Looking for a Good Bouy System

[billfisher]

Looking for a good bouy system for swordfishing so I can comfortably put out several lines. What does anyone here use or recommend? Balloons? Jugs? Etc?
Thanks a million in advance!

Billfisher

[Anonymous]

The great balloon, or jug debate. I have used both and I prefer balloons. Others will tell you jugs. Try them both and use what you find easier to work with.

[swordstalker]

I'm sure everyone has their own preferences, but I have found that gallon milk jugs work fine for me. I put a light stick in them, tie a rubber band to the handle, twist it around the main line 4 times and then back around under the lip of the cap twice. I'll also use different light colors in them so I can tell which jugs belong to which rods. My only advice if you choose this way is to use fresh and thick rubber bands. The thinner ones can sometimes pop the line off too easy in rougher seas and the brittle ones just break. I normally put three lines out on jugs at different depths and at different distances from the boat, then two lines straight down off the boat. Like I said, many different ways to skin a cat, but this works for me. Good luck.

[Broadbill]

Balloons! I like balloons hands down. When you tape your light stick on top of your balloon it servers as a weight. If a fish eats, it breaks the balloon free and it rolls over making the light disappear. To me that is a pretty fool proof indicator. Other times when you have fish messing with your bait (sloppy eaters) it is easy to see with a balloon since it is so light. It will tip and turn before it breaks free. Once again a great indicator. With a jug it would obviously be hard to notice since the light stays the same free or attached. I would say the only downfall to balloons would be choking turtles.
-Scott

[RiskTaker]

Yep, Balloons are simply effective.

Attach your cyalume stick on top as described above and everything will be alright. You can also check out the Movie about tying balloons to the mainline posted on another thread, if you need. That method is also simply effective. It does not slip on mono or spectra.

When I have the opportunity I still like to use a jug: refer back to an older post with the RT thing-a-ma-bobber; there are also variations of this posted as well, (not to mention the one that changes colors if the weight load goes slack). The key idea for my jug is that the cyalume sticks up about 2 ft. above the water, (edit - and is weight leveraged top heavy). If I had only one jug, I would put it on the far line that goes to "the back 40", with a green or your brightest cyalume color available. How far out, is your preference.

P.S. - So far, I have not noticed a balloon topple over even when a fish lifts the weight. One very keen example occurred during the Hydroglow Winterfest Tournament. We noticed a fish swimming back and forth with an electrolume trailing right in front of us about 40 ft. down. Everybody was sending out lines, so I ask who's fish is that? I excluded myself from that inquiry because I just started to send my balloon out and it was only 30 ft. from the boat sitting perfectly upright and not moving due to the slack wind. After everyone else chimed in saying they did not have a blue (tri-color) Electrolume. #-o , that fish was on my line. Crank crank crank, after that dumbfounded pause. (My fish ate a live Blue runner that was sent down 200 ft., so it obviously lifted the weight.) Moral of that story: the balloon did not fall over. So (I) don't expect to always see it that way when you have a fish on. Certainly, if the balloon severs from the mainline without popping, it will topple over and the light will not be so prominent and usually starts making trails in a leeward direction.

Lately, I seem to be favoring a live bait down about 100 ft. or the favored strike depth, on the far balloon. This has not yet demonstrated any proven track record but you do get a livey away from the boat in the plain darkness of the sea, plus your local illumination. Just another variation to the spread. (And if some Capts. say the pups are attracted to the Hydroglow more so, I just wonder where the BIG Mamas are patrolling?)

I would like to try out those long slender balloons, that the clownies use. Perhaps that could be a great solution to getting some lift of the light in balloon form. Just need to test out their bouyancy characteristics with 1-2 lb. weights.

P.S. - If you choose to use break-away jugs, put a dollar in it for good luck and perhaps a note. You might get a call from someone far away. Perhaps a thank you from someone catching some dolphin or perhaps a belayed response from a stranded Islander trying to stock up on some Coconut water.

[quack quack]

RT: great post well said.

[hannaman]

RT, sometimes the balloon will not tip over all the way. With the pressure on the belly of the line as the fish comes up it will tip but might only tip half way. If a fish comes staight up it usually tips right over. A few months back on a big fish I noticed the balloon was tipping a little sideways as I was letting it out. I thought to myself, dam I know I didn't tape that stick on in the wrong spot. Within a few seconds I see my electralume racing south behind the boat. We got tight asap and 2 hours later boated a great fish.
It's all about paying keen attention to your spread, rod tips etc. if you want to get all the action thats coming your way.

[ReelIntubaiter]

Billfisher. Check out my previous post:

http://www.swordfishingcentral.com/f...shing3084.html

This is the "ultimate baloon" float. Check it out. Good luck.

[andylrd]

Guys,

Stupid question, but...

It is hard to remove the remnants of balloons from the line. How do you deal with that without damaging the line

Andy

[LHPfish]

Use rubber bands. Attach to the line, tighten, make a hitch but balloon end through loop pull tight. When you bring your line in easily loosen up the loop and remove the balloon. Leave the rubber badn on the line for the night to keep your marker.

[billfisher]

Great info here!

[billfisher]

Anyone going out this week who wants an extra fisherman? Will share expense evenly. Let me know.