Using Large Baits to Land Trophy Fish

The worn adage “elephants eat peanuts” acknowledges that huge fish typically devour small baits. However is that an exception that proves the rule? Large fish have insatiable appetites, therefore their inclination to hunt for one or two satisfying meals versus expending power herding tiny prey. Within the offshore world, some prime examples embody blue marlin keying in on mahi and tuna, huge mahi cannibalizing smaller mahi, and wahoo gorging on tuna.

Unleash the Horses

Massive and horse ballyhoo, standard for blue marlin, have lengthy been my go-to baits when in search of huge mahi on the troll. Whereas faculty mahi readily devour small- and medium-size choices, oversize ballyhoo are usually too huge for them to eat. The extra soak time these huge ballyhoo obtain, the higher the probabilities of hooking a bigger ­mahi. I’ve caught mahi as much as 43 kilos by way of this tactic, together with quite a few 20- and 30-pounders. One of many largest mahi I’ve ever seen attacked a splashing mackerel I had out for blue marlin off Walker’s Cay within the Bahamas. Sadly, the hook pulled after one wonderful bounce.

Not too long ago, I’ve been trolling extra small and medium ballyhoo for mahi, primarily to generate motion for my tv collection. Nevertheless, I hold a few pitch-bait outfits and huge ballyhoo on standby. Ought to a gaffer mahi seem, a horse ballyhoo goes into play. The bigger bait ought to deter smaller mahi and hordes of bar jacks lengthy sufficient to attain the massive fish.

Such a state of affairs repeated itself this previous October off Marathon within the Florida Keys. Erica Lynn and I raised a big faculty of mahi from beneath a weed patch. The hookups got here as rapidly as our ballyhoo chunks hit the water. A few bigger mahi quickly appeared. Regardless of exact casting, schoolies quickly intercepted our small baits. It took a big ballyhoo on a spin outfit to catch each fish. 

Fireplace Down Beneath

Bottomfishing anglers attempt for giant grouper and snapper, regardless of the smaller ones being higher desk fare. But there’s one thing particular about touchdown a monster grouper or snapper.

Like mahi trolling, small baits are sometimes attacked by smaller bottomfish. Bump up in bait measurement and the percentages of hooking a ­trophy-class fish rise significantly.

A reef drifting technique of ours includes tipping a deep jig with a horse ballyhoo or entire squid. The jig, heavy sufficient to achieve backside between 70 and 250 ft, serves extra as a sinker; gently lifting it over potential snags is the one required motion. The providing’s massive profile intimidates smaller fish and retains it weak to huge ones. We’ve taken black grouper as heavy as 68 kilos this fashion, together with double-digit grouper and snapper.

Not-So-Mellow Yellow

A yellowtail is lethal for giant grouper, as are massive grunts, oversize pinfish and goggle-eyes. Remember that anglers in Gulf federal waters aren’t allowed to make use of reef fish as bait. All waters round Floridarequire fish to be landed in “entire” situation. If you happen to had been to make use of a yellowtail snapper as bait in waters that allowed, make certain it’s authorized measurement, not lower into items, and counts in opposition to your each day bag restrict. 

Decrease an enormous bait deep, bridled to a 3X-strong circle hook on 4 ft of 80- or 100-pound fluoro chief. Slide an egg sinker onto a 50- or 80-pound braid principal line, and use a barrel swivel to hitch the road to the chief. For weights in extra of 10 ounces, use a three-way swivel to ­connect the road, chief and weight.

Match For a King

Whereas yellowtailing or bottomfishing, free-line a legal-size, stay yellowtail on a lightweight wire chief and a balloon float nicely behind the chum slick. Place the outfit in a holder and resume catching yellowtails or dropping for grouper. Among the largest king mackerel are caught this fashion. Ditto utilizing stay Spanish mackerel, oversize blue runners and goggle-eyes. I’ve loved nice luck with a stinger rig comprised of two 7/0 inline circle hooks and both titanium or single-strand metallic chief of round 50 kilos. I place one hook in entrance of a bait’s dorsal fin and go away the stinger hook free-­swinging. Place the outfit in a holder and let the ­circle hooks set themselves.

Learn Subsequent: Tips on how to Catch Dwell Bait

Snapper of the Evening

Massive snapper devour huge baits, as is obvious through the July via September cubera snapper spawn off the Florida Keys. Right here, stay blue crabs and legal-size stay lobsters (when their season opens) are lowered to cuberas education above or close by scattered sections of a wreck. Large blue runners work too, however getting these finfish previous the barracudas, king mackerel, amberjacks and sharks would possibly show troublesome. But it’s uncommon for these toothy predators to select off a big crab or lobster. 

Large is Higher Inshore

I vividly recall trophy striped bass journeys all through the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, the place the locals crushed them on massive stay menhaden and ­jumbo eels. We catch our trophy snook and tarpon the identical approach—however with massive stay mullet, even soaking half of a freshly caught mullet on the underside. This tactic weeds out smaller fish and performs nicely on bigger ones.

Ditto when trolling swimming plugs. Whereas small and medium plugs rating a wide range of fish, massive plugs intimidate smaller ones from hanging—however not the trophies. Living proof: When trolling for giant snook and tarpon inside South Florida inlets alongside lit bridges at night time and in deep canals and channels, massive lipped Rapala lures proceed to provide nicely for me. (I exploit completely different fashions primarily based on water depth.) These plugs additionally catch huge grouper and even monster barracuda from these identical waters and inlets.

Persistence is a Advantage

Utilizing huge baits for a shot at a trophy fish isn’t for the stressed. In reality, it may be downright boring, regardless of sporadic ­blitzes. You’re seeking to land a knockout punch, not construct factors on the rating card.

If catching huge fish is your specialty, you already know the deserves of enormous baits. However should you’re craving to attain a trophy, or just to enhance the common measurement of those you’ve been catching, dedicate a while and like to huge baits. They’re ­more likely to return the favor in a really spectacular approach.