by Mark "Corky" Decker
No matter if you target bluefin tuna off the coast of Maine (try a 10-pound live whiting on a edge of a chum slick) or monster black marlin out of Cairns, a “lively” will outproduce pulled plastic every time. This is not to say you can just pull the throttles back and toss a bridled skipjack overboard expecting to, like magic, hook up. You need to place the bait where the creatures roam, and follow a few simple proven rules to increase hook up rates.
Growing up in New England chasing giant bluefin tuna onboard Ogunquit harpoon boats, I learned a lot about feeding tuna. These early lessons stuck with me in my endless pursuit of game fish thoughout the world’s waters. No matter whether I was chaing these massive fish-busting balls of herring or sand eels off Cape Ann, or chasing bluefish right up on the beaches of Provincetown; I was in awe and so addicted to these great fish that I lived and breathed bluefin. Reading everything I could get my hands on from Tom Gifford’s “Anglers and Muscle Heads” (I betcha I read this book cover to cover 50 times before I was 16 years old) to Hemmingway, I was a better student in fish than I was ever in school. From the greatest hook guys “The Murry Brothers” to the best Harpooner’s “The McIntyre’s,” I hounded these experts of my youth with countless questions, and formed a base of knowledge that I’m still expanding on today.
THE EARLY LESSONS; OR, "BIG" FISH GET BIG BY EATING A LOT
Throwing harpoons was a lot different than catching fish with a hook, probably more related to hunting than fishing; but man did I learn tuna behavior being on a “stick boat!” Eight to 12 hours were spent each day, in the mast or tower, looking for fish; living for those few heart-thumping minutes compared to countless hours of searching taught me to pay attention (boy, have we all heard that one before)! Ok, so here we go once again. Paying attention to your surroundings will make you a better, more successful fisherman—regardless if you are on a trout stream in Montana or on the high seas of the South Pacific! Feeding fish draw attention to themselves and will leave signs. Knowing what these signs are and learning to spot them is the key. Now what the hell does this all have to do with live baiting? Ah... everything
SPEND YOUR TIME WHERE THE FISH ARE
We’ve all done it, spent hours fishing dead water, drowning worms off a bridge as a kid or wading bonefish flats without seeing a single fish. It happens, but if you can minimize this and spend more time with your worms drifting about in a school of bluegills the fun factor goes way up!
The old saying that “Ten percent of the fishermen catch 90 percent of the fish,” holds a lot of “fish on” truth; and my whole life has been totally dedicated to getting into that 10 percent and staying there!
Growing up in New England chasing giant bluefin tuna onboard Ogunquit harpoon boats, I learned a lot about feeding tuna. These early lessons stuck with me in my endless pursuit of game fish thoughout the world’s waters. No matter whether I was chaing these massive fish-busting balls of herring or sand eels off Cape Ann, or chasing bluefish right up on the beaches of Provincetown; I was in awe and so addicted to these great fish that I lived and breathed bluefin. Reading everything I could get my hands on from Tom Gifford’s “Anglers and Muscle Heads” (I betcha I read this book cover to cover 50 times before I was 16 years old) to Hemmingway, I was a better student in fish than I was ever in school. From the greatest hook guys “The Murry Brothers” to the best Harpooner’s “The McIntyre’s,” I hounded these experts of my youth with countless questions, and formed a base of knowledge that I’m still expanding on today.
THE EARLY LESSONS; OR, "BIG" FISH GET BIG BY EATING A LOT
Throwing harpoons was a lot different than catching fish with a hook, probably more related to hunting than fishing; but man did I learn tuna behavior being on a “stick boat!” Eight to 12 hours were spent each day, in the mast or tower, looking for fish; living for those few heart-thumping minutes compared to countless hours of searching taught me to pay attention (boy, have we all heard that one before)! Ok, so here we go once again. Paying attention to your surroundings will make you a better, more successful fisherman—regardless if you are on a trout stream in Montana or on the high seas of the South Pacific! Feeding fish draw attention to themselves and will leave signs. Knowing what these signs are and learning to spot them is the key. Now what the hell does this all have to do with live baiting? Ah... everything
SPEND YOUR TIME WHERE THE FISH ARE
We’ve all done it, spent hours fishing dead water, drowning worms off a bridge as a kid or wading bonefish flats without seeing a single fish. It happens, but if you can minimize this and spend more time with your worms drifting about in a school of bluegills the fun factor goes way up!
The old saying that “Ten percent of the fishermen catch 90 percent of the fish,” holds a lot of “fish on” truth; and my whole life has been totally dedicated to getting into that 10 percent and staying there!
