Dead Sticking

[ProfessorLongArms]

I'm especially curious to hear from the LJ crowd on this one since the main event down there is pretty live bait focused. . .


How much do y'all opt to dead stick your live bait? (IE: rig up threeway/reverse dropper/carolina/whatever and set it in the rod holder)

Where I fish, we're typically doing drifts in deeper water, not so much specifically targeting Halibut/WSB/YT and definitely not fly-lining.

That said, my PB lingcod have all been on an 8 oz three way rigged mac. Always cracks me up.... My line peels for 3 seconds and dies.... Then it's just an elevator ride up.

I've noted when I have a live bait hanging:
1)how much I have to keep an eye on it,
2)how sometimes no amount of care will keep your dropper rig from wrapping it on a drift, and
3)how much time I've spent cleaning up messes instead of fishing because of it.

Last year I also was on a spot that was thick enough with salmon grouper that every time I'd get a spanish mac down, i'd feel them start in on the bait before I could put it in the rod holder, then manage to get a hook set by hand. That got me to thinking some people *just* fish that way.

This is my first winter fishing the shallows, and now I *am* targeting more Halibut/WSB.... I had one big heartbreak today when my drag started screaming, but the line had managed to double-wrap the rudder while I was tying a rig. (Quite possibly my only complaint with hobie... it's like they *designed* those rudders to catch and tangle spectra)

I realize a lot of that is just awareness of where and how you're drifting, but I'm curious how many people opt only to troll live bait in-hand, and with what kind of rig.

For me, it's always felt like having a bait in the water while dropping jigs over marks is a good way to increase odds... That said I'm always interested in hearing how other people do things.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Good questions.

Some people can seem to finesse two poles at once, which would be my only reason for a "dead stick" in the holder.

I tend to make a mess out of trying to do that. For me, it's much more peaceful and enjoyable to fish one pole at a time and keep it in my hands so I can focus my attention on what my bait's doing and feel whatever signals are coming back up the braid for me to process.

I will "dead stick" two poles in holders if I'm trout fishing. I don't care about that. I can make coffee on my camp stove or fiddle or something else while I'm waiting.

"Dead Sticking" sounds a little weird on this Valentine's Day weekend.

[ProfessorLongArms]

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy

"Dead Sticking" sounds a little weird on this Valentine's Day weekend.

Heh. To be fair, I’m borrowing the phrase.
Come to think of it it, it does sound like a prime candidate as a thinly veiled colloquialism for whatever the hell new thing it is the kids “do” these days. 😁

Thanks for the advice and the opinion!

[Finngo]

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy

Good questions.

Some people can seem to finesse two poles at once, which would be my only reason for a "dead stick" in the holder.

I tend to make a mess out of trying to do that. For me, it's much more peaceful and enjoyable to fish one pole at a time and keep it in my hands so I can focus my attention on what my bait's doing and feel whatever signals are coming back up the braid for me to process.

I will "dead stick" two poles in holders if I'm trout fishing. I don't care about that. I can make coffee on my camp stove or fiddle or something else while I'm waiting.

"Dead Sticking" sounds a little weird on this Valentine's Day weekend.

+1

[RK]

Match the hatch, time of year, water temp, bait concentration or a bunch of big colorful things on your FF. Sometimes dead sticking an iron works pretty well

[Ggiannig89]

I always try to “deadstick” and end up giving up. Just too much going on for my mind. I can’t keep up with the rod tips and tangles. Usually end up missing bites and frustrated.

[PapaDave]

I will have a dead stick and a setup I actively fish. The dead stick usually has the biggest bait and is heavier then the one I have in my hand. Both seem to work equally well on the drift.