[FrankSI]

I got a bigger boat with outriggers last yaer and I am looking to maximize my trolling spread. I boat two spreader bars with 9" squids. I could have gotten them with floats in the squids -- but I think mistakenly opted for no floats. I have been doing some winter reading and now think floats are the way to go. Without disassembling the whole rig to add floats, I was thinking of using spray foam (insulation) to add buoyancy to my spreader bars. Has anybody else tried this? Give me your thoughts.


Also, I fish out of Staten Island and LBI and cannot reach the NE Canyons, so I am limited to about 50 miles offshore -- are the 9" squids too big to run on spreader bars. Canyon Runner sells a 6" squid bar that seem like a better fit for "my" tuna grounds. Anybody run 9" squid bars inshore with success?

Thanks.

 

[NetKeeper]

Stay small inshore 6" or smaller. Open the bellies of what you catch and match the hatch. I have some of my bars with floats and some without them. You have to see what runs best in the sea conditions your trying to troll. The 6" squids will typically float without the additional floats.

 

[MakoMike]

The Canyon Runner bars that I use all have floats inside the 6 inch squids.

 

[FrankSI]

Where do you guys get 4-6" bulb squid from? I will re-rig the spreader bars with smaller squid.

 

[oldmud]

Frank, DON'T do it !! that spray foam will make the worst mess you have ever seen. they make foam floats for squids. F. O. use to carry them, Don't know if they still do. Up here we use 13" squids.

Don

 

[carlynewlondon]

If you want bars with floats I'd regig them if I were you. That spray stuff is messy. Keep in mind though that floating bars just make it easier to fight other fish and may buy you an extra bite or 2 a season when they are floating on the top as you're landing another.

If you want to have some floating 6" bars make more. It never hurts to have extras!! I like to run them in pairs also. Right now I have over 2 dozen bars and on a typical trip I have my crew bringing along another 1-2 dozen depending on who's coming. My goal is to have 4 of each color in 6", 9" (and someday 12") sizes to match the hatch. Thats a lot of bars.

Focus on the popular colors first like green and burple, expand into rainbow, pink, root beer, zuchini. Don't forget resin heads like green machines, rainbow machines, etc, etc.

 

[Bruno1]

Canyon Runner sells the floats for .50 a piece I believe.

 

[BLUEFISH9]

They are called cigar floats. They can be found in local tackle shops as well as Flea bay. The spray foam does work. I have been messing with it lately...Takes some practice to not make a mess but once you get it...They do work and the fish wont know the difference.

 

[MakoMike]

The floats that Canyon runner uses are the kind of wooden floats you see on some surf rigs designed to keep the bait a little off the bottom and away from the crabs. I'm sure you could find them from any one of the big tackle companies.

 

[makomakoman]

floating squid from cape Cod..

Rock on products

 

[JMetaxas]

I bought blank bars from Canyon Runner a few months back. I then found shell squids and styrofoam floats very cheap. I now have a lot of CRunner style bars for under $35/each. Like CRunner, I use a Mustad 7691S hook.

 

[Dorymate2530]

Foam float for squid = Caulksaver backer foam. Available in many sizes up to 3/4" i believe.

If you want to buy them pre made.

http://www.reeldraggintackle.com/Terminal Tackle/Foam.html

 

[Brenainn]

Dorymate2530 wrote:
Foam float for squid = Caulksaver backer foam. Available in many sizes up to 3/4" i believe.

If you want to buy them pre made.

http://www.reeldraggintackle.com/Terminal Tackle/Foam.html

Awesome idea!!

 

[Dorymate2530]

Thanks......

 

[NewLove]

Dorymate2530 wrote:
Foam float for squid = Caulksaver backer foam. Available in many sizes up to 3/4" i believe.

If you want to buy them pre made.

http://www.reeldraggintackle.com/Terminal Tackle/Foam.html

What's the flouresent Deer Sh#t for??...

 

[BLUEFISH9]

Window sealant? What a great idea!
Question...How do you get the line through? Rigging needle? or do you hollow out a hole?

 

[Dorymate2530]

Last time I did it I was using 150 leader material. I just poked a hole with a rigging needle and ran it through. I put a tri-bead before the crimp also to support the foam a little better.

New Love wrote:
What's the flouresent Deer Sh#t for??...


Hook spacers for the stinger. Those are actually floats that Ken at Reel Draggin uses to give the bar and stinger more bouyancy.

This post edited by Dorymate2530 08:00 PM 03/04/2008

 

[JMetaxas]

The styrofoam cigar shaped floats work perfectly. You can get them at Walmart pretty cheap. (you have to remove the plastic stick)

 

[clementine]

window sealant

i like that idea more than cigar floats, because if cigar float gets underfoot, it can break in an instant, then you have no float- and alot of little styrofoam pieces

 

[MakoMike]

clementine wrote:
i like that idea more than cigar floats, because if cigar float gets underfoot, it can break in an instant, then you have no float- and alot of little styrofoam pieces

Same thing will happen if you step on a squid filled with windoe sealant. The key is to not step on them!