Simple and Friendly Thresher Rig

[Capt. G]

Originally Posted by Reelveal

Bingo - now how many Capt Jacks will apply this knowledge.

You mean the one on PCH that your can drive your boat up to?

Thanks for the post, Biggest T.
Now you need to put one up on how to catch them on the fly rod...

[Reelveal]

[QUOTE=Capt. G;1325854]You mean the one on PCH that your can drive your boat up to?

Just wanted to commend Steve's campaign to catch a thresher - like an angler - not a donkey.

Sadly - I think it fell on many deaf ears/eyes.

[Capt. G]

[quote=Reelveal;1326086]

Originally Posted by Capt. G

You mean the one on PCH that your can drive your boat up to?

Just wanted to commend Steve's campaign to catch a thresher - like an angler - not a donkey.

Sadly - I think it fell on many deaf ears/eyes.

Don't underestimate the sporting (for the most part) anglers here on BD.

I think that this was a great thread by Steve, and easy to follow, and I hope some will read this and give it a try.

Good post, Steve.

[Gamer]

Very thorough approach. I picked up two last Thursday with a similiar approach. My only difference is I like to use straight 400# so there are no potential kinks with the wire at the attached swivel and definetly tie a bimini on your rods. Because I am using the straight mono, I just test and set the drag at 25#'s and stop the boat immediately on the first taps and let them sink out. I will not take anymore this year. That was one too many. I figure to release them, the best way I can think of and get the BOM rig back is to tie like Marlin gear so we can leader and cut below the BOM. Would appreciate some feedback on successful methods of releasing MOUTH HOOKED Thereshers as it is quite a wiley rodeo of aerials and slapping at the stern.

[?? fisherman]

Originally Posted by Gamer

Very thorough approach. I picked up two last Thursday with a similiar approach. My only difference is I like to use straight 400# so there are no potential kinks with the wire at the attached swivel and definetly tie a bimini on your rods. Because I am using the straight mono, I just test and set the drag at 25#'s and stop the boat immediately on the first taps and let them sink out.

Gamer ~ were your fish mouth hooked? If so congrats, thats very cool!! I am a little confused on your set-up, and would like to understand it more. You say your using straight 400#....... 400# what? 400# mono or 400# wire. What is your main line? So you say you are setting the drag at 25#'s while trolling? If so wow and why?? That leaves more possible chances of a tail hooked fish...... Im not claiming to be any expert here, but in fishing this method both you, myself or anybody else are first looking for that tail slap so that we can take the boat out of gear and let that bait sink out, and even then aren't you still letting the fish make a run (while in freespool or very light drag) before putting the reel in gear? Im assuming you are using circle hooks?

Originally Posted by Gamer

I will not take anymore this year. That was one too many. I figure to release them, the best way I can think of and get the BOM rig back is to tie like Marlin gear so we can leader and cut below the BOM. Would appreciate some feedback on successful methods of releasing MOUTH HOOKED Thereshers as it is quite a wiley rodeo of aerials and slapping at the stern.

No doubt on that!!

Sometimes with the mouth hooked fish you just have to play them out a bit more before you decide to handle them at the boat (depends on the size). Fred Archer has an interesting mouth hook set-up that seems pretty cool for releases, check out his section & diagram. I am leaning towards using heavy mono straight to the hook, and then depending on the situation, either carefully trying to get the hook out with a dehooking tool, or cutting the mono close to the fish's mouth and letting the hook either work or rust it's way out.

Just curious, but you said that was one too many, so why did you decide to take the other?

Congrats...... stoked you are mouth hooking!!

The unknown fisherman

[BiggestT]

Gamer & Mike, you can use straight 400 lb mono to the hook. My use of a cable tippet is derived from my ultra light tackle efforts on threshers where I'm using lighter leaders and have the expectation of being on the fish longer. Now it's a hard habit to break, like pulling guys away from using BOMs rigged for tail hooking. I posted the photo cable tippet example with the understand that many guys were just seeking their first thresher and I did not want them disappointed with a bite off. Frankly, I should be using straight 400 lb mono to the hook. I use a release stick to work the hooks out, but it can be tedious. Cutting the hook off would be much simpler. On the smaller threshers to 125 lbs, we use light wire hooks and take a wrap on the leader and pull which will break the hook.

