|
|
Fishing luresBig lure, big fish. Or, so you hope. Marlin, mahi-mahi, and tuna all like splashy surface lures with lots of action. The lure below is representative of the type. If you wandered into a tackle shop, you'd have to shell out a good-sized chunk of change for this setup; think in terms of $75 and up (and up) for the complete setup. I've seen marlin lures for sale at US$150! Serious marlin hunters can drop an amazing amount of money on their toys.
This is a 12" marlin lure from Yo-Zuri. The lure was given to me and I rigged the rest of it, including the hooks. The leader is 375 pound monofilament, about 15 feet long, and the hooks are 9/0 stainless steel arranged in a double-hook rig targeting marlin. I've sharpened them so they're truly needle-sharp. Marlin bills are very hard, and you need sharp hooks if you want to hook and hang onto a marlin. The shape of the head causes this lure to zig and zag erratically, much as a real fish would if being pursued by a marlin. It's very impressive to watch when trolled the right speed and distance behind the boat. 6 knots/20 yards is about right. I lost this lure to a really nice marlin we hooked about two miles outside the pass when we returned to Majuro from Aur in late March. I almost cried... Not so much for losing the lure, but for losing the marlin! |
