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reevesbr
New Member
20 Posts |
 Posted - 06/14/2012 : 2:18:29 PM
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I wanted to know if anyone could provide recommendations on less expensive brands of Mahi lures that still catch as many fish as the more expensive brands. I'm just getting into Offshore fishing, and I see that the Angler sells the LOCO's for $39 a piece. Does anyone recommend anything else that is a little less expensive, but the same quality in terms of durability and fish strikes? I really appreciate everyone's thoughts and advice. The link below is from the Charleston Angler regarding the LOCO, but its the type of lure I am referring to.
http://www.thecharlestonangler.com/product/C12/f3727.html
Thanks,
Brandon
2004 Seacraft 21 ft |
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gofshn
Senior Member
269 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 2:41:52 PM
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Don't break the bank when it comes to mahi lures, keep it simple and use the money elsewhere. I'll take a squid special or a seawitch/squitch as a mahi lure over anything else any day of the week.
Wanna kill fish, then let's go! Always ready, always willing to teach the ways. |
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Mullet Cut
Senior Member
711 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 2:43:51 PM
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I pull mostly Lehi squitches and sasquitches. They are a great deal. Here is the link. http://www.lehibaits.com/ I know they sell them at Atlantic Game and Tackle, I didn't see them at Haddrells last time I checked, I could have missed them though. Plus they are made locally so anytime you can support our locals would be great.
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Edited by - Mullet Cut on 06/14/2012 2:45:07 PM |
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phinfreak09
Senior Member
405 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 2:50:48 PM
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seawitches illanders.
"Good things come to those who bait" |
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dreamin-on
Senior Member
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208 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 2:54:08 PM
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I think Lehi stopped making lures, or are so backordered that our local shops had a hard time getting them. Last time I was in Haddrels they had their own brand that looked just like them.
x 2 on the seawitches. For durability, look for a lure with a rubber skirt. C&H has some good stuff for cheap. |
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Phin
Prolific Poster
12929 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 3:01:56 PM
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If any store told you that you needed to spend 39 bucks per lure to catch a dolphin, then you need to shop somewhere else. I am all for the local stores, and they have a lot of invaluable stuff to serve us with such as info and advice, but if you're telling us that anybody recommended that you have a spread full of 39 dollar lures at any point in your learning curve, then that's just wrong.
You don't need to spend more than 4 dollars per lure to catch dolphin when trolling. You may think that's cheap, but it's actually what is most effective, and it is what's used by folks who have more disposable income to spend on all this than most of the rest of us.....
Dolphin don't take as much to catch as people want to think.
Have you ever seen your loco lures on a charter boat outfitted to go catch dolphin? Yet, they put 30-60 in the box on a given day that the fish are biting good??????
Invest in good hooks.
Mustad 7766
Match the hook to the bait.
7/0 for small bally
8/0 for mediums
Match the chin weight to the bait
1/4oz for smalls
3/8oz for med
Put the right COLOR and length skirts on
you will have to experiment with dif colors in dif positions on whatever days to find what works best for how people's particular spreads work on their individual boats
Most importantly,
run the baits right and keep constant watch over them
presentation matters
You are trying to mimick bait fish. If your trolling spread doesn't look natural then you need to adjust
how you rigged the baits
speed
positions
weights
colors
.... in that order
You can purchase moldcraft type plastic lures that do just as good for dolphin as something that cost 40 bucks.
If you truly want durable, you want a cedar plug or hard yozuri or braid style lure.
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www.scmarine.org
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www.joinrfa.com
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Luke 8:22-25
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Edited by - Phin on 06/14/2012 3:09:44 PM |
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phinfreak09
Senior Member
405 Posts |
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Lowcountryboy
Senior Member
200 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 3:40:20 PM
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| Ditto. Witches, lanterns(squitches), $5 soft plastic chugger heads and naked dink rigs/circle rigs will catch all the dolphin you want. They are not picky... |
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Local Boy
Senior Member
625 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 3:48:19 PM
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Quick and esay, buy the pre set up rigs for $4, that is hook, chin weight, pin already crimped. buy the charleston candy switches for $4 I like pink,purple,bleeding dolphin, buy a swivel and there you go. Eight dollars a rig and all you have to do is tie a knot or crimp on. Keep it simple, you will out fish alot of folks.
Local Boy, Just having fun. |
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JetSetter
Senior Member
241 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 4:24:05 PM
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LEHI Squitches from Atlantic.... can't beat'em. I think they are 4-5 bucks ea....
