How a Tag Line Kit Can Help You Catch More Fish
Despite the fact that they have the correct equipment (and may even have got it at a discount from somewhere like https://www.raise.com/coupons/cabelas), a common issue new offshore anglers experience when trolling is missing fish. There’s much more going on than just dragging baits behind a boat. It’s not for lack of preparedness but a lack of understanding the appropriate angles needed to be successful while trolling.
When fishing a standard rigging set up with big lures or trolling high speed for wahoo, some anglers run into issues with too much slack in their line or what’s more commonly referred to by offshore anglers as dropback. Dropback is essentially when after a strike occurs, the bait goes over the fish, or there is too much slack in the line, and they can work themselves free before there is enough tension in the line for a good hook set.
One of the best ways to understand this problem and correct it is to think about trolling in triangles. When presenting baits in a troll, think of your rod and reel as point A, the starting point of the triangle. Connecting the points with your fishing line, Point B is the apex of the triangle, located at the clip on the outrigger. Point C of the trolling triangle is the bait or lure.
The common cause of dropback is when a fisherman is using too much of an acute angle. When point B is too far ahead of point A, the amount of slack that occurs in the line can result in a missed fish. With a tag line kit added to a trolling setup, anglers can change the triangle to have an obtuse angle, creating a better opportunity for a hookup. The main idea to reduce dropback is rigging point B behind point A in the triangle. This rigging allows for as little slack in the line as possible, resulting in a strong hook set.
A tag line kit works by first adding another line to the outrigger. This added line uses the clip at the end of the outrigger, then returns to another clip at the boat. The added line is all rigged through a tag line tube, a metal tube used to return the furthest clip on the outrigger back to the boat once you get a strike. The clip that travels from the boat to the outrigger is the one responsible for securing the tag line. At the end of the tag line is the last clip in the rig and where you attach your fishing line, your new obtuse angle, point B.
Tigress Outriggers & Gear has put together a Complete Tag Line Kit. It includes everything an offshore angler needs for a trolling setup to produce more fish. The Tagline Kit features hi-polished 316 stainless steel tag line weight with ¼” rubber bumpers to protect your boat. 35′ of 400-pound black mono, cork stops, 316 stainless steel snaps, and 2 No. 64 rubber bands. So, what are you waiting for? Avoid dropback and start catching more fish today!