Birds and Spreader Bars - Boating & Fishing Information and Reports Forum

Aftergolf · #1 (**permalink**) 11-22-2007, 09:16 PM

What kind of birds do you guys use on your bars? Has any one used the Tormentor Tackle birds? Does color of the bird make any difference or is it just the color of the squids. Any help would be appreciated.

offshore · #2 (**permalink**) 11-22-2007, 09:35 PM

Aftergolf,
I have two favorite colors of spreader bars. Blue/White 8"-12" squid and Pink/White 8"-12"squid. I have tried others but these seem to produce the best for me. My spreader bars are big with the center strand of five strands at 8' in length . My bars have 15 squid on them and all the squid have floats insde of them to keep them on the top to make the most noise possible. I always run a 10' trailer off the center strand with a Heavy Seawitch or Islander with a ballyhoo. Since the squid float I want the trailing bait to be lower in the water column so that this bait intices the bite. There is nothing like a big ol tuna crashing a spreader bar. I have used all different color birds and I can not tell that one color is better than another. I like to run a bird on the center rigger wayyyyy back with a witch or Islander ballyhoo combo meal on a ten foot leader behind the bird. I have had way more success with the spreader bars than the birds. You will be running alot of gear in the water but for Tuna I like as much action on top of the water as I can get.......Mark

Aftergolf · #3 (**permalink**) 11-22-2007, 10:02 PM

Mark,
Thanks for the info.
Where do you get the floats for the squid?
Do you run a bird either on your bar or in front?

When we just fished out of OI, the bar was the one in the middle way back off the bridge pole with a large bird on the bar with a green machine behind the squid. That one got hit the most. Not sure if it was the noise on the surface, the green machine, or the color squid. Had a long talk with the mate and he said he thought it was just the commotion on the surface with the bird, not necessarily the colors or the lure or the lack of a bait.
Just trying to get some new ideas for the spring tuna season.

offshore · #4 (**permalink**) 11-22-2007, 10:18 PM

I get the floats at Walmart They are the bluegill foam bobbers. They are about 3" long and about 3/4" in diameter tapered at both ends. They come in 3-5 in a pack for a dollar or two. I pop the yellow spring assembly out of them and slide them on the line and into the squid when I make my bars. I will post a pic this weekend sometime to show you. I like the red floats because when squid are flustered they exhibit a red core right in the middle of there body. If it helps who really knows. This is what a old timer told me. Tuna are attracted to lots of comotion on the surface and I know of some boats that set their saltwater washdown sprayers to spray out the side or behind the boat. I have never tried this but some people swear it works to attract fish......Mark

Aftergolf · #5 (**permalink**) 11-22-2007, 10:21 PM

Mark,
Thanks and I look forward to your pic's.
Happy Turkey Day.
Tight lines
Ed

Capt. Fred · #6 (**permalink**) 11-25-2007, 09:21 AM

I can't get a big bar to run waaayyyyy back without it digging in. It's just too heavy to run off my center rigger and I don't have a bridge. So I run a bird back there trailing a green machine (don't tell anyone or they might ban me from Hatteras LOL) or it trails an ilander/ballyhoo. I've been considering dragging a chain of birds back there but have never rigged that unit up. Those birds are expensive. The bird I pull the most is pink and it has mirrored wings.