Un-buttoned troll fish

[wils]

I have PBed marlin but never tuna. I am reading a LOT of reports about un-buttoned troll fish/tuna. With marlin and straight mono, we always hit the throttles to compensate for mono stretch and then let the boat set the hook. No light line here. 80# all the way.

How are you guys reacting to your albie jig strikes? Are you immediately shutting down? or are you leaving it in gear - possibly speeding up - to let the mono "stretch" to get taken up and have the boat set the hook?

In the sport boats, it takes quite a while for the boat to slow upon backing off the throttles so the stretch factor is easilyl being compensated for via 80# and stiff drags settings. Not so in a PB. PBs slow quickly and stop. What size line are you guys trolling with? Maybe that is a major decision maker as to gassing or backing off?

I'm not looking for a discussion on what's the right way to react upon the strike, because there never is just ONE right way to do anything in fishing. (or internet perfect way, anyway )

I'm just curious as to why there are so many missed jig fish so that I don't duplicate what is NOT working when its time for me to step up to the plate.

[Saluki]

Great question Bill, I was wondering the same thing.

[Bottom Line]

I always keep going for at least a 5 count - clears the tuna away from the rest of the gear and gives his buddies a better chance at joining in on the fun.

[Limits]

We also heard of a lot of fish coming unbottoned on Friday while we were out. We didn't have that many missed fishes as out of 13 jig strikes and we only lost 1 fish.

I was at the wheel during most of those strikes and what I did was give it a little gas after each strike.

We were also using 65-80 lb test and had the drags tightened pretty good. From the time we'd get a strike to the time I put it in neutral, it was about 5 seconds.

[Bigpondonly]

10 count turns singles into quads...and it's really cool to WATCH the fish come up and wack the feathers
Dave

[BiggestT]

I agree, a good 10 count to hang even more fish, drop a bait or two back and start a chum line. We had one come unbuttoned on a Rapala XRap that we left hanging while working the live bait. It came unbuttoned at the boat after we finally started reeling it in. It rolled and twisted out the treble hooks. That's what can happen with trebles and those double tuna hooks. For meat fishing (i.e. non-IGFA legal), I rig my feathers with two single 7/0 hooks, points facing each other. It's called a scissor hook rig. It's deadly and you'll never have a problem with pulled hooks.

[locobro]

I troll with spectra to feather/jethead leaders, not alot of stretch. Give it about a three count and put it into neutral, by then it's all said an done, double or triple....or single. I switched the double hooks to 4x treble hooks because I had had fish come unbuttoned at boatside, took care of that problem. Just one person's opinion.

[red_teppin]

It could be circumstantial that those who decided to report just happend to pull hooks. We are making assumptions based on incomplete information.

That being said, with the tuna so close there are lots of inexperienced anglers out there.
Improper drag settings, bad rigging and fighting techniques are sure to take its toll.

Almost every report contains "They bit the small black and purple jet head..." Maybe some people are rigging their small and "micro" lures with improperly sized hooks? A micro lure rigged with a small hook on 80# with drag settings to match? Your going to here stories like "Bullshit! The whole boat fished cows with XXX hooks and we did'nt loose any!" Don't try to convince me that you won't pull more hooks on 80# with a 3/0 hook. I go with a minimum of 5/0 double (tuna style) or 6/0 single hook.

One theory suggests it takes a certain amount of drag pressure to take most of the stretch out of the mono. Thus one reason to set drags to 25-33% of the lines rating. I troll with 80# but with only about 12-15lbs of drag. Many of my friends troll 40# (P.B) and do fine. Becareful though, albies have brittle mouths and I can't see it taking much pressure to drive a SHARP hook home OR rip some lips with improper hook size to drag ratio.

You could make the arguement that if a "belly" or "arc" forms in the line (billfish) the drag of line in the water has enough pressure to pull drag but not set the hook on hard mouthed/billed fish; thus throttle hook setting. I feel if your troll fish pulls drag, that albie is hooked.

IMHO

[1:11]

Sharpen those hooks. A good file from home depot will put a good sharpen on them, not just a little hook file, but something you can shave metal with.

[wils]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions, guys. I've known most of you for a few years now and know that you have the "fish on board" to back your advice.

Sharp hooks and give that fish a severe case of whiplash is a good start. Matching hook size to jig to fishies mouth means re-rigging the pre-packaged trolling jigs in some cases?

I guess it looks like there is a "learning curve" involved here, even if its only trolling for albacore. With the cost of fuel and boat maintenance these days, the cost of losing "easy fish" adds up. I'm hoping the albies pop-up behind the channel islands this year and I want to be as prepared as I can be.

BTW: Getting "short-bit" causes me to utter bad words at myself.