Richardson also described how light leaders without chafe tubing make for an easy way to release fish. In addition to the wear on the leader from the bill, under pressure a weak spot is created in the line where it meets the eye of the hook. Light leaders without chafe tubing permit mates to pop fish off at the hook when exerting pressure on the leader, without worrying about the line breaking prematurely from the drag. For this reason, Richardson doesn’t exert full strength when locking in the snell before fishing.

Richardson carries an abundance of premade leaders in two or three sizes. The leader size is matched to the hook size. The largest is reserved for the biggest baits, with smaller bonito bridled on intermediate leaders and hooks. Matching the hooks to the size of the bait keeps them alive (and not helicoptering) longer.

When it comes to bridling the bait, Richardson prefers a snug fit without space between the bait’s forehead and the shaft of the hook. “You can control the baits better that way,” he says. To keep unruly baits in line, there are a couple of tricks. “If your rigger baits keep crossing, try poking the inside eyes out. They will then keep to the outside. For larger baits that pull out of the clip, you can cut their tail a bit.” This can also make it easier for the marlin to catch the bait, rather than it jumping out of the water or popping out of the clip before the bite.

The Spread

Few captains have benefitted more in the past few years from the ability to live bait than Captain Jimmy Crochet. Crochet, who runs the 61-foot Viking the Conundrum, won The Billfish Foundation’s first ever Top Captain Award for the Gulf of Mexico in 2014. Based in Orange Beach, Alabama the Conundrum is a staple on leader boards of the Gulf’s biggest tournaments. Crochet credits his induction into the fine art to Captain John Holley of Destin, whom he fished with as an up and coming mate.

“We live bait a good bit while tournament fishing. Generally, we start at about 4 am, jigging to fill up the tubes. At daylight we bridle two baits straight from the jigs so that we start fishing with a full supply of bait. Our normal spread is four baits,” Crochet explains. “We run one close behind the boat (they generally hold this rod or rubber band the line to the reel handle). We put two baits in the riggers and put one out of the center rigger. We put our biggest bait closest to the boat. Sometimes we’ll pull a teaser with a live bait on the end of it too.”

Captain Jimmy Crochet has built an incredible reputation in the Gulf by catching big blues on big live baits.

Crochet’s favorite bait for marlin is a blackfin tuna in the 15-pound range, with a firm bridle. As the Conundrum fishes larger baits, they also tend to feed the marlin longer. Crochet estimates that they will average between 25-50 seconds before putting the reel into gear. “Every fish is different. It really depends on what the fish is doing and how big the bait is, but generally the longer you can feed the fish the better,” he says.

Captain McGrew Rice’s Kona spread generally includes two baits. “We fish one on the surface, about 40 fathoms behind the boat. We fish the other on a down rigger at 150 feet, about 100 feet deep after the angle,” Rice says. For the downrigger, he prefers a rubber band attaching the line to the clip. “Our premium baits are two to five-pound skip jacks,” McGrew describes. “Yellowfin are good, but they have scales. Lots of times a fish will slip on the scales and get tangled up in the leader.” Once bit, Rice generally gives the fish 10-15 seconds, but says “they generally have it down pretty quick.” Rice also favors a snug bridle.

Big mouths and powerful strikes, black marlin are ideal targets for live bait.

The Fine Art Demystified

Once considered practitioners of a secret, potent form of fishing magic, the wizardry that is well-executed live bait fishing is taking the marlin world by storm. Witnessing a captain and crew that are experts in the fine art is a sight to behold. Sure, big fish have been trying to eat little fish since there were fish in the ocean. Live baiting, however, is more than just exploiting a biological imperative. When executed correctly, it is a fine art.

Dredge Pulling Tricks — From the Pros

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Pulling Tricks: Five Pros Share Dredge Fishing Tactics

By Ric Burnley

The first time I saw a marlin dredge I had two thoughts. First: that looks ridiculous. Second: that looks awesome! At first, 40 rigged mullet dangling from a web-work of bars and leader looks like a cluster FUBAR waiting to happen. Put the dredge in the water, and dozens of swirling and flashing baits look like a school of bait on the run. Fish cannot resist.

Many anglers had the same experience when they first saw a dredge. We caught up with five pros to find out how they use dredges now, and how they plan to use them in the future.

