My friend and I run a 22 ft center console, which we troll 4 lines for tuna. Last weekend we ran 2 spreader bars with pink and green squids in the 2nd wake, then a bird and daisy chain at 60 ft, and a green machine at 100 ft, which the guy a goose hummock recommended. Saw plenty of whales but no hookups. What would you guys recommend for a 4 spread setup without outriggers?

Are you running birds in front of the green machine? You may want to try a spreader bar down the middle and a green machine/bird set up on either side. Especially if you're targeting 100 pound fish. On my 24cc, I usually run two spreader bars at about 40 feet, flank bay a GM/BIRD set up on either side at about 60 feet and one down the middle at 80 plus feet.......

I was trolling a bird in front of the green machine and daisy chain. Do you run outriggers? I'm not sure how I could run the spreader bars 40ft back without the bar going into the water without using outriggers.

No outriggers (until next year). Depending on how fast I am trolling and the sea conditions I may run the bars a little closer....

If I am by myself, I run a spreader bar in the middle and GM/Bird set up on either side......

What size and color birds are u using with the GM?

I use these:

http://www.fishermansoutfitter.com/pc-573-43-playaction-teasers.aspx

I troll a bird that is more slender than the boone and has a metal piece that intersects the bird.

I use the boone's as well but run in front of a daisy chain of squids. Is it more productive to run a spreader bar instead of a daisy chain?

what you need to do, is find someone to go with you :hidin:

Mike check your pm's.

I've only gotten out once this year acouple of weeks ago to Crab Ledge and we caught 3 over 47". My comment/question is are the bars supposed to be out of the water? we caught 2 on our only greenmachine spreader bar that was set out maybe 60". The bar was in the water and many times splashing with the green machines.

Most guys try to keep the bar itself out of the water, but there have been plenty of fish taken on bars that were in the water.

FF you gonna be around next week and into Saturday for a MasterMarine trip?

here's the deal.
run the big bars back as far as they will go without diving under and "staying" under. even if they go under for a second there fine.
don't worry about the bar itself sitting in the water or the line in front of it or the swivel it doesn't matter. those big bars cause such a roccus anyway.
out of the side rodholders you can probably run them 40-50 feet back. stick them up in the t-top and you can get onother 15-20 feet back..
all we run are bars.... big ones.. 15-13"squid. we have probably 20 other bars of every size and color but no luck for us so they don't see any action in our spread.

we start out with 8 rods if were searching for fish. and we set them like this....

........................................"the boat"


.................................................. ....teaser


...................................... bar


.................................................. .........bar



.............................bar



.................................................. .................bar



.................bar



.................................................. ...........................bar



.......bar



.................................................. .......................................bar



on turns they don't tangle this way.. they run about five feet behind each other if you picture them in a strait line.


the teaser is a huge rubber soft head made bye mold craft thats about a foot long and 4" across, tied to the cleat about ten feet back.. does it work?? i think so..

when we find fish we go down to 4 rods.. basicly take all the close bars away and run the four way back..
if were really into them we go down to two rods,way back, or sometimes even one rod held in the hand.. a 60# tuna hit in the hand is intense!!

most of our action comes off the far back-black bars. we've got them on orange also and even one on a rainbow bar. but way back black "works for us" so we stick with that.

they make narrower 24" bars with the 13" squid on them so you don't have to run all 48" bars.. the main thing in my mind is 13" dark squid....

if i only had two bars and two birds i would run them like this


........................................"the boat"









...................................bird



.................................................. ....bar



..........................bar



.................................................. ........... bird



but still,,, my thoughts are running anything other than 13" squid is a waste of time/fuel. daisey chains and birds will catch.. but not for us.
we found something that WORKS so we stick with it!!

example:
Ronnie and i went out friday. four rods. four-13" bars
next to us was my bud Jon on Riff-Raff,,, four rods,, four-13" bars..
next to him was another friend on his grady..four rods.. birds/g-m's and mini squid bars
us=7 for 8
Jon= 6 for 6
the grady 0 for 0
same place same time.:huh: this is a first light bite with maybe a two hour window so i want maximum action in a short time.
chatham: same thing. they love the big dark squid bars.
these fish are LOADED with 5" sand eels.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/thefishingfreak/DSC06331.jpg

there's a million sand eels down 50-75 feet they can gorge on at there liesure.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/thefishingfreak/DSC06403.jpg
so what the heck do they see in these bars? on the surace to boot???????


