[MrBill]

My wife was on my case because I had invaded her dinning and living area with fishing tackle while preparing for the canceled Big E trip. So, this afternoon and evening I have been cleaning up my mess. I found a couple of factory frenzy flyers in a bag and decided to rig them for casting with a spinner.

The factory flyer comes rigged with about 10 feet of 130 pound mono and a nice quality hook tucked into the flyers belly. I removed the 130 mono and replaced it with 400 pound mono and added a stinger hook. I also made the leader only about 5" long coming out of the flyers mouth so I could get good casting distance. I put on a ringed stainless steel longline stinger hook to give it some more weight. I re-used the original hook for the belly tuck.

I've pulled the frenzy a few times this summer with pretty good results. I like it best on the outriggers when trolling ballyhoo's on the flat lines and shotgun line. Dolphin seem to like the flyer. Never caught a hoo on it but two sailfish put it in their mouth. I troll about 6 knots when natural bait fishing. When using all artifical lures I like to drag them around 9 knots. The flyer pulls best at 6 knots.

Here are some PICS of the re-rigged flyer for casting.

 

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

Nice rigging pictures MrBill. What brand/size hook are you using for the tail hook?

Those flyers are great off a kite too.

 

[ksong]

Could you explain how you fish them ?
When I went to Pueroto Vallarta last year, I trolled a Frenzy Flyer along with live skipjack. The action of Frenzy Flyer was very live, but I don't get any strike from tuna. I heard some got tuna trolling Frenzy Flyer.

I read they use them for kite on long range boats, and it worked.

 

[MrBill]

I've never added a natural bait to the Frenzy when trolling during the day. I just troll them as they come out of the box except I replace the 130 pound mono with a 15 to 25 foot 200 pound mono wind on leader. I've never had a strike from a wahoo but have caught dolphin and sailfish on them.

I prefer the windon leaders because with 15 to 25 feet of leader tied onto a swivel it leaves the guy catching the fish worthless at the end of the fight. I find it is better to let the guy with the rod control the fish right up to the boat. Too many things can go wrong with the swivel once it hits the top roller. You've got 15 to 25 feet of line in the water with the second person basically hand lining the fish back to the boat. Hopefully he's got some experience or it's double trouble.

Then you still need a gaff person. Wind-ons are the only way to go if two people are on board.

The pictures above are the version to cast at night for tuna. The short 5 inch leader should give you the lure up close to the tip of the rod for Max casting distance. Fish it like a popper. Pop and crank, pop and crank.

 

[MrBill]

Nice rigging pictures MrBill. What brand/size hook are you using for the tail hook?.

The hook is a stainless grade tuna longline hook with a solid stainless ring. Very strong. Will last a lifetime if not lost. Here is a picture of it next to a Owner 6/0 super mutu.

 

[STx Fisherman]

Thanks for the pics....great post!!

 

[ALW]

What vendors sell the ringed long line hooks?

 

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

That's a nice hook. Thanks for the follow-up post.

Those circles work!

 

[MrBill]

This is the place I got the hooks. I believe I had to buy 500 at a time. I also buy the 1000 meter spools of mono leader material from them. This is a commerical fishing supply company.

http://www.commercialfishingsupplies.com/longline.htm#Wonyang%20Longline%20Hooks

 

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

I was checking out the recent report for the Red Rooster III and noted this...

 

[Ragman]

Wow! That's a once-in-a-lifetime shot!

 

[North Texas Fiberglass]

Mr. Bill,

I'm laughing because that is almost the same set up that I've been using. I use a Mustad 7732 8/0 hook as my main hook, owner 4x 2/0 as a stinger. I then take a piece of 1/8 dowel rod and push it through the bait and the eye of the mustad to hold it in place. I used Tyger wire to attach the stinger hook.

Let me tell you, I only missed one or two tuna that hit it, and one of them was my fault for not letting it take it.

