trolling or floating

[spinner]

Usually when trolling for spanish mackeral, I use large dead baits like wolf herring or bonito and troll at about 3-4 knots.
This has been successful, but lately I`ve been thinking about anchoring up at a "likely spot" and floating out the same baits (unweighted) in a good run of water.
Has anyone tried this? and what were your results?
Reggy

[devocean]

Yes have tried to float dead wolfies but they dont tend to be as effective as trolling them. The wolfies unfloated will tend to sink to the bottom anyway. Had one out the back once floated and it sunk down after a while (there were spanish swimming around as well). Put on the spearing gear went down to get it and there was a 60cm trout staring at it. The wolfy was bigger than the trout funniest thing I had ever seen as it was trying to find a way to eat it I think. Anyway I speared it.

AS for floating I think as long as there is enough run I think there is still a chance of a hook up

[agnes_jack]

Reggy
Whenever we are bottom fishing we have at least one floater out the back.
More often than not we pick up a few macks, maybe a cobia or tuna.
Its definately worth it. A bit of a berley trail will help a bit in this situation.
Occasionaly pull a few reefies on the same floaters, they will often rise up into mid water to take a bait.

Regards, Tony

[roz]

Reggy,
I am very biased toward towing when fishing for mackeral, although I think it might depend on where you fish, I almost always see pro mackeral fisherman trolling baits, they do it for a living so it must have something going for it. On the other hand, if fishing the bottom out wide you can have a bet each way and have a bait floating out the back, mad it you don't.
Roz

[Smithy]

Devocean,

Is it Mark Goulson the Mackerel Pro from Sunset Beach that floats out baits in the rips around some of the northern Whitsunday islands? Must work for him. A lot of those southern Gold Coast guys seem to float our liveys for their Spaniards.

[devocean]

Yeah floating baits like fusiliers is a definite but I dont know anyone who has ever floated a live wolf herring. My comment was in more reference to the wolfies.

[Leo_N.]

Wolfies die pretty quickly after being caught (or at least the ones I have caught did). I have drifted them before, but found the back end of them got bitten off a lot more. Most spanish that I have caught are around the reef, so fall to a ganged pillie or live fusilier. If there is enough current run they will stay suspended, otherwise about 2m under a float. I have caught big trout on some of these baits even in mid-water.

[max_power]

i float pilchards in the current when ever we pull up to go bottom bashing, no floats and drifing in the current about 20 metres behind the boat. When I go to another local spot, wolfies with 5 x 8/0's in them about 2 metres from the bottom in 45m of water works a treat on the spaniards. They are suckers for a wolfie down that deep.

[devocean]

If you are floating for macks make sure hooks go right back as they often tail snap baits. I reckon they bite the tail off on the inital hit to stop the fish then come back to finish off. I have seen heaps of those ballyhoo rigs with gar get smashed just below the hooks. smart buggars

[Leo_N.]

have to agree with that. that first bite nearly always just after the last hook.

[waznot]

i've had success with leaving the last gang hook floating behind. :)