looking for a couple cases of medium ballyhoo: does any of the local shops have any yet????price? brand?

Follow this link for a list of Calcutta Ballyoo suppliers...Bob

http://www.calcuttabaits.com/wheretobuy-states/virginia.html

i have not had good luck with calcutta in the past three years.... not the same as it used to be....look good in the pack, but very soft bellys. wash out in just a few minutes of trolling.....

i'm curious on what to buy now..... what's everyone's choice for bally-hoos?

I think the bait of choice these days is baitmasters- there is a group on the other board getting ready to place a bulk order heres the link- if you are not registered to will have to before you will be able to see the thread not sure when Long Bay Pointe will be getting in new stuff- maybe connie will chime in here???

http://www.tidalfish.com/boards2/viewthrea...922115&id=57588

i'm really new to this offshore game, i heard something about green poop being important, but its less important because those bait suppliers are injecting them with green dye.

how long can these baits stay good in the freezer?

how many hoo's do you take out per trip?

how many would you thaw at first? what sorta lead time would you need to thaw out another pack?


at the end of the day, you've got 6 thawed and brined ballyhoos, can you refreeze them?

there's no such thing as a dumb question?

I dont fish offshore a whole lot anymore because of health problems but this is me- i dont care about green poop, I look for bright eyes, no juice in the bags and bright orange bills(not always orange all the time). I usually carry around 2 packs 1-small/12 and 1 med/6.( some people use more, not me) too poor!!! i like to thaw and brine and rig the night before- I dont know about dragging them after refreezing them but they do make good mahi-bait after being refrozen!!! that brine does toughen em -up when Im rigging i cut off the pec fins, remove the eyeballs and gently remove the "poop". then rig em up. good luck !!! craig

Thaw them in a cooler slowly over a 24 hour period.Put a layer of ice in the cooler,lay a towell on the ice place the Ballyhoo on the towell pre rigged.Sprinkel the baits with kosher salt.lay another towell on top of the baits then put another layer of ice on top.You can do several layers the salt tuffens up the Ballyhoo .I usually rig up 3 dozen baits,that way when things get hot and heavy you dont waste time rigging baits.Its easier to rig baits in your driveyay than it is in 8 foot swells.I got some Costarican ballyhoo last year at PA Dist. on 17 th Street they were blueish silver they lasted 3 times longer and had more flash than Killerbee or Calcutta.

Has anyone tried plastic ballyhoo- calcuttas or the mann's ultimate hoo...or any other brands?

I use them with spreader bar teasers to simulate a school of baits.I usually put a real one near by.the Artificials dont look or taste real enough to replace real ones.

Thispast weekend I was watching George Provmorval (what ever) fishing on ESPN. The guest guide showed an easy way to rig hoos. I did not think it was easier than the way I was taught by the hatteras fleet. But this guy did something I've got to try. He made a small cut at the anal opening. Then he gently sqeezed the guts out. He said this will prevent them from washing out. Anyone ever do this?

I crack their backs and Run my thumb down the outside of their belly to squeeze the poop out,then I break off the bill.You can make a bridal through their eye socket and run a circle hook at the apex of their head, wire the mouth shut and they swim like their still alive.Or use the wire rig the old way.If the hoos arent really fresh dont try to crack their back they will rip.

OK I ADMIT-IT I DONT KNOW HOW TO RIG BALLYHOO!! I'VE GOT GEORGE POVEROMO'S OFFSHORE BAIT RIGGING VIDEO BUT ITS BETTER TO BE SHOWN HANDS ON TO LEARN THE TRICKS.

MAYBE NEXTS TIME I'M IN VB SOMEONE COULD SHOW ME, I'D GREATLYYYYY
APPRECIATE IT.

THANKS.

Anytime. I have some old Hoos in my freezer that are leftover from last year that you can use to practice on. The old ones are still good as cut bait when bailing or chunking.

THANKKS Tickled Pink I CANT WAIT TO GET OUT AND CATCH SOME FISH

Recovery,
Once you do it. It's realy simple. The most important thing is keep the hook straight and don't let the hook pull the bait. The "nose cone" or wire clip with a rubber band should pull the bait by the head. If the hook pulls the bait where the hook comes out, it will tist and wash out. It's not much different than rigging a rubber worm. The trick is do it fast and in a 5' swell when the bite is on.

THANKS Flonder Pounder I JUST NEED TO BE SHOWN ONCE, I DO IT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK IT UP.

The real key to making them tough and last longer trolling is brine - crushed ice - kosher salt (plenty) and Baking Soda sprinkled in. Soak 'em in layers of this for 6 hours - rig 'em up then dip them once more to clean off blood, poop, etc. Layer 'em between plastic kitchen trash bags in cooler on ice with dusting of salt / soda on each layer. It works!

I thaw out in a brine soultion it really toughens them up. Run the thumb towards the anal vent and clear that poop. Split the beak and rig through the split for good tracking .Chin weight for rough seas and below the surface running. Dress them to kill. My favorite is blue and white more blue on overcast days and more white on clear days. Make them skip and splash. Put them in a chain. Put them on a bar. But what ever you do with that Bally hoo make sure you PUT THEM ON SOMETHING.

the plumber
scooter