InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Dredge Pulling Tricks from the Pros

January 13, 2021 By InTheBite Editor

angler with dredge

Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor

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.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Fishing, Tackle Tips, Techniques Tagged With: artificial baits, Bayliss, Dredge Baits, Dredging, natural baits, popular, pulling tricks, Trolling

Rest in Peace: Capt. Bart Miller — His Take on Lure Hook-Up

March 27, 2018 By InTheBite Editor

Increase Your Lure Hook-Up %

Capt. Bart Miller

Is a single hook rig better than a double? Is my trolling speed too fast? Can tag lines improve my hook up percentage? These are just a few questions most of us immediately ask ourselves when we miss a marlin bite and our hook-up percentage is not what we think it should be.

Let’s begin with what is a good hook up average, when lure fishing for Blue Marlin. If you average 50% or better you should be writing this article. Catching 1 out of every 2 marlin bites with your lures is above average. The reality is most of you average closer to 33% on bites to catch ratio.

Here are some basic options to consider if you want to move up to 40%, or better with your hook-up ratio.

 

  1. Trolling speed and lure behavior. This is probably one of the most important factors—making sure your lures are running right. The biggest tip I can offer here is to keep your lures swimming smoothly, avoid letting them get out of control such as spinning or jumping out of the water. Skipping them just under or on the surface is good. Each lure will have different running characteristics but your mind set should be so that you are giving the marlin the best chance at attacking your lure spread as possible. If you find yourself trolling along in choppy water, find a speed which will keep the lures in the water—this usually means slowing down, or trolling a weighted slant or 90-degree head. On slick calm days you will have a wider range of trolling speeds as well as a larger variety of lure heads which will work.

  1. Finding the best hook rig. The latest trend is using single, semi-stiff hook rigs with a tuna bend hook. Matching your lure with the proper size hook and placement can make a significant improvement in your hook-up percentage. A good rule of thumb is to choose a hook size that is similar to the lure head—making sure the hook width is not larger than your lure head width. Position the hook so that it is as far back in the skirt as legally possible.

 

  1. Improve your lure spread. Choose lures that have a history of being successful in a particular area that you are fishing. Use colors for example- in the Bahamas, pink and blue is a productive combination. In the Carolinas blue and white is historically the locals color of choice, and in the Virgin Islands, black and purple is a favorite. Basically, you need to become familiar with what has worked in the different regions you are fishing. Be sure to ask around the dock, sometimes a particular lure will seem to out perform all others. If you are lucky enough to be “in the know”, you can benefit with more releases at the end of the day and a higher hook-up percentage.

After you gain enough experience you will become the expert and know of other ways to increase your own hook-up ratio. And as always- a little luck never hurts along the way.

Great fishing, Aloha, Capt. Bart Miller

 

Filed Under: Featured Stories, News, Tackle Tips Tagged With: Bart Miller, Best Hook Rig, billfish, Black Bart, InTheBite, Lure Hook Up, Lure Spread, Rest in Peace, sportfishing, Tackle Tips, Trolling

Connect With InTheBite

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign Up for the InTheBite Newsletter


Be the first to hear about the latest Sportfishing News, Products, and Services!

Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

InTheBite Magazine Current Cover

Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

Upcoming Tournaments

Sat 16

Annual Gold Cup Team Fishing Tournament

January 12 - January 16
Sat 16

Operation Sailfish – 1st leg of “Quest for the Crest” Sailfish Series

January 13 - January 17
Sat 16

Pelagic Rockstar Offshore Tournament

January 15 - January 17
Sat 16

Annual Stuart Boat Show

January 15 - January 17
Mon 18

Los Sueños Ladies Only Billfish Tournament

January 18 - January 19

View More…

News

  • Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

    Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

    Silver Sailfish Derby  First Place Most Releases Overall: Miss Texas Second Place: Priceless Third Place: Doing It All/Hardway Fourth Place: Gator One Top Individual Angler: Mike Simko with 9 releases Top Meat Fish: George Moss, Lunático, with a 32.8 lb kingfish Top Lady Angler: Carly Desmond, DaySea  Pelican Yacht Club Invitational First Place: Waterman, Capt. Kevin Paul Second Place: Dakeri,... [Read More...]

  • Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

    Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

    Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16, 2020—With COVID-19 transforming Americans' recreational habits, a new study from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has found that millions of new or returning participants have taken up fishing & boating. Particular increases were seen among nontraditional participants, signaling the activities' increasing appeal among new audiences. Titled Who's On Board: Keeping New Anglers & Boaters Hooked,... [Read More...]

  • Captain Chris Sheeder Passes Away After Battle with Cancer

    Captain Chris Sheeder Passes Away After Battle with Cancer

    January 7, 2021—It's with a heavy heart that we announce well-known Hawaii Captain Chris Sheeder has passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to a public Facebook post from his brother. Sheeder's love for the water began at the young age of 11 when he took his first offshore trip out of Kona. This eventually led him to... [Read More...]

  • 2021 InTheBite Champion's Cup: What to Know

    2021 InTheBite Champion's Cup: What to Know

    Since 2003, InTheBite’s Captain of the Year Cup has celebrated the most successful tournament captains. It is still the world’s only quantifiable metric that ranks captains across five separate and geographically diverse tournament divisions – Florida, Hawaii, International, Gulf of Mexico and East Coast. New for 2021, we are introducing an optional paid entry winner-takes-all prize format awarding teams with... [Read More...]

  • Watch the V-46 Sea Trial

    Watch the V-46 Sea Trial

    Viking just finished wrapping up an early holiday gift – a captivating video of the new Valhalla 46’s first sea trial. Watch the V-46, powered with quad Mercury 450Rs, tear up the water in this fast-paced film that was captured from the cockpit of a Viking 72. Hull No. 1 of the V-46 topped out at an amazing 71 mph while... [Read More...]

Captain of the Year Cup Standings

Captain of the Year Cup Standings Logo

View the current standings for InTheBite's Captain of the Year Cup... Leaderboard »

Search InTheBite

Copyright © 2021 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.