The Thrill of Bait and Switch Fishing by Capt. Jose of Angry Marlin Sportfishing, Jaco, Costa Rica

One of the most exciting sports in the world is big game fishing for Marlin and Sailfish. There are various ways to catch these amazing animals and each Captain will have his or her own preference depending on boat and equipment, but one tactic that has become very popular over the years is the Bait and Switch method. Although a number of varying factors need to be considered in general terms, many people argue that the switching method used to target Billfish attracts far more hookups.

For more dramatic strikes, with a nice blue hole and having a very close encounter with your sailfish or marlin, try the bait and switch method of fishing.
This method is achieved by trolling a line of hookless lures to one side of the vessel in an organized pattern whilst allowing the caster to set up on the other side of the boat. This is also a useful approach that enables the boat crew to do their job without having to step all over the casting line or knocking the caster's tackle. This bait and switch method is an easier task for the caster because the need to cast the line thirty or forty feet is unnecessary. What he does instead is strip out the cast line to land on a predetermined spot, and that spot is usually back towards the third wave.

Once this is done, the caster will strip his line back into the boat, leaving the fly on the fighting chair, and the rod somewhere very handy. The next thing is to wait until you see the fish appearing amongst the teaser lures, at which time the angler would take hold of his rod in one hand and the bait in the other. At this point the boat crew moves into action by reeling in all of the lures except the one that the fish has an interest in. When all of the teaser lines are in and out of the way the fish is lured to the predetermined casting spot until it is at about the fourth wave. At this time, the teaser is pulled from the water as the fish is lined up with the third wave, at which time a shout from the crew would alert the driver to put the boat into neutral. It is at this moment that the casting line is thrown into the water, in preparation for the catch.

For this fishing tactic you would normally use a daisy chain or an offshore lure. The hookless teaser does all the work of bringing the fish to the casting lure, the real lure. This bait and switch method is particularly used with light tackle.

As any game fisherman will know it is not just about the fishing or the fight. The visual impact of the whole process is as exciting as both of these things and this bait and switch method will certainly not disappoint in this area. It may be a relatively new concept in fishing tactics, but more and more sports fishermen are stepping outside the box to try something new. When you consider that billfish are renowned for being very interested in the hookless teaser lures, it makes sense to apply the strategy to bag the big one.

FISH TILL IT HURTS..THEN FISH SOME MORE
Capt. Jose
Angry Marlin Sportfishing, Costa Rica
www.angrymarlin.com