For big king
mackerel, not much beats a properly rigged
ribbonfish as a subsurface trolling bait. The
long and slender, snake-like baits slither
enticingly through the water, not unlike a
ribbon in a breeze, with a fluttering action
that makes them look alive and simultaneously
emit fish-attracting vibrations. And if the
profile and movement aren't enough to tease
otherwise reluctant fish into striking, their
vivid silver sides reflect light and make them
appear lit up like a frightened or aggressive
fish.
Ribbonfish have
been so effective for king mackerel that some
offshore anglers are now experimenting with them
for other species, such as dolphin, wahoo,
sailfish and even grouper. But, like any natural
trolling bait, ribbonfish must be properly
rigged and fished to get the most out of them,
and their long bodies require special care and
preparation.
WORK
AT PLAY
Dave Workman, Jr., is a three-time Southern
Kingfish Association Angler of the Year and the
owner of Strike-Zone Fishing, a tackle center in
Jacksonville, Florida. Workman was an early
pioneer of the terminal tackle and techniques
used today in competitive king mackerel fishing,
and he has recently marketed his own line of Pro
Series rigs and lures in conjunction with Boone
Bait Company. Included in the series are
ribbonfish rigging kits to help anglers
capitalize on these flashy natural baits.
Workman is a
master at rigging and trolling ribbonfish for
king mackerel. He pays strict attention to how
he selects, rigs and incorporates ribbonfish
into his live-bait spread. The big kings he
catches on them speak for themselves.
Workman uses
two size-classes of ribbonfish. When he fishes
for kings along the east coast, he prefers 24-
to 26-inch-long ribbonfish. He gets these
rod-and-reel-caught baits, which are in better
condition than net-caught baits, from Port
Canaveral and stocks them in his store.
For the
generally larger king mackerel found in the Gulf
of Mexico, 32- to 36-inch ribbonfish get the
nod. Workman gets these ribbonfish from Mexico,
where they're caught and processed for food. He
makes sure the ribbonfish have been well brined,
to draw out moisture and toughen them up, and
frozen in vacuum-sealed bags.
Workman also
alternates using three different ribbonfish
rigs, based on what he's trying to accomplish: a
single lead-hook system, a jighead system and a
skirted-bait system. The single lead-hook rig
produces more fluttering action and reveals less
hardware. The jighead rig keeps the bait
tracking straighter with less fluttering. This
rig also has a more aggressive vertical action
when the angler alters the trolling speed, due
to its weight - it sinks quickly when the speed
is reduced and darts up attractively when the
speed is increased. He uses the skirted rig when
kings are keying on color and a more brilliant
bait is desired.
GET
DOWN
Although ribbonfish can be fished as surface
baits - and often are when live baits are hard
to come by - they are primarily downrigger
baits. Workman deploys two downriggers, each
rigged with 100 feet of 100-pound-test
monofilament crimped directly to the downrigger
cable. Mono produces less vibration than the
downrigger cable. And if a hooked kingfish
should charge toward the boat, which is common,
the lighter fishing line will actually cut the
heavy downrigger line if the lines cross. The
fish will not be lost, only the downrigger ball
- not a bad tradeoff with a tournament on the
line.
When in more
than 100 feet of water, Workman uses the cable
on the downrigger, which cuts through the water
better than monofilament and reduces the
"blowback," or planing of the cable.
Workman prefers a
six-pound downrigger ball over the standard ten-pounder,
because the motion from the boat moves the
lighter weight around and imparts more action to
the bait. In waters deeper than 100 feet, he
uses the ten-pound ball. Workman strives to
create a full surface and subsurface illusion
with his six-line spread: four live baits at the
surface, and two ribbonfish fished from
downriggers (see "Blue-Ribbon
Trolling" on the previous pages).
Workman fishes
his ribbonfish and live baits on Penn Dave
Workman, Jr., kingfish rods matched to
6:1-retrieve, graphite-frame Penn 545 reels. He
spools the reels with 15-pound-test Yo-Zuri
Hybrid fishing line, which is a combination
nylon and fluorocarbon line. Workman uses a
blood knot to tie on a 200-yard top shot of
15-pound-test Seaguar Carbon Pro Fluorocarbon
fishing line, which he ties directly to the
ribbonfish rig.
Try adding a
ribbonfish - and a new dimension - to your
trolling spread and see if a king mackerel or
other game fish comes calling.
BLUE-RIBBON
TROLLING
 |
|
Workman
(bottom) shows off some rigged
ribbonfish at the ready.
Photos: Pat Stinson |
Workman uses all
the same kind of live baits, usually pogies
(menhaden) on the east coast and blue runners in
the Gulf, and rigs them with nose hooks and
treble-hook stingers. Though he modifies his
spread for varying baits and sea conditions, he
generally fishes his farthest live bait (1)
about 300 feet back from the center T-top rod
holder. Another live bait (2) is fished about
150 feet back from the starboard T-top rod
holder, while a third one (3) rides
approximately 100 feet back from the port T-top
rod holder. A fourth live bait (4) is fished
from the rocket launcher and positioned several
feet behind the prop wash.
