peterbo3 wrote:G'Day Marty,
Easy one for you
. How do you control the rods when you are working max number (13) & you hookup on just one.
What do you do with the other sticks? Do you reduce revs? How do you avoid major tangles? I find it hard enough with only three rods but we do not chase big tuna which would be much harder to control.
Hey Pete,
I look for multiple hookups, 1st,I regularly run most of not all my rigs very close to the boat. With the two conner riggers and cente rigger holding three spreader bars up and out of the way then the five spreader bars that run flat off the transom never touch the three corner/center rigger rigs, the four that run off the two side outrigers also never cross any of the other rigs. When the 1st fish or two hit the spread, I start to throttle up then down, turn to the left hard then throttle up and then turn hard to the right and throttle down, then turn to the hard left and throttle up and so on. I regularly can get six to ten fish on.
THe fish that are hooked up I let them run upto 1/2 a spool of line out while I continue my antics to get the rest of the rods hooked up. When the 1st fish's spool is at 1/2 down or more, that;s when I throttle way back to an idle/slow forward troll. We try to weave and work the fish through the spread that is still in the water. I regullary don't clear all the rods if we can work those hooed fish through the rigs that are out. If we get on big fish like bigeyes, I'll clear ASAP and work on the couple of bigfish hooked up on. But, it is not unusual to catch another three to four fish while we are fighting the hooked fish and although we are going real, real slow the tunas will come and keep eating the spread.
If you watch this little video clip, this is what I call my FAR FAR OUT spread. I usually run then less than 1/2 as close as in this short video clip. I keep them right behind the prop wash and my bumper teasers.
With the close spread, my five flat transom rods are keeping the spreader bars just behind our swimming TOAD bumper swimmer teasers just 30-40' behind the boat and the rest of the spread 20' behind them staggered. When I run the spread close, I can make real, real, real sharp "S" turns. In fact I can make a U turn in about 5-6 boat lengths and go right back on a school of fish. If a fish or two is on, and my crew is on their game, they get to take a lot of line up on the hooked fidh as I U turn to go back and get more fish.
I have had many and landed many 7 for 11, 8 for 11 and 9 for 11 hookups each season using this method.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 2296562642
THe green stick super bird is out far, and I probably won't even run the greenstick this year, I like straight up 11-13 rod spreads over running the greenstick in the spread, it brings on a whole other demension to the setup.
If you look closely at the middle to end of the video, you will see how the spread is staggered and if a fish misses on bar they run right into the next bar or two or three or four, its a spread designed for the hungry!
JUST THINK OF THI SPREAD 1/2 THE DISTANCE FROM WHERE IT IS BEHIND THE BOAT. THAT IS WHERE I REGULARLY RUN MY SPREAD>>>
I use Jerry Brown Hollow Core Spectra on all my reels. My Finnor 20s hold 600-yards of 60lb JBHC and 250-yards of 30# Momoi Mono top shot. THats the small rigs 850-yards, while the 503s hold 900-yards of 80JBHC and 200-yards of 80# momoi mono top shot and the 80s hold 1750-yards of 130JBHC and 150-yard of 130momoi mono. I am really never worried about getting spooled.
If you haven't seen my videos, go to this link and you can see how much crazy fun we get doing this madness.
http://tunafishingmontaukstyle.wetpaint.com/
Hope this helps you understand the method. Marty
"IRONWOODTUNA" the Alloy Sportfisherman Battleship!