King Fish
31' Fountain
DI, SC |
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gofshn
Senior Member
269 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 4:37:05 PM
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I hand-tie all my lures, seawitches, green-lanters, I buy the islander heads, witch heads and hair, tie with waxed rigging floss, add whatever colors you like, christmastime stock up on the holographic tinsel for 50 cents a card. It goes the same for wahoo baits. I have caught more on my hand-tied lures than Islanders in the past. It is also nice not having to pay 23.00 for an Islander. when the hair gets ratty, cut the floss off and the hair and retie. Remember not to tie too much hair as they need to be somewhat sparsely tied, not real dense. If done right, you can't pull the hair out of them, done wrong and you will have hair all over the boat from it pulling out.
Wanna kill fish, then let's go! Always ready, always willing to teach the ways. |
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gofshn
Senior Member
269 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 4:50:22 PM
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Squid rig and seawitches and some bailing, 23 mahi plus some early releases from 7:30 am saturday till 11:30 am approximately. It was a slow day.Should have done better, but we didn't do all that terrible, we all have off days.
Wanna kill fish, then let's go! Always ready, always willing to teach the ways. |
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bwilliams
Senior Member
412 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 5:40:58 PM
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| Get some premade pin rigs from Scouting 4 goodies (look for a thread on the hull truth) and get tht lehi squitches from Alantic (they sell them in bulk) and put the squitch on and crimp a loop in the end and you are done. Best color for me time and time again is the bleeding dolphin. |
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Mazacuaton
Captain
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184 Posts |
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CaptDan
Senior Member
794 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 6:28:35 PM
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| mold craft chuggers are extremely effective and nice and cheap. |
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Swamp Angel
Senior Member
1737 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 6:31:28 PM
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We've been getting a lot of bites on white floss.
Naked baits and vmc circle hooks. Light hooks, light leaders, light drag. Heavy fun. 65 cent disposable rig.
If you got time to lean, you got time to clean. |
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ZooCrew
Intermediate Member
105 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2012 : 9:19:42 PM
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If you can't make them yourself go to Atlantic bait and tackle and they will make them for under $5 and you will need to do is add ballyhoo.
"Zoo Crew"
Sailfish 2660 w/twin Yamaha 150's |
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mahimama
Starting Member
1 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2012 : 07:04:01 AM
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| Thanks for everyone's post. I actually learned more from this post, than I have any website. I'm looking forward to posting my 1st Mahi pics, hopefully in a few weeks. |
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Rapchizzle
Senior Member
3685 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2012 : 11:33:39 AM
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If you're looking for lures to run instead of skirted ballyhoo, both Fishizzle and Zman are local companies that have a good selection of offshore lures and that accounts 75% of what I run everyday.
Also, If you've got a boner for Islanders, go to http://www.internetlures.com |
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Capt. Eddie
Senior Member
1786 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2012 : 1:54:58 PM
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I always run a couple of Stubby Bubblers w/ sm ballyhoo on short riggers.pink/purple & pink/orange/white.Almost always the first lures back in the boat.
"Modern day Robin Hoodism-Steal from the sucessful and give to the poorly motivated." |
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jki4405
Senior Member
315 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2012 : 01:08:50 AM
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| Have "gofshn" make you up an assortment of his mahi lures and rigs. You cant beat the quality. He taught me everything I needed to know about trolling, bottom fishing, jigging, etc. when I first got into this sport and his rigs and techniques have yet to be topped in my opinion. Ask him to post some pictures and you will see! He's also very good at making wind-on leaders and planer bridals which is an art in it's self if done the correct way. |
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gofshn
Senior Member
269 Posts |
Posted - 06/18/2012 : 4:26:10 PM
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Thanks for the kind words Joel, as you know I am willing to both teach somebody, as well as learn from somebody any time I can. As for the rigs I am glad your catch rate went up significantly. It is nice not having to worry about a shortstrike from mahi ever again with the squid special rig. No need for a dropback with that rig, when they bite it, they are hooked and coming in the boat. Plus it has got to be one of the most cost productive, and effective lures out on the market. I sell a ton of them and am always getting excellent reports back. Didn't you guys catch some sailfish on them last year? I know i have caught wahoo, mahi, kings, sails, blues and white marlin on them. That is the rig I got Greg (Sharky) his first white marlin on.
Wanna kill fish, then let's go! Always ready, always willing to teach the ways. |
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Mahi Lure recommendations
