Trolling for Sailfish
Kite fishing for sailfish is no doubt extremely popular south of Stuart Florida, but trolling small and dink ballyhoo on circle hooks with a spread consisting of two artificial or natural dredges accompanied by squid chains with chasebaits is the way of the land for most anglers north of Stuart. The bite itself may not be as exhilarating as dangling live baits off of the kite, but making a dead ballyhoo swim as if it was live enough to entice a sail on the troll is just as rewarding.
When getting set up for dredge fishing for sailfish, your rods and reels may not be all that much different from your kite fishing setups. When looking for dink rod trolling reels, you will still want to prioritize line capacity for 20lb mono, lightning fast gear ratios, gradual drag system designed for a conservative drag curve, and an extremely smooth free spool required for dropping back ballyhoo to a sail. A few of the best sailfish trolling reels include the Shimano Talica 20BFC, Penn International 16VIS two speed, Avet LX with sailfish cams, and the Accurate Boss Valiant BVL-600. All provide enough line capacity when using 20lb mono, a smooth enough drag to consistently get a quality hookset in the corner of the mouth, and a fast enough gear ratio to keep slack out of your line after hooking up on a sail going ballistic in your spread. All are best spooled with 20lb hi vis yellow monofilament, so your crew can easily spot where your flat and long rigger baits are at all times, eliminating tangles and making sure the spread looks as natural as possible.
The best sailfish trolling rods are usually going to run between 6'6" and 7' with a light tip section geared towards dead bait circle hook fishing, all open guides, and a slick butt with either an aluminum or graphite reel seat. The TackleDirect Platinum Hook TDPS661630SIN is a fantastic option for targeting sails on the troll, given its light tip, forgiving action, and all around lightness. Shimano's TLC66MHSBBLA Tallus Ring Guide Standup Rod is also a great option, boasting its 15-30lb mono rating and forgiving tip section in a super light weight package.
When setting up your sailfish setup, best to tie a Bimini Twist or Aussie Plait to form a double line on your mainline. From here you will want to use 20' of Seaguar or Yo Zuri 40-60lb Fluorocarbon, or simililar test monofilament leader material as the header, which is best tied to the double line via an Albright Knot. A 75lb Momoi Tournament Snap Swivel is then tied on to the end of your header, allowing you to quickly swap out short 6' leaders after each fish without rerigging out on the water constantly. Here is where you will attach your leader, which is usually comprised of a 6' section of 40-60lb fluorocarbon leader with a loop on one end via a crimp or a perfection loop and a 5/0-7/0 inline circle hook on the other. Eagle Claw's L2004ELF, Mustad 39938NP-BN, VMC Tournament Circle, and the Owner 5379 SSW are great options with wide gaps and a light wire gauge that will translate to better swimming dink baits and more hookups in the corner of the mouth.
Dredges play a crucial role in bringing sailfish into your spread, as they resemble a school of bait. There are several ways to add this dimension to your spread, whether via 2 electric reels like the Lindgren Pitman S-1200 and S-2400 reels ran off of your outriggers via an a-frame, or by using downriggers on a smaller center console. While natural dredges are ideal, they require a large investment in both time and money. Squid dredges from Squidnation are often extremely effective and do not require near the amount of effort as their natural dredge counterparts. Dredge weights like the Fathom Offshore Coated Fish Weights ranging from 4-8lbs are usually used in order to keep the dredges under the water, which not only allows for an ideal presentation but also prevents them from getting tangled while spinning on the surface. 400lb clear monofilament line is often used on the dredge reels.
Teasers are also crucial to add more of a presence of a school of baitfish, where squid chains with chase baits off of both your port and starboard teaser reels just past your dredges. Usually best to use 2 different colors of squidchains, with pink, green, and blue being the most popular. Green and pink are usually best since they are easier to see, making it easier to see when a sail is about to pile on the teaser and you are able to get a bait in front of him ahead of time.
After getting your dredges and chains situated in your spread, it is usually best to run two longs outside and further back from your teasers on each side and then two flat lines that can be used to drop back to your dredges in the event that a sail comes up on it. After your initial hookup, bring the inside dredge in tight, drop the opposite dredge, and turn the boat towards the side of the hooked fish to try and score multiple hookups.