Captain John Bayliss, Tarheel

When Captain John Bayliss first saw a dredge he knew he had to have one. “I was fishing in Mexico and getting sacked up,” he laughs. Then he spotted the mate on the other boat pull in a four bar single dredge rigged with jumbo mullet. “It was super simple,” he recalls, “that was before building dredges became a nuclear arms race.”

In 20 years fishing with dredges all over the world and at home on the Outer Banks, Captain Bayliss has gone full circle. “We had a dredge we called the Space Shuttle,” he chuckles. The four-level dredge was followed by spreader bars and two chains. “The chains looked like booster rockets,” he jokes.

Now he has settled on a dredge system that is simple and effective. “A good dredge is double or triple bars,” he says. He adds a skirt to every other bait for more body and flash. Bayliss has found that adding artificial rubber fish or Marlin Mudflaps gives the dredge more density. Mudflaps are rubber fish silhouettes that mimic a fleeing tuna. Color of artificials and skirts depends on location and conditions. On the East Coast, Bayliss likes blues and blacks, in the Pacific he uses bright pink and red.  He especially likes artificials on blue marlin dredges. “Blue marlin move so fast, they are just looking for something with mass.”

Bayliss fishes small ballyhoo on circle hooks from the long riggers and flat lines and pulls two squid chains and two dredges. He positions the flat line in front of the dredge. “That way the fish gets on the dredge and moves to the flat line,” he explains. If that’s not working, he’ll experiment by moving the flat line back or dropping the squid chains farther back. “I want the fish to leave the dredge and move onto the teaser or flat line,” he explains. He stresses the importance of choosing the correct lead weight to control the depth of the dredge.

When he raises a white or sail on the teaser or dredge, Bayliss instructs the crew to get the teaser out of the water. Then, with the fish hooked, he makes a turn towards the escaping marlin and eases the teasers back in the water. He leaves the teasers in the water until the fish is close enough to back down. After he lands the fish, he puts the dredge back, first. “Whites and sails rarely travel alone,” he says, “I want to hook his buddy, too.”

Blue marlin, on the other hand, move fast. “We clear the dredge as soon as the fish is hooked,” he says, “so we can get him before he dives deep.” He is constantly changing the arrangement and make-up of the dredge until he hits on what the fish seem to prefer. “When I put the dredge in the water I want my confidence high.”

Captain Joe Birbeck, You Never Know

Dredge fishing started in Mexico almost 20 years ago. That’s when Captain Joe Birbeck first saw one of these contraptions. “I saw a guy on the dock with a dredge and I went right out and got the stuff to make one,” he says.

Since then, Birbeck has fished dredges from the Atlantic to the Pacific and at home on the Gulf Coast. In that time, he’s seen dredge technology change. “It’s hard to believe old-school guys still use floss to rig their dredge baits,” he shakes his head. The invention of reusable pin rigs has made it easier to rig natural baits.

Birbeck has also seen more artificial baits in his dredge. “I know old-school guys might not agree,” he admits, “but adding Marlin Mudflaps and Fire Tailz saves time and money.” Fire Tailz are jointed fish silhouettes made out of fabric. Supplementing some of the natural baits with artificial baits gives the dredge more lift. Adding artificials to the dredge also helps level the dredge so it swims parallel to the surface.

In Mexico, Birbeck uses a double mullet or double ballyhoo dredge. “We’ve fished artificial dredges side-by-side with the natural dredges and raised just as many fish,” he admits. In the Gulf, when he finds the fish, he bumps up to a three-tier dredge. “We do a lot of high-speed trolling to find the marlin,” he explains, “but once we have them cornered we’ll use the dredge.” When he’s live bait fishing, Birbeck deploys a six-arm dredge armed with Mudflaps. “It looks like a school of blackfin tuna,” he explains.

Birbeck likes to dredge behind the flatlines and the squid chain behind the dredge. He starts the day with his go-to colors. “If we’re not raising fish by lunch, we’ll switch up colors and start experimenting.”

Looking into the future, Birbeck expects artificial dredge baits to become more life-like. “It’s amazing how far dredges have come,” he marvels, “from spoons and hook-less Rapalas to rubber shads and fish.” Recently, he’s noticed hard-plastic dredge baits showing up on the dock. “In 25 years, I’ve never stopped experimenting,” he says, “I’m always learning.”

Captain Scott Fawcett, www.offthechainfishing.com

Captain Scott Fawcett started dredge fishing in the mid-nineties while working with Captain BJ Bell on Boneshaker. “My favorite was a four-arm with 11 mullet,” he reminisces. From there, dredges and dredge fishing got bigger. “We ended up using three tier dredges with dozens of baits,” he says, “it got to the point where it was too much money and effort.”

Now he settles on a simpler dredge set-up that he can manage. “When fishing is slow, we add a trailer that the fish can suck on,” he jokes. When the action picks up, he removes the dropper. “I don’t want the fish to pick out a single bait,” he explains, “instead I want it to move off to the flat line or long rigger.” He has also started removing his squid-chain teasers from the water when the fish are skittish. “I’ve found that the teaser can turn them off,” he says.

Dredge fishing is so effective that Fawcett also employs them on his center console. When he’s drifting live baits off South Florida, he likes to sink a Stripteaser. This artificial teaser uses holographic fish on a strip of clear plastic film that undulates in the water. “It’s light and easily affected by the movement of the boat and current.” When the current and wind are too light for drift fishing, he slow trolls at 1.5 to 2.5 knots using two dredges armed with artificial fish. “The sailfish really lock onto the paddletails,” he says.

If he is trolling faster than four knots, Fawcett switches to natural mullet or ballyhoo dredges. However, he still uses artificial shads or rubber fish to control the depth of his dredge. “If the tail is dropping down, I’ll add rubber fish to bring it up.”

Fawcett likes to offset his dredges, running one deeper and one shallow. “I run one dredge six to 20 feet below the surface and the other so shallow I can see the swirls on the surface.” If he marks bait or fish deep, he’ll drop one dredge deeper. “I can prospect with the dredge to pull the fish up.”

On his center console, Fawcett runs the dredges off downriggers. “We installed the downriggers foreword of the flat line rod holders so they don’t get tangled or interfere with the motors.” He even rigs the dredge with the weights inside the arms for a more compact package. “I can troll two dredges and two squid chains without batting an eye.”

To test the effectiveness of his dredges, he watches the fish it attracts. “If the fish is stuck on the dredge, I know it is working,” he explains. He’ll leave a fish on the teasers as long as possible. “Nothing attracts fish better than another fish.” Fawcett loves to watch marlin attack the teasers. “If marlin fishing wasn’t waiting for the pin to snap and yelling, ‘There he is!’ I wouldn’t do it for a living.” He geeks out on the visuals. “The only thing that would be better is if marlin could roar like a lion,” he laughs.

Bill Pino, www.squidnation.com

As owner of Squidnation, Bill Pino has made a study of dredge history and trends. His squid dredges revolutionized teaser technology by adding artificial baits to natural teasers.

“The first time I used a dredge was on Pelican with Captain Arch Bracher,” he remembers. They were fishing a weed line off Hatteras and Bracher deployed a single dredge with large mullet. “We raised a blue marlin, then caught a white and a blue pretty quickly.”

Pino was sold on dredges, but it wasn’t until another captain suggested using his artificial squids on the dredge that Pino saw the full potential. “We fished artificial squid dredges all summer and ended up with the most releases out of Ocean City,” he beams, “when I told people they laughed at me.”

Since then, Pino has continued to experiment and refine his dredges. He went from single droppers to chain style dredges and adjusted leader distance to keep the squids from tangling. “We noticed the fish were on small baits in Costa Rica so we came up with a dredge that uses 108 small squid,” he says, “it looks like a big ass bait ball.”

One advantage he’s noticed is that fish tend to move off of an artificial dredge faster than from natural baits. “The fish hits a natural bait and he’ll keep at it until he gets it off the dredge,” he says. With an artificial dredge, the fish tend to hit the rubber bait once then move off to the squid chain or one of the hook baits.

To learn more about dredge technology and techniques, Pino takes input from anglers and captains. “I see guys dropping dredges back farther and farther,” he says. Improved lead weights that can be adjusted for the perfect presentation make it possible to place the dredge anywhere in the spread. He has seen some crews go to the extreme of adding heat shrink to the dredge arms to deaden the sound.

Pino is always looking for ways to improve his squid dredges. He was hesitant to give details, but he’s working on a new dredge that better imitates a school of bait. “Dredge baits swim in a straight line,” he says, “but a bait ball is a mass of shit all bunched up,” His next invention will feature multiple baits moving in different directions. “That’s all I can say,” he stops.