teasing with bait

[josko]

I learned this trick from a guide last week while fly fishing for cudas: catch some 1' jacks or similar shiny-sided fish. Pass a large hook through the mouth, out the gills and embed in the body about halfway down the bait. This will curve the bait slightly when you pull on the line, and also cause the line to come out of a side corner of the bait's mouth. Ease the bait into the water, and it will tend to skip hook side up with the head out of the water and the tail slapping on the surface. About a quarter of the time the cudas will lightning-charge the bait and chomp off the tail. Let them, reel the bait within casting range, and get the fly as close to the bait as you can. They'll either be hanging behind the bait, or show up out of nowhere to blast the hook.
If the cudas don't charge the teaser, they sometimes just appear behind it like big straight logs in the water. When this happens, slow the boat, reel up the bait so it continues at the same speed until the cuda's in casting range, drop the fly right at the bait, freespool the bait and strip FAST. Workes about 2/3 of the time. Nice thing here is you can see if the fish is big enough to warrant sacrificing your (Jay's, actually) fly. First few hours I went for anything, then saved muself for the 5 footers.

I bet this would work on tuna, as well. It's similar to the way Greg Wetherby used to tease BFT for his sports.

[Adam-Albino]

Were those Amberjacks or Jack Crevalle ?? :-) (just kidding);
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[JHorton]

<P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>I've heard rumors that the way to do this with offshore tuna is nearly identical, You rig all of your trolling gear on the starboard side of the boat, ( For right-handed casters,), with the one nearest the boat being a, " Bonito belly strip," rigged on a very strong, long rod with no hook. When the fish appear in the spread, the fly caster gets ready, while the mate clears the trolling baits, beginning with the one furthest from the boat, hopefully working the fish up through the spread. The fresh bait should be right in the wake, maybe 25 feet behind the boat.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>By the time the fish gets to the fresh bait, there should be nothing else in the water&nbsp;and the fish should be raging mad. At this point the caster lets the line drag out behind the boat, the boat comes out of gear,caster does one roll cast to get the line airborne, one false cast, the mate pulls the bait, the caster drops the fly, the enraged tuna engulfs it.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Sounds easy enough doesn't it? NOT! It seems like an awful lot of things have to go right to hook a fish this way.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>At least, that's the way I understand it. You can bet I'll be asking for tips on this at Wilmington next week, while you guys are off chasing Mr. Silver...</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>I understand the real pros use a long-stiff surf rod with no guides or reel for the bait rod.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Haven't you already done this with marlin?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Has anyone out there done this before? Am I on the right track??</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>J.Horton</FONT></P>