terminal tackle for yt/albacore.

[rcfb73]

so, im goin on my first overnighter out of san diego this coming sunday....i havent been on a cattleboat in about 12 years, and when i went that time, i just went with my dad and his work friends...we were both not into fishing that much back then....

im going with my barber, and he offered to let me use a setup for the trip, so i took him up on his offer...the only thing is that i want to supply some of the terminal tackle. any recommendations on what type of hooks, weights, etc. etc. i would need to use for those species of fish would be greatly apreciated.... a report will soon follow my trip.

[DavidE]

2/0 Ringed flyliner hooks are a must have for me. Irons are good to have in your bag too. I don't think you'll need much weight since flylining seems to be the norm but, this is only my second season targeting these beasts.

The other tip is to do the "over under" routine. I've seen guys get pretty upset when people don't follow their baits.

Peace

yup...2/0 flyliners, some floro is nice also..a couple tuna feathers or a cedar plug for the troll and your set...

[sansou]

Hooks: size 1, 2 and 1/0 and 2/0. Circle hooks are great, but you need to learn how to not set the hook, just reel into them. Ringed are great too, but not necessary. Bring an assortment because you never know what the fin bait is gonna be like (ie. size of dines and chovies).

Weights: bring and assortment of sliding weights as well, ranging from small to up to 3/4 oz. I let them slide to the hook, which some argue causes you to sometimes lose the fish. You can also uses a rubber stopper if you want to keep it a foot or so above the line. Sometimes having a weight is the only way you can get to them if they're not up surfacing/breezing or crashing. Just in case the boat decides to do a little bottom-cratching in the afternoon around the Coronados for bass or rockfish, bring a few torpedos (4oz to 8oz).

Fishing the slide: bring a little assortment of fishtraps if you want to mooch some fish seconds after the trollers hookup. 1/2oz or more for the jig heads. Make sure you have a good chovy mimic (black back, grayish sides).

Trolling: unless you already have your own setup, don't bother bringing you're own feathers/cedar plugs. If you do want to troll with your own stuff, well, the usual basic assortment is needed: jet heads of mex flag, zuchini, purple & black, pink & lime green, cedar plugs, CD-14s of mack or dines etc... Make sure you bring the right size swivels and some extra 2 way hooks and a sharpener.

Fluoro: not a necessary item, but it can help on a picky bite. Leanr how to tie it properly or you are just wasting your time.

Irons: the usual for YT and Albies: mint, scrambled egg, blue & white, maybe a blue & chrome for the bonito. I like the Tady's & Salas in the 6X & Jr. size, but now everyone makes slightly different versions etc... you pick. Maybe bring some surface jigs just in case as well.

Most of all: have fun and listen to what the deckies & captain are telling you to do. They tend to know what they're talking about.... :wink:

[SanDimasLMB]

For jigs dont forget the Salas 6x Jr. in Green/Yellow.

[sansou]

For jigs dont forget the Salas 6x Jr. in Green/Yellow.

I like that one too!

[Fresh One !!!]

Check your PM....

Fresh One !!!!!!!!!!

[Daus]

If you're lazy like me... take ringed circle hooks in 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 for sardines. Don't set, but put it in gear and wind. I don't recommend circle hooks for anchovies unless those chovies are on Barry Bond's regimen of cream & clear roids (and I don't mean hemeroids) with big beefy shoulders to pull all that line and weight.

Also try tying an 1/2 to 1 oz torpedo weight with a rubberband about 2-3 feet from the hook to get the bait down in the zone if the albies are not willing to come to surface after the jig strike. When the bite is finicky, I'm usually the first one bit on live bait with that rubberband trick.

Good luck and for heaven's sake, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!

[rcfb73]

thanks for all the replies, they DEFINITELY put me to an advantage over what i had before. im pretty excited to go on this trip and hopefully fight some big fish! im coming from fishing trout,bluegill, and surf perch...hopefully its not TOO rude of an awakening!

and ya, im taking my camera and definitely going to take a butt load of pictures.

[jplee3]

If you're lazy like me... take ringed circle hooks in 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 for sardines. Don't set, but put it in gear and wind. I don't recommend circle hooks for anchovies unless those chovies are on Barry Bond's regimen of cream & clear roids (and I don't mean hemeroids) with big beefy shoulders to pull all that line and weight.

Also try tying an 1/2 to 1 oz torpedo weight with a rubberband about 2-3 feet from the hook to get the bait down in the zone if the albies are not willing to come to surface after the jig strike. When the bite is finicky, I'm usually the first one bit on live bait with that rubberband trick.

Good luck and for heaven's sake, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!

What's the difference between ringed circle hooks and regular circle hooks? For the chovies, would you just recommend normal hooks? I'm planning to go primarily [well, hopefully] YT fishing soon.

[Daus]

Jplee3,

You're analyzing my responses wayyyyy to mucho. In any case, I don't recommended ringed circle hooks or regular circle hooks on anchovies.. unless they have some big _ss anchovies.. about 6-7 inchers. The circle hooks tend to run a little bigger than the J-hooks, hence is heavier and more surface mass for those little boogers to tow around. The chovies will run out of strength before they are within reach of tuna/yt. By the time the current takes your petered-out half dead anchovy into the bite zone, everyone will have already been hooked-up or the bite has fizzled out. Thus I recommend a gamakatsu J-hooks in size 1-4, even size 6 if they only have pin-heads. I've caught 35-40 lbs albacores on gamakatsu size 6 (yes, with those little hooks) with anchovies. For some reason, the albies didn't want sardines on that trip so while everyone was literally soaking big bait, I switched to my little #6 hook and caught my limit on chovies while most were lucky to catch 1 or 2 for the trip on big sardines. They do sell smaller circle hooks with thinner gauge, but I wouldn't use them for tuna cause they'll straigthen out on you. Use bigger J-hooks on sardines and smaller on anchovies.

