Custom Weighted Lures

When targeting grander-size blue marlin, you generally turn to larger lures to get their attention. Although it’s true that elephants eat peanuts, they tend to eat a lot more trees — and so it is with big blues. And since marlin can eat baits that are about 10 percent of their body weight, even the largest lure in your drawer won’t intimidate even a 100-pound blue, let alone a grander. I don’t know of anyone pulling 10-pound lures.

No matter what size lure you pull, you want it to track straight and swim right, and some captains and mates go to great lengths to make sure their lures stay in one position as well; with the hook-set always riding in the desired position, hook up, hook down or hook somewhere in between.
   
Capt. Peter Bristow, the legendary captain of Kathleen B in Madeira (fishmadeira.com), is one of those fellows who is fanatical about his hook-sets and how they ride in the skirts. He likes his hook-sets to ride in a hook-up position and makes sure that they will do so by adding additional weights to the bottom of his hard-resin lures. Bristow drills a series of holes in the bottom of his marlin lures and plugs them with weights to create a “keel weighted” lure that tracks virtually the same way no matter what the position or sea state. I’m just wondering who’s going to be the first one of you to break out the drill on your new lures?

Dave Ferrell
Orlando, Florida