[OUTTALINE]

What would be the best way to make a rig for bailing Dolphin. Hook size,style , weight and where to set the weight, and leader length? Any help would be great! Thanks

[short comings]

for bailing dolphin on the weed lines, I use the small squid skirts(bright colors) with a small egg sinker and probably about a 6/0 hook. Leader length is up to you, mine are usually only about 18 inches. As for the size of egg sinker, I use one that I have to force up into skirt . Reason being is that when the fish jumps, the skirt and weight will slide up the line away from hook. If not the weight right against the hook will assist the fish in spitting the hook. Learned this was the problem with alot of lost fish years ago while using the set ups that came with them and had the weighted head molded directly to the top of hook. This new system has resulted in ALOT less lost fish.


Once you have the fish under the boat, your best bet is naked hook with a piece of cut bait.

Hope this helps.

[bobdu11]

I have about 50 4/0 snelled to about a 40# piece of mono about 18 - 24 inches long with a loop tied on the free end with a spider hitch....just replace leader as necessary when your bailing dolphin.....retrieve rigs when your cleaning the fish.....if you can get the hook out of the fish and reuse the rig then go for it.....Bob

[gradyman]

Here's the way we do it.
36 inch length floro 50 to 80lb test. Crimp a 3/4 in loop in one end. Thread a small bead (I use clear one's) on the line up to the loop crimp. Slide on a 3/8 or 1/4 oz egg sinker, slide on a second bead and behind it the smallest single crip you can fit on the line . Now to review; crimp small loop - bead - 3/8 of 1/4 oz sinker - bead - single crimp. You should now have the sinker locked in place. Go to the other end of the leader and crimp on 5/0 hook and sharpen it to a razor sharpness. It is wise to make 6 or 8 rigs with different weights 1/4 -3/8 and 1/2. We find if the weight is too big it sinks too fast and doesn't look natural, so I like the smallest weight possible. When you are going to bail'em up simply place the loop in a snap swivel on the bailing rod line. Sometimes the dolpin will simply not bite and are very finicky (particularly if Bobdu has already beat the hell out of them, which he will do in a heart beat ) the least visable rig you can get -the better. Also, a lot of people use cut-up ballyhoo for chum and bait. False albacore meat is much better. Tuna belly also works better than ballyhoo, but not as good as Falsies. (they fish, I mean) the other falsies are not worth a s**t for anything.They are very misleading-don't be fooled

Probably more info than you wanted -but that's our story and we are sticking to it.

Kent

[peejcj8]

I agree with all the above. I made alot of squid rigs and did well with them a few times, then you find the ones that have been hit hard and you might find that first taking the squid off works, then you might need to bury the hook or go weightless.

If you see the mahi hitting your chum but not your bait, you need to try something different.

George, mark, john and i worked a weed bed for hours to get just to get enough meat to share, yet sometimes you can sure enough bail them limitless.

[Marlin Maniac]

I remember that Eric. That was a tough day. What I've done in the past is simular to what Bob does. I generally make 20 to 30 rigs and have them available on the tackle station. When a fish goes in the box, unless the hook almost falls out, you open the snap swivel, slip off the old rig and slip on a new one. During any lull in the action, I'd collect as many of the rigs in the box as I could. That also allowed me to check the leaders for fraying. I cut the hooks and sinkers off the bad ones and recycle the good ones back into the game. I use a very simple rig. I use an Octopus circle hook and a 1/4 or 1/2 oz slip sinker. On a 3 foot, 40 lb floro leader, I tie the hook on first, then slip a sinker on. I double the line back through the sinker a second time, which creates a loop that keeps the sinker stationary halfway between the hook and the surgeon's loop I tie on the end. Real simple. As to bait, what I've found is that if the fish grow wary of the bait you're using, change it up. If they stop hitting the false albacore chunks, switch to cut ballyhoo and sometimes you can restart the bite. And always keep a casting bait ready when bailing. Many times I've seen a 40 or 50 lb bull circling, attracted by the commotion and bait in the water. A jig or a spoon can really make your day when that happens! Tight lines and good luck!

[grayfox]

we have seen times along as you had squid or cut bait on a hook you could catch them.i use a 1/2 and 1/4 oz. weights below the swivel 2 ft. of 100 pd. leaderwith a 5/0 shoot j hook.when they get real finakey(?)make up a 3 ft leader with a cork big enough to hold the weight,hook it in the snap swivelwith the rig and send it about 50 ft. or so behind the boat in the chum trail. it seems to always work when there all around the boat eating everything that dont have a hook in it!

[My Babby Ruth]

lets go lets go


I dont use any weights when you find them if they are eating you could use anything for bait
if you run out of bait they will eat them self hope we can get to them soon

[skinnys-kid]

All great info and awesome advice, Don't forget the old tackle box standard, small white bucktail. Best thing with bailing mahi...keep it simple.

[Billable]

All great info and awesome advice, Don't forget the old tackle box standard, small white bucktail. Best thing with bailing mahi...keep it simple.

We make up our rigs with a 5-6' leader, long enough to haul the fish in (Bailers or Hoisters), or to leader the fish to a Gaff, and also long enough to get them in the box with enough leader left to disconnect at the loop or swival and re-rig comfortably. Currently I use a 10" piece of larger diameter (Super Noodle) foam swimming noodle from WalMart that I wrap the hook rigs around and secure with an trusty #64 rubber band. We can quickly pull a new rig off and clip it on. That foam noodle holds over a dozen hook rigs.
Dave

[EARLYTIMES]

In my book try and be the first or second boat on the weedline, after that your luck dwindles considerably.

[peejcj8]

Im too slow, Im always the 10th boat to the weed.

[fordbjr]

Save your smaller rigs that get chaffed or nicks in them and make them shorter for dolphin rigs. 3-4' is good. We use octopus hooks or circle hooks. I prefer circle hooks for people that are less experienced, in case they let them eat it too long, it's no problem. I never use weights with the chunks. You want your hooked bait to sink at the same speed as the chunks with no hooks. When trolling, save your washed out ballyhoo and cut them into chunks. Also use bonita chunks or squid. DO NOT overfeed them. That's the biggest reason why the bite turns off. Keep enough chunks in the water (along with one of their hooked buddies) to keep them interested. If they get less interested, try skirts over the chunks or cast little jigs. Dolphin eat pretty much anything. They are feeding machines.

Brian

[wingshot]

Once you have made a bunch of the aforementioned rigs, steal one of your kids noodles (the swimming kind), cut it into one foot sections, hook it and wind on the leader. A slice will allow you to finish off the end with a loop.