Trolling Tips For Barracuda?

[nemofound]

I love fishing and spend a lot of time on Koh Chang. The typical method here is just to get live squid for baits and go bottomfishing but I'd love to learn more about trolling because I find it more interesting. The typical Rapala Magnums aren't working here or then I just do something wrong. Any experienced barracuda chasers here? What to do to get that big one?

[rfukata]

check out the link below concerning lures for cuda's (or wahoo, ono in Hawaiian), this should give you an idea what to use or

craft one homemade lure up.

www.bluemarlinchronicles.com/ballyhood_wahoo_lures.htm

[jaidam]

Rapala magnums should be working fine at Koh Chang, they certainly do at Koh Tao. I like the Magnum X-rap more as they run deeper than the standard magnum cd's. Mackerel colour or white with red head do the job well.

To get more bites try using them without a metal leader. Seem to get way more bites just using a 40lb nylon leader, and very rarely get bitten off.

Almost all the baracuda we catch trolling are in 10 -15 meters deep water, and trolling speed about 5mph. Visibility and time of day do not seem important for baracuda. I can't remember having ever caught a baracuda trolling lures in the open water. Most of the large baras are caught slow trolling live-baits around offshore reefs/wrecks. We have had some monsters up to 30 kilos doing this.

rfukata, Ono is the pacific term for a wahoo. Completely different fish to baracuda which I believe are known as "kaku" in the pacific islands.

[69690jay]

an effective way is to take a small 4" yakka, sardine, etc attached with 5/0 circle or octopus hook; 2 meters 60 - 100lb steel leader or 100lb leader line, i use flurocarbon as it is more resitant to bite offs and less visable, above the leader attached between two barrel swivels attached with elastic band or tied directly to the line a large balloon, if running more than one balloon use different colours to keep track of who's who's, depending on how much wind there is sets the size you blow up the balloon, drift this around any structure, barracuda, longtoms etc, go balistic on hookup, large longtoms are more fun to catch as they put on surface shows, barracudas strike and go limp.....

tight lines and screaming reels,

Jay

RBFC

Rawai

[McFarang]

an effective way is to take a small 4" yakka, sardine, etc attached with 5/0 circle or octopus hook; 2 meters 60 - 100lb steel leader or 100lb leader line, i use flurocarbon as it is more resitant to bite offs and less visable, above the leader attached between two barrel swivels attached with elastic band or tied directly to the line a large balloon, if running more than one balloon use different colours to keep track of who's who's, depending on how much wind there is sets the size you blow up the balloon, drift this around any structure, barracuda, longtoms etc, go balistic on hookup, large longtoms are more fun to catch as they put on surface shows, barracudas strike and go limp.....

tight lines and screaming reels,

Jay

RBFC

Rawai

I agree with Jay Large Lom Toms are great fun on this Method like Mini Marlin Fishing the Jump all over the place

Neill

RBFC

Rawai

[nemofound]

Today I raised the trolling speed to around 5 knots and had a good bite for red/white cd Rapala mag but unfortunately lost it. But still we got better catches by using live squid when doing some bottomfishing. Unfortunately the weather turned bad and had to come back early.

What about rigging squids for trolling, working or not?

[nemofound]

Jaidam thanks for the tip for x-rap. I bought couple of them today and they were in the water for 10 minutes when I landed a 3 kilo cuda and lost another one. Bright green mackerel colour seems to work here.

[nemofound]

Visibility and time of day do not seem important for baracuda.

Have you caught them by trolling lures at night time? Never tried this myself. Getting squids for baits is getting more difficult every year here on Koh Chang, I'm not sure who to blame, the trawlers that wipe out everything or the hotels and boats that pump their waste water and bilges to the sea.

[IanForbes]

You need to troll very fast for Barras, and not too deep. Many lures do not respond well to trolling that fast. Barracuda's are not that selective, but they do like a big lure. Even a long piece of frayed nylon rope will catch them. Be sure to ALWAYS use a wire leader.

This guy grabbed one of my hand made "flures" tied on a tube.

[711dave]

HI I live on Ko Chang I am an experienced fisherman, I have my own gear and can pay my own way if anybody wants to go fishing drop me I Line get it I am experienced in trolling for marlin and salmon

[nemofound]

HI I live on Ko Chang I am an experienced fisherman, I have my own gear and can pay my own way if anybody wants to go fishing drop me I Line get it I am experienced in trolling for marlin and salmon

I live there too during the winter months and own a boat there so drop me a message. Unfortunately I'm staying in farangland until October but then the king mackerel season should be on so expecting nice cathces when I come back. I'd love to share tips and gps coordinates, since opened this thread I've gained a lot of experience and in april hardly ever came back to pier without a barracuda on board. Also managed to catch mackerels up to 8 kilos. I haven't heard of any marlin or sailfish catches there recently but if you have a clue where to go you don't have to pay anything for diesel if we manage to land one

A typical catch: