Okay people, I'm hoping someone will help me to understand skip baits. I have read and heard about them, but aside from knowing that it involves dead fish, I have no idea how to do it.

How do you rig them ... where do they run ... short or long?

Thanks to all the people who have contributed their considerable knowledge and experience when answering my other questions. Your suggestions have been mulled over and where necessary I  am setting the boat up and buying gear accordingly.

Roll on summer.

I have a book that you can borrow Bent-One.....shows many different varitaions and rigs in a step my step fashion including piccies.

give me a shout next time you are cruising past Penrose during the day!!

Adam -- in the words of Sergenat Schultz, I know nothing.

Will do Kerren - thanks.

Guys,

I was going to ask- How popular is the use of rigged natural baits in the NZ marlin fishery these days?  In a normal season, how often would a skipper troll with natural baits?  and are there times of year or fish behaviour patterns that make trolling natural baits more productive?

cheers - dustin

Not used very often these days, skip baits are still used for pitch baits with the circle hook bridled to the nose or belly flaps are used but they are not used much for trolling. The old reverse hook(Mayor Island)rig that was standard in the mid 80's is not  used much at all. Most skippers these days probably have never even rigged one. The reverse hook rig had the hook facing backwards and was hooked in the bait on one side(using an offset tunabend hook, circles cant be used) between the back dorsal and tail. The eye off the hook was then tied with dacron to the tail. The trace was then tied to the nose of the bait with rotten cotton. When the marlin ate the bait the bait would get swallowed head first, the angler would strike the fish causing the nose tie to brake and the hook would set. This nomally results in a gut hooked fish.

A skipper I use to fish with used it alot and caught a NZ record Black on it for his wife back in 95, the fish went 315kg on 24kg so it is still an effective rig.

Most skippers use lures to locate fish as you cover more ground and then may switch over and use livebaits rather that skip baits which seem more effective.

Bender

J hooks are what you want. Big sharp ones. Heard a rumour that obald was useing them on a boat last season and was even seen sharpening a gaf at the same time

Gidday Bender

Dead bait trolling, espcially Skipbaits and swimmers , is another fantastic method to catch a big hungry marlin.

Treat your bait like gold once caught!! Put the fishes straight into a salt ice slurry.Once you feel you have caught enough bait, slice with your knife from the belly to the anal of the fish and rip out its guts, gills,heart etc. Then wash the fish and spread salt around the gut cavity. This will firm up the belly for stitching and stop the rot process.Put the baits which you think arent going to be used that day in freezer bags individually, and chill them down.The rest for that day can stay in the slurry, rigged.

I'm not going to get into detail on rigging them. But I will say for skipbaits definately stitching hard on the nose of the fish or hard in front of the eyes are the best hook positions. And when stitching make sure your even and tight in the belly.....and stitch thru the pectorals and gills to close them and attach on to the hook. Why Pectorals??because you dont want to be pulling entirely from the head.(get a sore neck Eh!!) .

As for running the skipbait....3 to 6 knots whatever suits the day. And 19 armspread widths to the pegmarker (120ft from the transom roughly).And 10armspread widths of dropback. Set your reel up on the strike position.If the bait gets knock out of the peg, by a wave , posible marlin or its a big bait, retrieve the peg marker by handlining the bait in. Dont wind it in by using your reel.Its a bad deckhand trate. It only takes ones fish to realise why.

And if you cant hold the bait in the peg at all, because of its size(usually 14lbsplus) then you'll just have to hold on to it yourself.And get a sore arm .The pain actually turns to a numbness when you see a p*ssed off 700lb black having a crack at what your holding on to..believe me.

Hope this helps

regards Heath

this summer bazza...it will happen this summer!!!!

Heath, nice one mate!

I was going to ask you mate.. what would you consider to be an ideal bait for NZ sized striped marlin?  (size and species)?

cheers - dustin

my picks from viewing loads of skip/pitch bait footage from the Wanganellas would be....jack mackerel, koheru and squid.

Barrie , Dustin

Since it is a skipbait topic and when we think of a skipbait being slow trolled elevated by an outrigger then....WE THINK BIG DONT WE!! If I was trolling a skipbait I wouldnt be targeting a striped Marlin. Lures, livebaits and pitchbaits , Teasers etc are a million times better for them. Times have changed.

So if I was using a skipbait in NZ(fishing the "think big" attitude as always) I'd go for a small Kingfish first....its tough skin and flesh and good body shape.....then a  fresh Skipjack....softer but looks bloody tasty and a good size. And a kahawai I spose cause they are readily available.

If I was to use a NZ Macheral or Koheru It would definately be my swimming bait.....If fact Koheru are dynamite!!They swim fantastic and a good one doesnt need to be weighted(even when using mono) .These sorts of fish are a great pitchbait as well.

As for Hooks , well its much debate. Although I hate stainless and if you are using big circles....for godsakes!!! dont strike it!!!

Lets ban lures for a season and see what happens.

Heath

Ahhh the undersized Kingis. We left Russell one morning in March some 14-15 years ago to prove a point to some sceptics. We had no lures and no bait and said we would be back by lunch time with Marlin caught on fresh bait.

We jigged up two kingies from a work up in the middle of the bay on our way out, neither would have been any more than 2 kilos in weight. We were back at the bar by 2.30pm with two stripies in the boot.

You can't use them anymore, perhaps thats justice.

Them wer't days eeh by gum.

Did you livebait them or skip them? Did you get hammered back at Russell?

Thank you martini max

Yes i am well a wear of the rules that the NZBGFC and other councils have set.

Please do not assume people are mugs and no nothing about Big Game fishing and its rules on this website....Unless they state that haha

If you did have to break rules like illegal bait size to catch a Marlin.....then your doing something wrong. Its not that hard.

None of us should be that desperate.

heath

AC - I hear that sort of thing is very bad for the knees though...

Had a couple Plonker but I very rarely drink much  

The knees hey Bender, you just had to mention them didn't ya ? and here was I feeling sorry for you

Sorry Bender hijacked the thread,  Matt has the guff on skip baits and I would also be happy to have an ale with you and discuss skipbait methods.

We used to run skipbaits with lures at about 4-5knts, mostly Kahawai with chin weights and no back bone, you can make the buggers skip/swim. It pays to stitch the head to the body at that speed otherwise they rip to peices after a while.

Adam touched on reverse rigged baits, we used that to a certain degree also.

Hi Roy, - What size flyers were these you were using for baits, and what size hooks/weights?

cheers - dustin