How do Rat-L-traps work on the pier? I have even heard you can use them for trolling, is this true?
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How do Rat-L-traps work on the pier? I have even heard you can use them for trolling, is this true?
they work great but can get costly if the sharks and jacks get thick. red and white salt water was my goto lure on di pier but any of the saltwaters will work.
Shhhh....they're like mackerel crack as a trolling or casting lure. I always have a chrome and blue/black rigged up in the kayak and they're deadly from the pier and surf. That violent rattle really seems to tick off the kings and Spanish triggering a reaction strike to the flash and noise they put off. I don't see many slinging them from the pier in GS but have caught a few from the octi using them. Cheaper than the Yo-Zuri's that seem to be all the rage and can be just as effective-prefer them to the crystal minnows for trolling. I upgrade the trebles to 4x VMC's because the stock ones seem puny.
Yea, I just picked me up a nice Yozuri, but I'm afraid to use it now, that $13.00 is gonna go fast I know!! And that's one of the less expensive ones!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch
LOL.
I've seen more than a few fish swim off with new body jewelry, and it always seems to be something new and relatively expensive... Grrrrr :mad:
I picked up one of Rat-L-Trap's Cigar Minnow colors, but it has yet to produce... Or be lost.
The first lure caught king for me off the pier was on a "broom stick" lure made by Ed Zimmerman of E-Z Tackle in Foley. He used to trade me tackle for my rod repair services before I could drive. I think they sold for $2 back then,but could be built for the cost of a couple of hooks,screw eyes,spray paint and an old piece of broom handle about 5" long. It was the go to lure for winter time bluefish at the pass.
What size Dutch? Same ones we use for bass?
Yep. 1/2oz. I will troll the 3/4oz magnums at times but prefer the 1/2 oz standard size for all-around use.
Thanks Dutch. Guess I'll transfer the few of those I have to the way too big new tackle box I got for this trip ;-)
Wally-world has Bomber brand plugs similar in design to the Yozuri's but are a lot cheaper, like $4/each. Probably not the exact same quality, but I am not sure the kings and Spanish can tell the difference. I chunked one from the pier a couple of weekends back; it tracked straight and had good action. But no fish around to attack it.
I saw a jac tear one up today, cigar minnow color
A chrome with blue or black back is usually very productive when a school of redfish make a pass by the pier. Of course the Spanish seem to like them as well and they seem to attract the larger spanish.
I'm sure getting the 2 sets of treble hooks dislodged from a toothy critter's jaws can be fun. I've caught a ton of spots on them on the Coosa River chain when I lived in Birmingham.
8" pliers or an ARC dehooker (if I remember to throw it in my bucket) does very well at keeping your hand away from the mouth for hook removal...Have had to just cut the hooks on a couple rare occasions.
I have played with swapping out the front treble or both trebles for Owner J-style hooks if I'm trolling in the kayak offshore without a noticeable change in the number of fish landed after strike-but I usually don't bother and the Owner hooks aren't cheap. Not worth the fuss or money to me for the swap, the cheap VMC 4x trebles just plain work.