Has anyone considered trolling a hookless umbrella teaser rig on one line with a hooked lure slightly below, behind and to the side of the school? My uncle in NJ does this for Stripers and incidentally caught tuna. He uses Hoochies but told me swimbaits can be used. A spring gets screwed into the nose of the swimbait to provide a durable line tie. I'd think 6 or 7" Fish traps or BH's would do great. The 8 lure umbrella is set to work a foot or so under the surface with a keel weight to keep it there. I'm not set-up for trolling in my Kick-boat but if I get my Skiff together and the use of a tow vehicle I could try it this spring.
Tight lines,
Wade

Yes,some very big names in bass fishing are using this method to catch some very big fish.Only thing,unless your going with bighammers is snaggin all those swimbaits in one snag.But the guys using this dont have to worry about that,the ones Ive seen on the water were I think 4-5 bait umbrellas.Thats like 80$.Still a little too pricey for me!But its that one bite that makes it all worth it.Good luck,
BIlly.

Interesting, Wade. On a somewhat different note I once briefly tried a spreader with two swimbaits, one with a leadhead on and the other with just a long shank hook through it, for calicos, but it seemed that I needed to have some more weight on the bait that did not have the leadhead in order to get this rig to retrieve properly. A few years ago WON magazine showed a LM rig with a double leader, each with a tube bait at the end. By the way, some guys in norcal mooch for salmon with a tube bait filled with Power Bait, but I guess that no self-respecting LM angler would go near Power Bait with a ten foot pole (or a 7'6" pole). (I am not a self-respecting LM angler.)

Hearing about your uncle in NJ brings back great memories of bluefishing (pound for pound one of the best fighters) and fluke fishing there. Has your uncle tried his umbrella technique on bluefish, or would they just tear the teasers to shreds.

Bob

In answer to your question about Bluefish, he calls them @@#$%$%^@$%^@^@##%$^%$#@^% Blues because they shred so many umbrellas. He's also caught 2 baby Bluefin Tuna this year, although I don't know if I'd call 50 & 80+# fish babies. :)
As for powerbait I use Power Bass Jelly on my swimbaits sometimes and it seems to get me a few extra bites when they're just following, or miss it on the 1st hit. I wis they'd come up with a Saltwater Jelly because their juice washes off too fast, but I guess that's why I have Pro-cure Bait Butter.
Tight lines,
Wade

Pro-Cure is excellent, but for something super sticky have you tried Smelly Jelly. I too often like a super sticky scent, especially in fast current such as in norcal salt or in rivers, or in very deep saltwater when the offering has to travel through a lot of water to get down and to be retrieved. Although I prefer stickiness in such situations, I have to admit that when I fish with my son he does very well in the ocean, and in rivers and lakes for bass and trout, using a not very sticky scent called something like "Mikes (herring?).

Bob

I've used both Mike's and Pro-cure bait oils. On soft plastics they hold for a little while and can produce well. On hard baits they wash off too quick. The Bait butter seems to stick a little better and still leave a good scent trail. The Smelly Jelly and Power Jelly stick the best but need a heavier scent trail especially in cold water. In warmer water I like them both alot.
Tight lines,
Wade

The temperature factor is a good point, Wade. I wonder which is more important in a scent product, the scent trail to attract the fish or the taste of the product that gets them to hold hold a bit longer, giving the angler a second or so more time to set the hook. Because both factors are obviously important I may try to use, at the same time, on different parts of the lure an oily scent to create the scent trail and a sticky scent for the taste. To some this may seem to be going too far. I have used combinations of scents before. When mooching for salmon I sometimes inject the sardine or herring with an oily scent, then coat that bait with a sticky product. ( I also heavily coat the exposed hook with a sticky scent when mooching for salmon.)


Bob