how do you rig a balloon to fish live bait

[nofish]

How do you attach the balloon to your line? Do you tie a knot with your line around the balloon knot?

[BOB]

Make loop in right hand. Make loop in left hand. Push left loop through right. Place ballon tied end through left loop pull tight. Single hook through back behind dorsal fin for topwater. In mouth out nostril for casting. Through both nostrils for trolling.

[nofish]

Make loop in right hand. Make loop in left hand. Push left loop through right. Place ballon tied end through left loop pull tight. Single hook through back behind dorsal fin for topwater. In mouth out nostril for casting. Through both nostrils for trolling.

Would a simple overhand knot be ok

[tkwalker]

Would a simple overhand knot be ok

Uneven pressure points on the knot (mono) .... Ya'll snap it even with 40 pound plus line if you get a large Rock on ..<'TK><

[Travis C.]

http://www.netknots.com/files/5513/5734/0198/indicator_knot2.jpg (http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/indicator-knot-the-open-loop-method)


Be sure that when you pull it down that where the loop is in step #3 is above the knot on the balloon. Tighten down and it won't go anywhere. If you wanted to adjust depth simply pull the balloon's material out a little where it tightens down to loosen the loop again. You can't slide the loop on the line so you have to do steps 1-3 again in the new location.

[agelesssone]

Great illustration

[nofish]

Got it! Thanks everyone!

[Alphahawk]

Uneven pressure points on the knot (mono) .... Ya'll snap it even with 40 pound plus line if you get a large Rock on ..<'TK><

I thought you might chime in on this topic...was wondering when I read the post if you ever used balloons when you were fishing-guiding.

Regards

[tkwalker]

I thought you might chime in on this topic...was wondering when I read the post if you ever used balloons when you were fishing-guiding.

Regards

Randy, I found that balloons were not a suitable set up for a river environment ... Okay for open water such as a lake ... but you can't control them like you can Planer boards ...

Early on I hooked up with Bruce Deshano and his son who owns Off Shore Tackle ... We spent about a week at my cabin and daily fishing trips to develop The SST (Striper,Salmon, and Trout) planer in it's Prototype days ...

These boards had a thicker Bow which made them harder to break against rocks and wood, no flag, had to rebalance the complete board... Remember the original planer bd was designed for open water for walleye. So the SST was a step in another direction for them .

Planer bds in the river lets you fish the strike areas near the banks and structure (I.E. wing walls, fell timber etc) while your boat is 20 yds in the channel... I have run as many as six planners in back bays/coves and lakes ... With a free swimmer straight off the back.

Boards also help you navigate around Bouy anchor cables .. Bad news bears !! ... Hope this helps .. <'TK>< :)