Finished Business
Well-Known Member
Something I can prob help a fellow Tuna nut with...I'll shoot ya a PM when time comes.
Tuna tackle
- Thread starter Sculpin
- Start date
Something I can prob help a fellow Tuna nut with...I'll shoot ya a PM when time comes.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Those look really cool. I just checked out the site. Aluminum cedar plugs.......who woulda thunk eh? lol.
Finished Business
Well-Known Member
Time to fire up the lathe! Lol.
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
I read hear last year that some one does that. I think they are neat but anytime I had a nasty birdsnest the common denominator was the x-rap.
I think if you ran 6 off rods it would work but you know how it goes, one pulls a bit to the left the other to the right which could be advantageous.
When I used them I tried them on hand lines with a bungee cord at the boat end and every once and a while the x-rap lunges out of the water. This action combined with the stretch in the bungee cord made a x-rap sling shot effect which the participant in the boat were the targets. Its Actually kind of dangerous when you have slack tuna cord in the prop area and 2 trebles on a lure randomly place on deck. Not for me. I just sold all mine but one. Use them on rods only I would say. IMO
Thats the frusterating thing about tuna is there never seams to be that obvious hot ticket item on any day like salmon. Weird.
tykkyt e blue
Well-Known Member
I did a practice run with all x-raps last year. The test worked for me and was hilarious!!! It was October after my last trip to Westport and I really wanted to try using gunnel release clips the way Mark ( guide ) has set up his troll pattern. It was a day or two before bird hunting opened so I also wanted to scout the river.
So I'm happily buzzing away up the Fraser River with 6 rods out - all x-raps - 6-7mph trying different ways to hold the release clip for best spread.... when I hear -
" hey.. Hey.. Hey speedy, You're going way too fast!!!" HAHAHA - this was from an anchored boat, who was sturgeon fishing. I was laughing too hard to explain what I was doing as I went by...
Story aside - I think using 'snapper' style release clips to hold the line really helps. The line is held a few feet closer to the water, it doesn't wiggle like the rod tip, you can place the line where you want irregardless of where the rod holder is mounted and since the release clip is holding the line, you can set the reel drag lower.
I tuned mine to run left or right a bit, and marked them with a Sharpie. 2 lefts, 2 straights in the middle and 2 rights.
What will happen on a bite? ... I'm dying to find out!
So I'm happily buzzing away up the Fraser River with 6 rods out - all x-raps - 6-7mph trying different ways to hold the release clip for best spread.... when I hear -
" hey.. Hey.. Hey speedy, You're going way too fast!!!" HAHAHA - this was from an anchored boat, who was sturgeon fishing. I was laughing too hard to explain what I was doing as I went by...
Story aside - I think using 'snapper' style release clips to hold the line really helps. The line is held a few feet closer to the water, it doesn't wiggle like the rod tip, you can place the line where you want irregardless of where the rod holder is mounted and since the release clip is holding the line, you can set the reel drag lower.
I tuned mine to run left or right a bit, and marked them with a Sharpie. 2 lefts, 2 straights in the middle and 2 rights.
What will happen on a bite? ... I'm dying to find out!
I run 4 rods with all Xraps and have run as many as 6 with all Xraps. With 4, I run two off the corners in rod holders on the down riggers. Those two rods are pointed 90 degrees off the side. I run the other two off the corners pointed straight back. The two outside ones I run a little further back than the two inside ones. I can fit a 5th down the center off the gunnel if I run it a bit further back also. No real problems with tangles but I'm not turning corners very tight at all. When I do turn, the shorter Xlines can go under the longer lines without tangles. If I want to run 6, I stick two rods on the cabin top and again run those further back. I use line counter reels so I can determine the distance.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info folks. I may give this a try to get more of the spread down. We ran them off the hand lines last year and did well with them. The first two we tried got shacked off right away due to too light of leader (expensive lesson). I know they are really popular with the Oregon and Washington sport fleet.
Osama Bin Hopper
Active Member
I'm sure they work for some, but both of my big number fish days the xrap accounted for 0 fish.
Deadly Dick however nailed them big time so I'm all over that aluminum cedar for sure.
There will not be an xrap allowed on any boat I'm fishing on!! LOL! No Joke!!
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
Ya, I just sold mine. Not to be nasty but I really hate them things. But the deadly dick I am going to get more of those!!
I need to get your tuna gear to you OSAMA. Where can I drop them off in port or nam?
Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
Probably the biggest/longest.
As to X Raps if they're jumping on you try slowing down-not always easy-they aren't the greatest in a following sea.
FWIW-Mini Yozuri Bonitas don't jump much.