When the Tuna got dialed in on flyers during the Gem trip, if you didn't actually catch a live flyer, you wouldn't get bit. I just waited until a flyer came into the lights and cast in on top of it. Had lots of blow ups and had a blast! There are times when the Frenzy Flyer will get bites when nothing else will.

 

[Bazztex]

I think it depends on the size of the tuna that are in the school as far as the big main hook is concerned. The tuna I have hooked on the Frenzy Ballistic Flyer were all over 80# and 5 were in excess of 100#. This was fishing the Frenzy Flyers as a Top Water bait, sight casting to cruising Yellow Fin. I had one estimate 150#+ YFT that was playing Outfielder.. absolutely smashed a Frenzy the split second it contacted the water and immeadiately started a drag ripping 60 MPH run.

We used a 4/0 4X trebble trailer hook rigged as our tail stinger with a crimped tandem harness.. like Mr Bill has so beautifly photo illustrated above.

Like Mike Bristow says.. watch for live flyers in the waves and cast near them or watch for blow ups and cast ahead in the direction the YFT are swimming.

I was also able to call some up when they were crusing just out of sight below the surface. With tHis technique you cast as far out past the lights as possoble. Jerk the rod back hard 3 times and pause the bait for about a 10 count and repete as required to get bit!

Making a big surface commotion is the key before the pause. I also had my best results ... chugging/ popping the Frenzy up a wave valley and try to rest it on top a crest. This tecnique will work with any of the Tuna Poppers as well, but if they are on a hard flyer bite use the Frenzy Flyer and Just Hang ON Yall!!

Bazz

 

[ksong]

Bazz,
Thanks for the detailed information.
I'll definitely try the Frenzy Flyer on our Gulf charter on the Carribean Sea in June.

 

[MrBill]

Making a big surface commotion is the key before the pause. I also had my best results ... chugging/ pooping the Frenzy up a wave valley and try to rest it on top a crest. This technique will work with any of the Tuna Poppers as well, but if they are on a hard flyer bite use the Frenzy Flyer and Just Hang ON Ya ll!!

Bazz


Technique is a must with all lures. You can buy the best, but if you aren't instructed on how it works, it's worthless. I just bought and received a DVD from Randy at Angler's Pro Shop. Carpenter GT Rods and Poppers DVD Presentation.

This video although in Japanese, shows Mr Kenji Konishi of Carpenter
rods and lures doing it correctly. He uses poppers, pencils and swim baits, made by Carpenter. These are big plugs used for GT fishing. Konishi is amazing in the way he casts.

He's standing on a concrete bank in a harbor with semi calm water to show the commotion of the water caused by the lure. He doesn't crank the lure up near the tip of the rod like I've always done. He has it hanging at least three feet from the tip and then casually whips it out around 60 yards. This guy really puts the hammer to his popping jerks. Even though I didn't understand a word he said, I learned a lot. His top view video of the lures action was incredible. I had no idea that when done properly the popper leaves a huge bubble trail like a marlin lure being trolled at 10 knots.

This guy makes a pencil popper walk across the water look so good that I can't see any fish resisting it. Carpenter rods and lures are a piece of work. They are probably the best you can get, but you have to have deep pockets to afford their products. That is if you can find them for sale.

 

[Bazztex]

Mr Bill and Ksong

I got the pause from watching Blue fin and Yellow Tuna fin schools blast bait fish knocking them out of the water to stun them..then smashing the bait again as they lay quivering on top the water. I guess it's easier for the Tuna to stun the larger flyers and then eat them, instead of chasing them down??

Last trip I had two large fish hit a big popper at the same time knocking it 10ft high and 30ft to the side. They both turned and hit it again at the same time right after it hit the water. Sadly my leader didn't hold on their second attack and I lost a lure.. but it was worth the loss just to see that happen, man what a show.

I also learned that you don't want to hit/strike a Tuna untill you feel them take off with the bait because sometimes they short strike. If you don't pull the bait away from the fish.. and it stays close to where they hit many times the tuna will come right back to smash it again.

It's very hard to remain calm when they smash your bait but you will catch more if you wait on the fish to pull your line first.

Bazz