Balloons For The Party

[Feathers and Fins]

Balloons for stripers

Not exactly the way you hear about or get shown by a guide, but saltwater style.

This is simple yet 100x’s more affective then tying on a balloon and watching it get bounced to not have anything there.

First let’s talk about the Ballooning that people read about in freshwater so you can understand the major reason what I’m about to say is more affective. We have all seen the write-ups on the internet and probably seen a few shows where people will tie a balloon to their line and send it out behind the boat. Yes this will work! But the drawback is there is friction when a fish takes it and more times than not the fish will feel it and release the bait. This is not uncommon and I see a lot of boats pulling balloons and I see them go down or run off all to watch the fisherman set up and nothing is there or watch the balloon pop back up and nothing there. Simply put the fish felt it and released it.

The next issue with this is unless you are pulling them directly behind your boat there will be slack in the line or a big bow and when the fish grabs the bait it feels the friction again and releases it long before you can wind tight and set up on it.

The solution is simple and one I learned fishing for Kingfish and Tarpon. First my disclaimer ( BUY THE TOOLS NEEDED DON’T USE YOUR WIVES I DON’T WANT ANYONE BLAMING ME FOR MAKING MOMMA MAD) Ok you need a Balloon obviously and then you need a short length of monofilament 20lbs test I suggest a nap swivel and then a Clothes Pin (not mommas) lol. Drill out the clothes pin and attach the mono line through the hole leaving about 1ft of line loose. Then tie on the snap swivel and synch it down tight to the clothes pin and cut off the rest of the line.

Make about a dozen of them 3/0 snap swivel is best. Now when you get out to the lake blow up the balloon and make it big. Insert the snap swivel through the balloon leaving the pin hanging below it.

Now let out the desired amount of line I make sure its set so if the bait swims down it can’t get to bottom EXAMPLE: 25FT BOTTOM let out 23ft of line. Then make 3 loops in the line and pinch them together and put them in the mouth of the safety pin. When a fish hits it they will pop out with no resistance at all. Fish won’t feel a thing and will start swimming off, and make the line tight himself and using circle hooks when he goes tight he is hooked and you got him on.

This method allows for precise depth control and no need to hassle with a balloon on your line when fighting a fish. Balloons at rod tips can be a break off and let’s be honest they can chaff up a line when reeling it through the balloon or Kink it when you tie it on your line. So when a fish hits this rig the balloon is just left bobbing at the surface of the water and when you land the fish go get it and start over no having to blow up another balloon and re-rig. Just loop the lines pinch and re-attach. Kink it when you tie it on your line. So when a fish hits this rig the balloon is just left bobbing at the surface of the water and when you land the fish go get it and start over no having to blow up another balloon and re-rig. Just loop the lines pinch and re-attach.

[Stump bumper]

Thanks for the info, I am not much of a live bait fisherman but have always wondered what the ballons were about on the guide boats. I always thought it was something to keep the clients attention..lol I have seen alot of clients on guide boats run to rod just to find nothing there now I know why.

I have seen so many guides cruise by active fish when I have been jigging them up left and right. I have always wondered why they don't try more technics besides pulling shad, I understand they have clients that can't cast to rising fish but working a spoon or jig under the boat when you see a wall of shad with active fish seems to almost fool proof.

[Feathers and Fins]

Its all about the "experiance" The balloon is a visual and makes for something to keep the clients attention. Jigging on a boat with 6 clients would be a mess, could you see 8 guys all hooked up at the same time? Most people on guided trips from my experiance are not use to crowd fishing and the crossed lines would be insane. Now give me 6 guys who are vetrans of party boat fishing and it wouldnt be a problem OVER UNDER OVER UNDER done it on sport boats with 60 guys all bent over the rail, but all it takes is one guy who doesnt know how.

The other reason they ballon is to spread bait out and run multiple rods. 3 Ballons on surface set 100ft back then two rods off the stern on 2oz weights and two out the side on 6oz weights. they cover the water colum pretty good. Problem I dont like about it is you cant be precise. If I run balloons my preffered way is to anchor up and send them to where the sifh are and keep them in the area. The longer they are there the higher the odds. Covering water is good but like you said if you got them targets why move?

[Bass Ivy]

Ok this is great info. Just today We were winding up our lines and I had stopped trolling While we were doing that on of balloons got a hit on it, a big hit. But that was it the fish was gone. Now what you have decribed here is what happened. I had my balloon tied right on the line. The fish felt the resistance and he was gone. I figured there was a right way to rig a balloon and a wrong way, but I didnt know. So I just tied it to the line. Like I was saying in another post Im pretty sure Ive been finding a few stripers just cant get them to hit. Also if been using fairly light weights on my lines when trolling. i try to pull the live bait just fast enough to keep my planer boards running good. My boards will pull way out to the side even though the boat is moving slow. Seemed like today I was finding stripers at 45 feet. The shad was about 40 feet. But I also found shad from the surface to 45 feet. Also seen some marks I thought were stipers and 20 feet. The balloon that was hit was set at about 40 feet but it had a light weight. But we were sitting still.

So in making this clip work. The hole needs to be drilled in the handle of the close pin right? and the tie the snap swivel to it. Then make the loops and put them in the business end of the clothes pin. I have off shore release clips on my planer boards. I usually twist the line a few times and then put the loop end in the release clip. It keeps the clip from sliding on the line. Do I need to just put the line in there strait so a fish can pull it lose easier. The other day I had a big hit on my planer board and nothing just like on the balloon today. Im assuming he felt the board and spit the bait. My boards only weigh just over 5oz but maybe im trolling to fast and I need to set the lines in them to release alot easier. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated. Ive already learned alot from reading your posts. Thanks a milion.