Most guides pick leader by species. I pick it by lure size: 300 pound test on all the big lures, 130 or 200 on the small ones depending on the season, and every leader cut to three arm spans.
Every boat bites differently. Here is my baseline spread, 320 feet on the riggers and 200 on the corners, and how I compress or stretch it depending on where the ahi bites come.
Skirts are the number one thing guys ask us about. Here is how we tie two and three skirt lures at the shop, the exact skirt codes behind our standard colors, and the trick for rebuilding a chomped skirt instead of throwing it away.
Single or double hooks on your trolling lure? We run doubles in most of our lures to cover the whole bite, front and back, but a single is cleaner, simpler, and safer at the boat. Here is how we rig for meat fishing in Hawaii and how to pick the right setup.
A bullet runs anywhere in the spread with that skittery side to side S-turn. An invert runs straighter, pops, smokes, and stays down longer. Here is how I choose between them, and where the cut face fits in.
Ahi don't behave the same way year-round. Water temperature, bait migration, and current patterns all affect what's working on any given day. Here's what we've learned about matching lures to conditions in Hawaiian waters.
Hawaiian fishing lures evolved in some of the most challenging and productive pelagic waters on the planet. What works in the Atlantic or Gulf doesn't necessarily translate to the deep blue off Kona or the FADs outside Honolulu.
Most guys spend hours rigging lures, checking tackle, loading the cooler - but they never stop to think about what they're actually trying to accomplish once they get out there. They're preparing for a trip, not planning a hunt.
The head shape of a trolling lure determines everything: how it runs, how deep it tracks, how much noise it makes, and what species it attracts. Pick the wrong shape for your conditions and you'll drag plastic all day.
Ahi hit hard and they're not shy about chasing a lure. But the wrong headshape, color, or size and they'll swim right past. Here's what actually works in Hawaiian waters.
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