Tag lines on outriggers

[Mithras]

Hi Guys

I've just outfitted my boat with 3.6 outriggers. The boat is not huge (16 foot).

I've been reading up about tag lines, and how they are a big benefit to larger boats. But there are people for and against them. Some say that a drop back is good for some fish, giving them the chance to turn, or swallow that lure.

Are they worth setting up on my boat? the drop bag will be minimal. For a smaller boat its more about getting a spread of my lures, rather then adding additional lures out.

Thanks

[Dfishin]

I have started running outriggers In the past 12 months. Your right most blokes that have the experience will tell you tag lines are the way to go.

The way I have been rigging them is elastic band tied to the main line and then clipped to the original release clip. That way the release clip can let go or the elastic band can break. I have also been shown a way to tie the band to the main line so that when it does release or break the band falls straight off the line and not still tied to it meaning you dont have to worry about it comming back through the rollers when you get your fish back close to the boat.

I have found with the marlin we have hooked, landed and lost this year that you will get strikes on your lures on any rod on the riggers or the two corners. what I mean is its fairly evenly spread they dont seem to prefer the riggers over the corners, Espeicially the short corner behind a teaser. Striped marlin are hard to hook on lures in any position outriggers or not. So what I mean is even when they take a corner which is in straight contact with no slack they still sometimes seem to not hook up. So I cant see how tag lines would help this problem. The stripes some days seem to just hit the lures with there bill giving you a strike with minimal hook up.

Anyway I looked at a youtube clip that Peter Pakula done showing ways to rig off outriggers. There is also really good information on setting your spread on outriggers on the ScentBlazer website ( these guys are sponsors of this site)

Other than that I say get out there and give it a go and you will work it out as you go. Dont worry about tag lines for now as there is more important things to worry about first I think.

Dave

[brickman]

the best thing with tag lines other than eliminating drop back is you don't have to pull your rigging up the outrigger pole every time you hook up and re rig

we sell everything to do with outriggers get used to the release clips then when your ready you can add tag lines later

i will add a diagram later on our method off rigging tag lines so there removable for when your skip baiting

cheers Gary outriggers direct

[Mithras]

Thanks for the wisdom. I'll spend some time on the water using the clips.

Is there a rule of thumb about how many kilos you can set the out rigger clips?

[brickman]

generally you use a rubber band on your line and into the clip some people like the rubber band to fall off after the strike but i prefer to choke the rubber band on the line i have found when you have to clear the spread it makes it much quicker to reset the spread

the rubber band is to stop you getting a kink in your mainline from the release clip so you only need a rubber band that will not snap with the weight off your lure its a fine line you wont it to snap easily but not with out it getting hit larger lure will need larger rubber bands or two smaller ones

cheers gary

[brickman]

this is how we rig taglines note the rubber balls at the very top is to stop you pulling the release clip into the top pulley block second ball is to stop the tagline return hitting the release clip and the bottom ball is to stop the tagline return hitting the pulley block on the shock cord

there are many ways to rig outriggers we do it like this so everything can be removed and more so, so you can remove the taglines when your skip baiting cheers gary

ps i tried to post a larger diagram but with no luck

Edited April 22, 2015 by brickman

[fishy]

I've been using Aftco roller trollers for 3 seasons now with only good to report. My outriggers lay at around 60 degree to the boat so there is that tiny bit of line to drop back on a strike. Thought this would affect the hook up rate, but no noticeable misses on Blues,Blacks BFT, YFT or the Albacore. The Stripers are a different story however. In a trailer boat with limited vision of the spread they allow adjustment of your lures with no hassles. Wind them in, drop them back. Too easy, if slightly lazy.