Mainly used in deep sea trolling, outriggers are a pair of long poles fitted on both sides of a boat that holds fishing lines away from the boat. It is usually made of fiberglass and aluminum, and is tilted at an angle between 70 to 80 degrees.
When being used, outriggers are lowered to an angle nearly the same level as the water’s surface. At the edge of each outrigger is a pulley with a cord, attached to which is a quick release clip that holds the fishing line. Once a fish strikes, the line is released so that it can be landed with the use of the traditional rod and reel.
Generally, outriggers improve the chances of a fish striking because not only does it allow the angler to cover more ocean space, it also permits the use of multiple lines. Because outriggers allow the use of multiple rods and reels, anglers can troll as many fishing lines as it may allow, thus, simulating a school of bait fish. It also allows the leader out of the water, thus, preventing bubbles that may scare the fish away.
Outriggers also hold the fishing lines at a distance from both sides of the boat, spreading the lines far enough to prevent the risk of tangling. With more lines in the water, the angler can set them at different distances and depths that can create a variety of natural patterns to increase the chances of a strike.
The shallow, rocky reefs are also home to many fish species, however, trolling in these grounds are dangerous. With the use of outriggers, the fishing boat can stay in the safe deeper water while the lures are positioned to graze the shallow waters.
Marlin is a prized game fish, mostly because it offers a big challenge to the angler as it fights long and hard.
1. By Peter Ganz
The Atlantic Blue Marlin caught by JPeter Ganz was estimated to be 1,400 lb. It was caught off the waters of the islands of Azores, a Portuguese archipelago – near the Faial Island. This fish was not hauled in but was tagged, revived, and released back to the waters. For sure, this fish is among the largest caught.
2. By Jacky Delbrel
Jacky Delbrel caught a 1,189 lb Atlantic blue marlin, again in the part of the Atlantic Ocean in Azores, near the island of Facial. This catch holds the IGFA 80-pound world record for Atlantic Blue Marlin.
3. By Jean-Paul Richard
A 1,157-lb Atlantic marlin was caught by Jean-Paul Richard in Madeira. Caught along with this thousand-pounder was slightly smaller thousand-pounder weighing 1,028 lbs.
4. By Jack Harrington
It was in June 26, 1974 that the first thousand-pounder marlin was caught off the Oregon Inlet by Jack Harrington. Among the largest caught to date, this is worth mentioning especially since not too many thousand pounders have been caught. This marlin weighed 1,142 lb.
5. By Tracy Melton
Tracy Melton caught an Atlantic marlin weighing 1,083 lbs in Madeira. It was caught with an 80-pound tackle.
Of course, there are also plenty of marlins caught that are not listed here but could be heavier than these. There are also talks of fish weighing as much as 2,000 lbs which were almost caught.
Did you ever wonder what the 5 largest Marlin ever caught looked like? With all due respect to current anglers, these past anglers were doing this with equipment that they say is not usable any longer. Make you think? Imagine how impressive these beasts really were. Today, we’re looking at the 5 biggest fish ever caught.
Another successful trip with happy customers. Matt and his son had a blast for 2 days. The father is currently leading, catching the biggest blackfin tuna between them. But I don’t think the battle is over. I would bet it is going to last a long time with all the categories of fish they will catch together.
On June 15th and 16th we had the pleasure of taking out the father (Matt) and son (young Matt) fishing duo for a couple of great trips. The two wanted to do a mixture of bottom fishing and trolling. The first day we focused on red snapper and king mackerel. While the second day we targeted red snapper, with the initial plan of adding amberjack in the mix. However, mother nature sometimes changes the plans for the second trip and we shifted our focus on triggerfish, instead of amberjack.
Youth kicks in?
Young Matt caught his very first king mackerel on Friday and had a blast catching it. He easily caught his share of red snapper as well that day. On Saturday, he started us out with a bonus and his first 20 pound Blackfin Tuna. This fish gave him a fight, but was no match for Matt. Matt later earned the nickname of Trigger-Matt for catching over 10 keeper triggerfish.
Matt was just as energetic as his son and caught his share of red snappers and king mackerel. His claim to fame moment came on Saturday while his son was winding in the tuna. We quickly threw out a second bait and Doc was hooked up. The fish fought hard and seemed to be bigger than the one his son was winding in. After, what seemed to be a long battle for Doc, we boated a 25.4 pound Blackfin Tuna. This fish was weighed back at the marina and is currently leading for the local Charter Boat pot for Blackfin Tuna division. He later caught a number of nice red snapper and a red grouper.
We can’t wait to take these two fishing fanatics out again. They never slowed down on their fishing, even when the sea conditions were rough Saturday morning. These two definitely caught enough fish to eat a few meals with plenty of family members.
Trolling is a method of fishing that involves using baited fishing lines which will be dragged through the water. It is practiced all over the world and has been done so for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. If you want to go trolling, one of the first things you have to learn about is rigging your bait.
Bait shops carry rigged bait, including Ballyhoo. However, nothing beats the satisfaction of rigging your own fresh Ballyhoo. Here are some steps you can follow to help you rig a fresh ballyhoo.
1. Materials to use include an 80lb mono leader, 6/0 hooks, 15 lb rigging wire (Monel), and wood dowel for eye removal.
2. Ready the fish by removing the eyes using a small dowel. You then need to make the ballyhoo much less stiffer. Do that by pressing the belly starting from behind the gills to the anal opening. Move the fish back and forth in several places to break the back and add stability.
3. Prepare you leader hook by having the monel wrap around the shank. Open the gill and insert the hook into the throatlatch. It should not be in the belly as it can loosen during trolling. The monel should be hanging down. Thread the monel through the eye cavity at least three times.
4. Bring the monel under the hook and pierce the ballyhoo on the center lower jaw. Make sure to close the mouth and pierce the center. Wrap around the bill and the leader. Be sure that the leader is centered under the bill. Doing so helps keep the bill from spinning in the water.
On average, it would take around 3 minutes to finish prepping and rigging the ballyhoo.
Mainly used in deep sea trolling, outriggers are a pair of long poles fitted on both sides of a boat that holds fishing lines away from the boat. It is usually made of fiberglass and aluminum, and is tilted at an angle between 70 to 80 degrees.
Another successful trip with happy customers. Matt and his son had a blast for 2 days. The father is currently leading, catching the biggest blackfin tuna between them. But I don’t think the battle is over. I would bet it is going to last a long time with all the categories of fish they will catch together.
Matt was just as energetic as his son and caught his share of red snappers and king mackerel. His claim to fame moment came on Saturday while his son was winding in the 
