I haven't been able to make any of the meet and greets being out of town. I hope to make up some rigs for offshore of VA Beach.

Was going to make up a squid daisy chain and a cedar plug daisy chain. Any thoughts on color and size of squid to use? What leader would you recommend?

Has anyone tried the artificial ballyhoo? Any success?
What are your favorite lures for tuna and dolphin ?
Fairly new to the game. All tips appreciated!

Capt,
I like 150 pound mono for most of my offshore rigs. As far as colors, for cedar plugs you can't go wrong with natural(its amazing that trolling a stick with lead on it will catch a tuna )

For squids, natural, pink, blue and white, and green I would say are the most popular. Size, I like any where from the small ones around 5 inches up to the big 'uns around 10 inches. I've become partial to the 5 inch ones used in mini spreader bars and I'm sure they would work just as well in a daisy chain. I would make up some in small and a couple in big...you never know what the fish is feeding on so its best to be ready for anything.

Never used the artificial ballyhoos except for using them on a dredge, so can't help with how they work rigged like real ballyhoos.

Lures for dolphin and tuna...chugger style or jet/cone heads. I've also had success with Rapala's on tuna. Colors...pinks and greens and yellows for dolphin and blues and purples and greens for tuna.

If you need help let me know...be glad to offer assistance.

Catch 'em Up!

--Don

the triple black cedar plug chain is my favorite.

I like the lures that make my rods point toward the water.

I too like the triple cedar plug chains, natural for the front ones, but like to toss a black one on the end. For squids, 5 to 10's white, pink, or green are my favorites. on the lure front, skippers like zukers, tuna clones and the like work, but I usually end up putting them in front of a ballyhoo or strip bait. my all together favorite is a horse hoo (or a split tail mullet) behind a purple feather with a big old egg sinker tied under his chin ..... i hate pulling a big old spreader bar, but they are effective so i always have one with me, if not in the water.

have yall messed around with danglers? ... or as i call them "donny rigs" (after donny white, he was the first one to show me that rig). they are the poor man's rig to fish like a commercial green stick boat. put a barrel 50 to 75 feet from the leader, hook a 5 inch squid on a dropper line about 4 - 5 feet long on it. run the contraption on your long rigger so that the squid dances more out of the water than in. Awesome sight seeing multiple yellowfin come out of the water after that rig. pain to initially set up for your boat and conditions, but very hot once you get it working!

i am also with don, 150 pound mono leaders, and i like them pretty long with a doubled main line tied with a double nail knot or bimini twist. (i suck at a bimini twist, last time i tried to tie one, i ended up tieing myself to the friggen dock!).

it is getting to be time ..... i am excited!

bo

the mean green daisy chan

Thank you one and all. I am sure more questions will follow. With the price of gas I hope to at least be pulling the right baits! Whether or not I find some fish for the boys remains to be seen!