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/thefishingfreak/DSC06391.jpg
:huh: not sure but i know they like them..

is this the answer for everything? i doubt it.
but i bet i can bring four rods and four bars anywhear in new england, on any boat, and raise fish. and i will, and have, proven it..


you have to "raise" them into the "spread". not just troll random stuff here and there.

look at it this way
8x15-squid bars= 120 squid in the water.:heybaby:
four birds-g/m combos= 8 baits in the water.:sleeps:

:musc:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/thefishingfreak/DSC06355.jpg

AWESOME POST!!!
That clears a lot up for a very novice guy like myself.

Regarding these 'bars.' You are saying they are 15 squid spreader bars, right? And you prefer dark colors, right? What size hook? Homemade or storebought? link?

Thanks
Zac

Great post Mike, I cant wait to see the bars in action!:kewl:

http://www.fishermansoutfitter.com/pc-293-40-squid-spreader-rig-w15-13-squid.aspx

these are the 15X13" squid bars, main color I{black foil} stinger color M{rainbow}

the orange {D} with light green {B} has worked for us also.
these are FAR from "stealthy" bars. the main line is blue 400# test. :musc: and there's a 12/0 owner hook thats sharp as a needle.

you can make your own but for 79 bucks you can't do much better than that. and these are pro rigged. the crimps are perfect. big beefey swivel in the last squid to change out the stingers.
nothing to worry about with these but bluefish stealing a squid here and there. but even with a few squid missing they still run true.

if i was going to make my own i would put a float in each squid so i could run them farther back. two of these will fit into one bag so he gave us a few extra stingers in exchange for one storage bag.

i've seen root beer brown work well even white bars get hit. but those are the good double digit days when it seems they'll hit anything.


ohh yeah... run them at 5 knots.
if you see the bluefish start hammering them punch the throttles up to 8 knots quick. they seem to leave them alone then. then slow back down to 5 when your out of the bluefish. tuna have no trouble catching them at that speed. in following seas you'll have to bump it up a little to keep them from digging in also.

Hey Mike thanks for all that info. I feel like I need to send you a check. I'm hoping to get out ther this week. Trailering from Pt Jud to the cape is a chore but worth it. I have to go 75 miles to get yellowfin here. Not that easy in a 25' cc. Thanks again
:bounce:

Everything works it is all on how you use it. Somedays bars will be productive, the next the green machine bar or chain will work. I believe you need it all and bring it all out with you. Big Bars 18", the 13" bars, some smaller bars, and then the birds/chains. Sea condtions also play a role on what you can fish from a given size boat. The more you can put in the water though, the better off you will be. Don't forget a swimming plug. Even if you don't get hit I believe it gives a depth that the surface stuff can't.

[QUOTE=thefishingfreak]http://www.fishermansoutfitter.com/pc-293-40-squid-spreader-rig-w15-13-squid.aspx

these are the 15X13" squid bars, main color I{black foil} stinger color M{rainbow}

the orange {D} with light green {B} has worked for us also.
these are FAR from "stealthy" bars. the main line is blue 400# test. :musc: and there's a 12/0 owner hook thats sharp as a needle.

you can make your own but for 79 bucks you can't do much better than that. and these are pro rigged. the crimps are perfect. big beefey swivel in the last squid to change out the stingers.
nothing to worry about with these but bluefish stealing a squid here and there. but even with a few squid missing they still run true.

if i was going to make my own i would put a float in each squid so i could run them farther back. two of these will fit into one bag so he gave us a few extra stingers in exchange for one storage bag.

i've seen root beer brown work well even white bars get hit. but those are the good double digit days when it seems they'll hit anything.


ohh yeah... run them at 5 knots.
if you see the bluefish start hammering them punch the throttles up to 8 knots quick. they seem to leave them alone then. then slow back down to 5 when your out of the bluefish. tuna have no trouble catching them at that speed. in following seas you'll have to bump it up a little to keep them from digging in also.[/QUOTE


Mike,
You're giving up WAY too much FREE info !!!
Can you say (Fishingfreak guide service) !!!:heybaby:

Can you say (Fishingfreak guide service) !!!:heybaby:

that has a nice ring to it :hee:

those bars do make noise, now if I could only catch something :D

They also attract any bird thats flying by..

I need a freak tutor lesson someday :cheers: