That's My Story

Originally Published the Week of May 17, 2022 in Western Outdoor News

Remember when you were in grade school and the teacher would ask you to use a certain word in a sentence?  Well, I’ve always wanted to use the word “eponymous” like that.  So, I sure hope I used it correctly. 

         Anyway,  we’re in the middle of roosterfish season.  They’re big and they’re wiley.  Big bruiser 50 to 100 pound fish are cruising the shallow beaches this time of year.

         And, a lot of fish are getting lost.

         Some of it is just the brutishness of these fish.  Sometimes, it’s just bad luck.  A line breaks.  Or a hook pulls.  Or the angler inadvertently does something wrong.

         That’s just fishing.  It happens.

         They are big fish.  They are smart fish.  You’re not the first angler that’s been out-smarted or out-fought or under-gunned or been under-prepared.

         But, there are ways to increase the odds against these fish and against many species.  How often have I been working on boats or been guiding and hear, “Dangit, I got short-bit again.”

         “Short-bit” refers to using a baited hook. Usually with a whole fish.

  However, instead of gulping down the whole bait and ergo the hook, the target species is only biting off the tail.  It’s eating the part that has no hook in it.

         An exercise in futility when it keeps happening. 

         It’s especially frustrating when you’re using the bigger live or dead baits.  This includes mackerel, caballitos, ladyfish and others. 

Bigger baits attract bigger fish.  But, it’s not much good if you reel in your bait and the back-half of your bait is always missing.

         And if live bait is precious, what a waste!

         I’ve had this happen while fishing for roosterfish, yellowtail, grouper, wahoo and even halibut.  You feel that tug or that momentary “zip” of some line off your reel.

         You’re ready to set the hook and lean back.

         Then…nothing.

         You crank it in and find out that a creature with a brain the size of a marble just poached you!

         The remedy is something I’ve often employed.  It’s called a “trap hook.”

         I’ve seen it used several different ways, but essentially, it’s fishing with a secondary hook.

         Using a short bit of line, a 2^nd hooks is tied on.  The tag end of that line is tired either to the eye of the first hook; or the shaft of that hook.  Or to the curve of the first hook.

         The first hook is used to secure the bait like normal.  Through the lip, the jaw, the outter gill, etc. 

         The 2^nd hook is embedded somewhere back toward the tail.  Obviously don’t stab any important organs. 

But, pierce the bait somewhere under the skin or behind the dorsal fin.  Nothing to hurt the bait and you don’t want to impede it’s ability to swim or be trolled correctly. 

As a variation, some guys like to let the trap hook actually swing free.  I’m not sure how the physics of that works,  but it is surprisingly also effective. 

I see fish hooked on that secondary hook all the time.

Some guys swear by letting the hook swing free.  Others scratch their heads (like me) and continue to put the secondary hook somewhere in the body of the bait.

If you’re getting short-bit, give it a try sometime.  Tons of info on the internet and diagrams to check out.  It’s very easy and a nice upgrade trick to get a fish to stick!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.com.

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi.  It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

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Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter Sportfishing

Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones: 

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:  http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”