Workman deploys
his "long and deep" downrigger
ribbonfish bait (5) 40 feet below the surface in
waters from 60 to 100 feet deep. In waters less
than 60 feet deep, he places it about 20 feet
above the bottom. He positions the ribbonfish to
swim below and behind the starboard T-top
surface bait, reasoning that the live bait spots
the ribbonfish below, a natural predator, and
swims harder to escape, creating more
kingfish-attracting commotion. Workman fishes
his second downrigger-based ribbonfish (6)
roughly 15 feet deep and 15 feet back, where it
is occasionally influenced by the thrust from
the prop. In waters less than 100 feet deep, he
uses a six-pound downrigger ball (7) on a
100-foot top shot of 100-pound monofilament
crimped to the end of the downrigger cable.
In waters more
than 100 feet deep, Workman rigs the standard
ten-pound downrigger ball directly to the
downrigger cable.
PRO
ANGLER TIPS FOR RIBBONFISH
- To keep ribbonfish
rigid and durable, Workman keeps them
frozen until it's time to fish them. He
then thaws a couple of packs in his live
well and rigs them on the spot.
- Each treble hook
should be attached to the bait - no
free-swinging hooks.
- Keep a little slack
in each stinger wire to prevent them from
binding.
Before deploying rigged
baits, hold the leader in one hand and the
ribbonfish in the other and lightly tug on
them. The pressure or "pull" should
be absorbed by the jig. Any pressure on the
trebles will cause the bait to spin. Before
setting the bait out on the downrigger, put it
in the water alongside to the boat at trolling
speed to see how it swims.
When trolling, use just
enough forward momentum to keep all the baits,
including the surface "livies,"
swimming in a straight line. Let the live
baits have enough freedom to swim and do their
thing, while keeping the lines fairly taut.
Workman shuts off one
of his outboards and trolls with the other
just in gear. To maintain a slow headway, he
shifts the outboard that is turned off into
gear to stop the prop from spinning and create
a little more drag. He also uses trim tabs to
push the bow down and create even more drag.
When using both
downriggers, take wide turns to keep the lines
apart. Avoid hang-ups by keeping baits well
off the bottom.
Rigging
Ribbons
To rig a ribbonfish with the jighead
system, use the following components: a
100-pound-test SPRO Power swivel, 22
inches of No. 4 stainless leader wire
(use No. 5 wire for dirty water),
six-inch sections of No. 6 silver
stinger wire, No. 4 VMC Perma-Steel
treble hooks, model No. 9626 (use No. 6
hooks in clear water, No. 2 hooks in the
Gulf), and a 3/8- to 1/2-ounce Boone
King Jig. After determining the length
of the ribbonfish and the desired number
of treble-hook stingers, attach one end
of a length of silver stinger wire to
the eye of the Boone King Jig, and its
opposite end to a treble hook. Join each
subsequent length of silver stinger wire
to the eye of the treble hook. The main
leader wire should also be secured to
the eye of the jighead, above the loop
of the stinger wire. Then secure the
swivel to the end of the main leader.
All wire connections are made with a
haywire twist followed by a barrel wrap. |
Step
One
Take the thawed, yet still cool
ribbonfish and gently flex its entire
body, thoroughly limbering it up to get
the most action from the bait. Be
careful not to bend the fish too sharply
or apply too much pressure during this
procedure, which can tear the skin and
render the bait useless. To make the
bait less prone to spinning, clip off
both pectoral fins close to their base. |
 |
Step
Two
Run the point of the Boone King Jig
under the center of the lower jaw of the
ribbonfish, and out through the center
of the upper jaw. |
 |
Step
Three
Attach the first treble hook to the
bait. Leave a little slack in the
stinger wire to prevent binding, prior
to impaling one point and barb of the
treble deep into the middle of the side
of the bait, just slightly above its
lateral line. |
 |
Step
Four
Attach the second and, if desired, a
third treble hook to the bait by
following the procedure outlined in step
three. |
 |
The
Rigged Ribbonfish
Workman usually prefers just two treble
stingers for east-coast kings, leaving
as much as one-third of the tail section
of the ribbonfish "hardware
free" for a more natural swimming
action. He'll add a third treble for
Gulf kings. |
 |
Other
Ribbonfish Rigging Options
To use the single lead-hook system,
substitute a 1/0 hook, or a 4/0 hook in
Gulf, for the jighead. Unlike on the
jighead rig, interlock the loops of the
leader wire and stinger wire. This will
prevent the remote possibility of the
wire wedging in and ultimately sliding
through the gap in the eye of the lead
hook.
The skirted
system is similar to the single
lead-hook system, different only in that
it places a seven-inch long Pearl Duster
skirt in front of the bait. Workman
prefers this long skirt because it lends
an iridescent appearance to the bait and
makes it look alive. He likes to fish
this bait far back and from the center
rod holder on the T-top where it
maintains an upward swimming motion
right beneath the surface.
|
| Photos:
Bryon Thompson |