As to your query on ringed or non-ringed circle hooks, ringed hooks have a little ring in the eye of each hook. Those rings help the bait swim more naturally and prevent hooks from pulling out from the tattered mouth of fish during prolonged fights. The way how I look at it is.. I want every advantage over the other 30-35 anglers on an overnight boat if I'm gonna dish out $200+ just for fishing. The extra few bucks on quality/good terminal tackle (hooks, fluro, etc.) is a small drop in the buck even if it means if you catch one more fish.

Good luck.

[xahx]

good luck!

[SanDimasLMB]

If you're lazy like me... take ringed circle hooks in 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 for sardines. Don't set, but put it in gear and wind. I don't recommend circle hooks for anchovies unless those chovies are on Barry Bond's regimen of cream & clear roids (and I don't mean hemeroids) with big beefy shoulders to pull all that line and weight.

Also try tying an 1/2 to 1 oz torpedo weight with a rubberband about 2-3 feet from the hook to get the bait down in the zone if the albies are not willing to come to surface after the jig strike. When the bite is finicky, I'm usually the first one bit on live bait with that rubberband trick.

Good luck and for heaven's sake, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!

What's the difference between ringed circle hooks and regular circle hooks? For the chovies, would you just recommend normal hooks? I'm planning to go primarily [well, hopefully] YT fishing soon.

Ringed hooks just give the bait more freedom of movement which in turn help them swim more naturally which can also lead to more stikes.

Don't forget to get a really hyper bait. My general rule is that even if you just lighty touch the sardine/anchovie and it goes ballistic PICK THAT ONE.

I will go through 8 baits if I have to, just to get a good bait that swims out far

[rcfb73]

well im leaving in about 5 hours for the trip...forgot to ask a semi important question...waht is the norm on hooking he bait?


setup im using is a 6'6'' seeker rod with a jigmaster 500 lined with 25lb flouro...he told me he would show me how to tie the flouro on the way out. i asked him if he wanted me to bring any hooks or any other supplies and he said no...but i do know he swears by the ringed hooks, so we'll see what goes on...like i said, ill more than likely take pictures of pretty much everything.

[SanDimasLMB]

well im leaving in about 5 hours for the trip...forgot to ask a semi important question...waht is the norm on hooking he bait?


setup im using is a 6'6'' seeker rod with a jigmaster 500 lined with 25lb flouro...he told me he would show me how to tie the flouro on the way out. i asked him if he wanted me to bring any hooks or any other supplies and he said no...but i do know he swears by the ringed hooks, so we'll see what goes on...like i said, ill more than likely take pictures of pretty much everything.

You can hook your baits throught the nose, right behind the anal fin up 1/2 inch, or just hook thru the tail

[8lbCalico]

Hooks: size 1, 2 and 1/0 and 2/0. Circle hooks are great, but you need to learn how to not set the hook, just reel into them. Ringed are great too, but not necessary. Bring an assortment because you never know what the fin bait is gonna be like (ie. size of dines and chovies).

Weights: bring and assortment of sliding weights as well, ranging from small to up to 3/4 oz. I let them slide to the hook, which some argue causes you to sometimes lose the fish. You can also uses a rubber stopper if you want to keep it a foot or so above the line. Sometimes having a weight is the only way you can get to them if they're not up surfacing/breezing or crashing. Just in case the boat decides to do a little bottom-cratching in the afternoon around the Coronados for bass or rockfish, bring a few torpedos (4oz to 8oz).

Fishing the slide: bring a little assortment of fishtraps if you want to mooch some fish seconds after the trollers hookup. 1/2oz or more for the jig heads. Make sure you have a good chovy mimic (black back, grayish sides).

Trolling: unless you already have your own setup, don't bother bringing you're own feathers/cedar plugs. If you do want to troll with your own stuff, well, the usual basic assortment is needed: jet heads of mex flag, zuchini, purple & black, pink & lime green, cedar plugs, CD-14s of mack or dines etc... Make sure you bring the right size swivels and some extra 2 way hooks and a sharpener.

Fluoro: not a necessary item, but it can help on a picky bite. Leanr how to tie it properly or you are just wasting your time.

Irons: the usual for YT and Albies: mint, scrambled egg, blue & white, maybe a blue & chrome for the bonito. I like the Tady's & Salas in the 6X & Jr. size, but now everyone makes slightly different versions etc... you pick. Maybe bring some surface jigs just in case as well.

Most of all: have fun and listen to what the deckies & captain are telling you to do. They tend to know what they're talking about.... :wink:

Dude, REALLY good info here, I would print this if I were you and it didn’t already sound like my tackle cabinet.

[Tundy]

"Also try tying an 1/2 to 1 oz torpedo weight with a rubberband about 2-3 feet from the hook to get the bait down in the zone if the albies are not willing to come to surface after the jig strike. When the bite is finicky, I'm usually the first one bit on live bait with that rubberband trick."

I'm trying to figure out this torpedo and rubberband thing. Could you elaborate how to set that up. Also, are these just basic rubberbands? Sorry for the novice questions..