I had Dr. Chugey Sepulveda on my boat fishing threshers when he was working on his Phd and he said that he had caught 56 threshers to over 400 lbs that season, all on 400 lb mono straight to the hooks and he finally had just lost one BOM. He was using heavy tackle, rigging to stick them however, but getting them in fast to attach electronic tags to them. One of his mates suffered a serious hook injury from a tail hooked thresher and it was a J-hook, not a treble.

[Gamer]

Biggest T & Mike-
I did mouth hook both fish and it was quite a rodeo. Tried to play with em for a while and all that did was let um regroup their energy. I see a lot of conversation dogging BOMS. I personally think the larger BOM is a good tool not to just atract the T-SHARKS but sink out that 6 inch mackeral out when you see the first taps and mouth hook em. I chose 25# test with the straight Mono on 100# and 135# test because you have enough stretch without ratnesting a huge whack and of course it is well inside the 1/3 rule I have used in Australia for big game Blue Marlin. If it works don't fix it...

Gamer

[Gamer]

I was helping a friend out in the area whom had friends in town. Spotted the larger one and tried to direct friend over. Of course, I get bit ten seconds later. Mouth hooked and a really pissed off fish. No way was I going to get the hook out of him so I put one in em...

[?? fisherman]

Originally Posted by Gamer

Biggest T & Mike-
I did mouth hook both fish and it was quite a rodeo. Tried to play with em for a while and all that did was let um regroup their energy. I see a lot of conversation dogging BOMS. I personally think the larger BOM is a good tool not to just atract the T-SHARKS but sink out that 6 inch mackeral out when you see the first taps and mouth hook em. I chose 25# test with the straight Mono on 100# and 135# test because you have enough stretch without ratnesting a huge whack and of course it is well inside the 1/3 rule I have used in Australia for big game Blue Marlin. If it works don't fix it...

Gamer

Alright, I think I was just misreading your reply earlier. So you are basically setting your drag for 25#s during the fight. Now while trolling are you using a very light drag?? Your using straight mono and no spectra backing?

As far as the BOM & BH go, I am definitely dogging them as they come rigged because they are creating nothing but tail snagging madness....... don't get me wrong, I was part of that group for far too long, and only came to figuring out a far better mouth hooking method (with the help of friends & listening to other suggestions) just recently.

I would bet big money that if you picked a random 100 kept threshers this season, all of which were caught using a snag-o-matic or one of the other popular snaggers, at least 80% ( that's being conservative) would be tail hooked fish........ that right there is why I am dogging them....... many of these guys are far better fisherman to be continuously targeting a fish in a manner in which it will be tail hooked 90% of the time.

It's very cool that you have been successful in mouth hooking T's with the BOM. So are you rerigging to a single circle hook or ?

Sorry for all the questions!

The unknown fisherman

[Gamer]

Mike-
Yes, I have the spectra backing and no I have not used the circle hook. These fish do not swallow the hook so I am not sure of the benefit. They are so freaken wiley, no way am I or anyone on my boat getting near their mouth with anything shorter than the flying gaff. In regard to the BOM, like I said the heaver one with a 6-7inch macky will sink out real nice if your going inside of 2 knots downhill and stop the boat.

Gamer

[?? fisherman]

Originally Posted by Gamer

Mike-
Yes, I have the spectra backing and no I have not used the circle hook. These fish do not swallow the hook so I am not sure of the benefit. They are so freaken wiley, no way am I or anyone on my boat getting near their mouth with anything shorter than the flying gaff. In regard to the BOM, like I said the heaver one with a 6-7inch macky will sink out real nice if your going inside of 2 knots downhill and stop the boat.

Gamer

Wow, I don't know what to say bro, other than I think you have been very lucky & fortunate to be mouth hooking more than a couple T's on a BOM rigged with large J hooks.

The benefit (as I see it anyways) is that with the heavy inward bend with a proper circle hook, you will have a much harder time getting a tail snagged thresher vs using a large J-Hook in the same manner.

I messed around with the same method you are using (BOM or Ballyhood with J hook) by waiting for the tail slap, take the boat out of gear, let the bait sink out and wait for the pick-up. I can tell you, that from my experience as well as numerous friends, this works occasionally but you get your share of tail hooked ones as well.

Im heavily convinced now, that the circles are the way to go for the guy that is truly looking for a sporting mouth hooked fish.

The unknown fisherman

[SoCal Sharks]

hey guys im kinda confused about the attachment of the sinker and would be appreciative if some one could explain it o me a little more thanks