Spreader Bars

[Cornfed]

I would like to make some spreader bars for this next year. I have an idea of what has been done and what I would do, but I haven't seen the fine details discussed. Therefore, I have many questions regarding making and running spreader bars. Hopefully there are some guys out there that have input on the subject and can provide some clarity to the following:

1. What unrigged bars do you like and where do you get them? cost?

2. How wide of bars would you run for albies vs. BFT vs. YFT, etc? How many lines come off the bar? I have seen everything from 10i. bars to 42in. bars with as many as 5 lines coming off the bar.

3. How far do you space the squid apart each other (longitudinally)? On a bar that has 5 lines, Do you change the spacing between the outer lines and inner lines?

4. How far do you run the chasebait back from the last squid on the middle line? How about for daisy chains - how far do you run the chase bait back?

5. What kind of squid do you run? bulb squid, laser squid, squid with no body to them? Where do you get them and cost?

6. What color schemes do you run in the spread? Do you mix COLORS? Do you mix SIZES? In other words, could you run small on the outside and big on the inside? Around here, we would like to get into some BFTs so we would use the bigger squid. However if we have all large 10" squid out there, then we aren't going to catch that many albies, if any.

7. A lot of guys will run 7 lines if they have outriggers and will run the 'W' pattern. Do you still do this with spreader bars and how do you mix in single lures and daisy chains into the mix?

I know there are a lot of questions here, but I am just trying to generate some conversation and see where we can take this thing. You all know we have to add to our gear pile.

[johnnylite]

There was a thread on the east coast section about this. I also think there is a guy who makes and sells them.

Found it . offthehooktackle.com

[Hunter III]

TG - I am going to a sbft trolling seminar this coming weekend - it's a two day affair that is put on by the top trolling boat on Cape Cod - hopefully I'll get an electronic copy of the seminar - if I do I'll forward the good stuff to you - as far as building your own rigs, it's fairly straight forward - all of mine are home made - titanium bars are the best choice - we typically use a 4' bar with a 45654 arrangement or a 343 arrangement - the spacing of the squid is based on the lentgh of the squid you are using - if you are trolling 13" squid, the spacing would be approximately 13" between each squid (some like a closer spacing, say 75% of the lentgh of the squid) - we like the Ocean Concept Shell Squids in the following colors #5, 17, #3, 104, 300, 27, & 067 - we usually set the squid up on 100 mono on the wings and 150 down the middle - most people run their stinger (hook bait) about 6' behind the last squid in the middle - the stinger is usually a color that directly contrasts with the main group - I run my bars as teasers and run my hook bait as a single squid which I trail behind the main group - the outriggers get complicated but you get to fight the fish with out having to deal with the bar - more to follow

[Mo]

Tommy, I am learning alot just reading your threads, hope we get to fish together sumtime. Keep up the good questions.

[N J Mello]

I'd like to find out more about making/using spreader bars, too. Lots of obvious advantages. I have both outriggers and downriggers and would like to develop techniques using spreader bars on both (not necessarily using both at the same time). I can't see how using spreader bars on the downriggers would work around the kelp beds, but they sure would around the edges of floating pads. Any comments?

[IglooMan]

Get Archer bars and save yourself the hassle of building your own. Archer and Bob Melville have spent way more time developing, testing, and proving their bars than you could imagine. They work really well, are easy to use, relatively cheap, and even for do-it-yourself'ers types they can still be fun... mixing and matching models and colors, running different sized weights in front of the spiders/dredges, etc etc...

[Cornfed]

Get Archer bars and save yourself the hassle of building your own. Archer and Bob Melville have spent way more time developing, testing, and proving their bars than you could imagine. They work really well, are easy to use, relatively cheap, and even for do-it-yourself'ers types they can still be fun... mixing and matching models and colors, running different sized weights in front of the spiders/dredges, etc etc...

I may get a couple Archer bars as well, but I don't consider it a "hassle" to build my own. I consider it a pleasure. It means a little more to me when I build or rig something with my own two hands than just buying an off the shelf product. Fred has a great product and it may be 10 times better than what I am going to make. I will probably buy some Archer bars to run on port rigger and run mine on stbd rigger and do a side-by-side comparison. Catching fish trumps gear making so if his bars are marginally better, then I will be running Archer bars. I have no doubt that Fred and Bob spent numerous hours hashing out the fine details of the design, then building, testing, and proving their product. I know what the production cycle is all about and it is no easy process. They deserve all credit that has been given to them.

How much $$$$ is a naked Archer Bar (that just doesn't sound right)???

Would a plain (no squid attached) Archer Bar rigged by me be less effective than an archer bar rigged by Fred? I mean, the magic is in the bar itself, correct?

[Cornfed]

There was a thread on the east coast section about this. I also think there is a guy who makes and sells them.

Found it . offthehooktackle.com

I went to the website and I don't see any links to buy gear. Am I missing something?

[el capo]

Tommy,have your own bars made from SS with small rings welded on to attach the lines,not too expensive,but effective.

[Hunter III]

If you buy the right components a home made bar will out fish a store bought bar every time.