Osama Bin Hopper
Active Member
Roger that Carl. Can't remember if they were 5,6 or 7 but the biggest there is. That aluminum plugs gonna nuke them as well!!
mbowers
Well-Known Member
For the X-rap you can put a cigar trolling sinker (6-32oz) inline to keep them in the water / get deeper / catch weeds:
I also suggest using a rubber band to fix the middle treble hook to the body so it doesn't scratch up the body and the hook always has a point out. I like to replace the trailing treble with a siwash single.
IMHO Yozuri Bonitas need to run at 12 knots to work right and they're terrible at hookup ratio but some people love 'em!
mbowers
Well-Known Member
IMHO the chunk hooks are too big and the leaders too short. I would try a 6/0 regular wire Circle Hook for chunking with a 25ft wind on leader. For a poor man's wind on for the the rods you can make a double line of the braid with a bimini (better but more difficult) or a spider's hitch (real easy) and then make a 1.5 Surgeon's knot (three pass throughs) from the double line to 25 ft of 60# fluorocarbon. Add the circle hook with a snell knot or run the leader through your clone / feather of choice and add the double hook. No knots / swivels within 25 feet of the lure / bait now and you can crank right down on the fish at the boat. For the handlines the swivels are probably fine.
As I mentioned in previous post I like to rubber band the middle treble on the X-rap and replace the trailing treble with a single siwash.
Well this thread just cost me another $40 as I ordered 4 of the aluminum cedar plugs. Now if someone would point me to the favorite colors and model of Deadly Dicks lures, this thread will cost me even more money! I assume that the #4 long casting/jigging lures are what guys are trolling - e.g. these - http://www.deadlydicklures.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=188 . I aslo assume that purple or green colors are good but it would be nice to hear from someone who has used them.
While we're on the topic of tackle - what do you guys think about the "weak buffalo" theory in this guy's post on tuna fishing - http://coastsidefishingclub.com/grey-beard-articles/trolling-jigs-for-albacore/ ? When I've run the X-raps, I've tended to follow this advice and have run all identical X-raps. For me last year about 75% of my fish came from X-raps. Perhaps that's because I'm not running them in a pattern with a lot of other choices?
While we're on the topic of tackle - what do you guys think about the "weak buffalo" theory in this guy's post on tuna fishing - http://coastsidefishingclub.com/grey-beard-articles/trolling-jigs-for-albacore/ ? When I've run the X-raps, I've tended to follow this advice and have run all identical X-raps. For me last year about 75% of my fish came from X-raps. Perhaps that's because I'm not running them in a pattern with a lot of other choices?
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I fish tuna out of Santa Cruz CA--am a strong believer in weak buffalo theory. run four different lures you will catch one fish-run four the same and you will catch 4 at a time. Last time out, we ( my friend and my wife and I) put 800 lbs in the boat in one day, 65 miles out. Most consistent producer over the years has been a zukers broomstick zuchini, during most of the day, real early black andpurple works well, andsome times in real bright sunshine pink and white will do well. We allways drop back a swim bait when comming to a stop on a jig strike. Use a lighter rod, its a real kick. I love eating the fish we catch up here in BC but lb for lb nothing will match an allbie-our 2 speed Shimano halibut reels work great for troll fish-they would be way overkill for salmon of the same size.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Finally put it all to bed and will be stashed at the ready for when the stars align.
Amazing it all fit's into this little pile.
I will look more into the chunk bait rigs for sure and I really appreciate all the comments and advice.
I know every time I go into PNT they say the commercial guys use the green and purple lures. I own 2 of them. Never run em. Has anyone run a full spread of the green and purple clones?
Amazing it all fit's into this little pile.
I will look more into the chunk bait rigs for sure and I really appreciate all the comments and advice.
I know every time I go into PNT they say the commercial guys use the green and purple lures. I own 2 of them. Never run em. Has anyone run a full spread of the green and purple clones?
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
Finally put it all to bed and will be stashed at the ready for when the stars align.
Amazing it all fit's into this little pile.
I will look more into the chunk bait rigs for sure and I really appreciate all the comments and advice.
I know every time I go into PNT they say the commercial guys use the green and purple lures. I own 2 of them. Never run em. Has anyone run a full spread of the green and purple clones?
I think the zukers the commies use have a green head with a dark blue skirt with a green underneath that blue skirt. Not a great photo to show the color but they are the ones on the bottom right of this photo. I have seen tuna boats at the dock and only these are rigged all over the place.
Ill have to put my name on my tote and "ready bucket" cuz it's looks just like yours sculp. Lol
The ready bucket: I use this as well to Carry all my rigged splashers ready to put out quick but also keep anything that has been used ( seen salt water)during the day for a fresh water soak back at the dock. Keeps the gear tote free of salt.
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