Mar. '01

    Last time we discussed methods for catching yellowtail but I did not cover throwing “iron”. So lets get to it. You will not find a list of different jigs and what color you will need, instead I will explain how to fish the “iron”. Once you have the basic skills you can go and fill your jig bucket with all sorts of “iron”.

    First and foremost is getting your lure in front of the yellowtail. If the ‘tails are holding under a kelp paddy be sure that your lure is close enough to that paddy that they can see it. I said close enough and not in the paddy. If the ‘tails are on the bottom be sure that your lure is actually getting to the bottom and not drifting away from the high spot. If the fish are suspended at 50 feet make sure that your lure is traveling though the proper strike zone. 

    Getting your lure to where the fish are feeding sounds almost too simple to even write about but time and time again I have seen anglers fishing lures in non-productive waters. Finding out where the fishing are holding can be as easy as listening to the captain or asking another angler where they are getting hooked up. 

    If you are anchored your first try should be the bottom. Yo-Yoing a lure is a long time trick to use on yellowtail. It is also very is to explain but can be difficult to master. All that is need is a lure that is heavy enough to get to the bottom and a very fast vertical retrieve. Like I said it is a simple trick to understand. To help master yo-yoing you will need a high speed reel like a Penn 113H with 4:1 gear ratio and a short rod (6 to 6.5 feet long) that is rated at least 30-80 lb line. Remember casting distance is not need here. Simply let your lure sink to the bottom. Once you hit the bottom, put your reel in gear and crank that reel as fast as you can. You cannot crank your reel to fast! Once you have retrieved the lure half way to the top, put the reel in free spool and let your lure sink to the bottom again. Now just keep repeating this until you get hooked up. On hot bites you can get nailed on every retrieve and that’s when yo-yoing is the most fun. On slow bites it may take 10 minutes to get a single hook up. And when it is “dead” it may take all day. But remember on slow days if you put your time in at the rail, you will get your fair share of the fish.  Yo-yoing can be a lot of work but it can also be a lot of fun too.

    If your skipper pulls up on a school of feeding birds, there is a good chance that the yellowtail are up on top. So just fish the top layer of the water. You can use the same reel as I mentioned before for top water ‘tails but you may want a longer rod to aid in your casting distance (7 to 8 feet long). Try casting past the feeding birds and letting your lure sink a few feet (10 to 20 deep) before you start your retrieve. Your retrieve speed will depend on the fish so try different speeds on your cranking. But once you find the right speed keep using it. Only change when you don’t get nailed after a few casts. If the ‘tails are in a feeding frenzy you may not even have to crank to get nailed. Many times I have had ‘tails grab my lure on the sink before I even started my retrieve. So if your lure starts to swim away put your reel in gear and crank on it. When the line comes tight set the hook. 

Well if the ‘tails are not on the bottom and not on the top, they must be someplace in between. Suspended fish are the most difficult to catch because you really have to work to find them. If that is the case the “Countdown Method” is you prime course of action.  As your lure is sinking, you are taking a mental count. Try counting to 50 and then putting your reel in gear and start you retrieve. If that doesn’t work trying counting to 75 before you start your retrieve.  Keep trying different lengths on your countdown until you find the fish. Once you find the fish, let your lure sink to the same count on your next cast. 

Those are the basics of fishing yellowtail on the iron. Most of the long range fleet will have a crew member that can help you fine tune your skills as most crew have grown up fishing ‘tails their whole life. 

Let me include a few of my tricks to help you.

1. Try fishing where there are fewer people fishing. A good place to start is the bow. You will also have more room to cast on the bow and fewer lines to get tangled with.
2. Make sure that you fish with tight drags and sharp hooks. This will increase your hook up ratio. 
3. Keep at it. Many anglers will make a toss or two, not get hooked and then stop fishing. Tossing iron is fun but it can be work too. The guys that put their time in will get their fish. Make several casts before you decide to take a break. 
4. The more you fish the iron the better at it you will become as well as increase your stamina.
5. Finally, if the yellowtail want the bait, switch to bait. Don’t get so obsessed that you forego what is working just to get a fish on the iron.

Next time you will be ready to give iron a try for ‘tails on your next long range trip. “Try it you like it”. You may never go back to the bait tank again.

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