Land Big Fish, Rated the #1 Angling Website by Forbes Magazine
Store - Sebile Store - Gloomis
HomeOnline Tackle StoreOutdoor Business LocatorsFishing Library
Login / Register | Site Map | Contact | Live Help | Advertise
Get Our Newsletter 
Welcome Guest - Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008
Fishing Resources
Search LandBigFish
fishing tips
Research
Fishing Spots,  Fish ID,  Fishing Records,  NADA - Used Boat Values,  Fishing Knots,  Fishing Glossary,  Astro/Lunar Tables, 

Reading Room
Articles,  Quick Tips,  Ask A Pro,  Latest Tournament Trail News,  Books,  Magazines,  Fletcher Quill

The Reports
Fishing Reports,  Weather,  Water Levels,  Tide Reports,  Water Temps,  Generation Schedules

Resources and Tools
Trophy Room,  Tournaments,  Fish Recipes,  Member Profile,  Fishing Logs,  Classifieds,  Fly Swap,  Links,  Calculators,  DNR Links,  Member Messenger,  Trade/Boat Shows,  Fishing Chat Rooms,  Fishing Clubs

Fun Stuff
Trivia Challenge,  Cartoon Caption,  Wallpaper,  Jokes,  Webcams,  Send Postcard,  Watch Videos,  Artwork

Webmasters
Affiliate Program,  Get Site Award,  Free Newsfeed,  LBF Banners,  Advertise,  Banner Login

Other Departments
Tackle Store,  Outdoor Business Locators 
fishing tips
Go Local
Localized articles, reports, hot spots and outdoor businesses.
fishing tips
Fishing PollFishing Poll
When fishing crankbaits, what is your favorite color to have on the lure?
fishing tips
  Yellow/Chartreuse
  Red/Orange
  Blue/Purple
  Silver/Shad
fishing tips

Total Votes: 763
View and Vote on Archived Polls
XM WX - The Catch to Brag About
Bass Room
Saltwater Home | Baitfish Index

Email a friendPrint
Ballyhoo


Ballyhoo
Ballyhoo or balao, can you tell the difference? There are supposed to be three species in the Gulf of Mexico, but I'm not going to bore you with the differences. Some mistakenly call them needlefish, but you can easily tell these two apart: the ballyhoo has a shorter upper jaw and the tip of its lower jaw is orange-red. You can occasionally find them in our part of the Gulf in the summertime but they are not extremely abundant this far north (Tampa Bay). You can buy them frozen in most tackle stores and they are excellent bait for trolling. You can find them pre-rigged in most stores that carry them. There are several ways to rig them for trolling, but probably the easiest is a plastic attachment that you can buy called a "hoo nose". There may be other brands available so call or write if you have a better one (and send me a sample of it, please.) They are an excellent bait for all species of fish that we troll for in this area, and if handled and rigged properly can be trolled faster than a live bait. This trait allows you to cover a larger area and maximize your fishing time.

Tips for using Ballyhoo
I take a circle hook and take it threw the bottom jaw I have a small piece of wire on the eye of the hook (after hooking in jaw) wrap the wire around the long part of his lower jaw this keeps him snuggly on,you can troll this live or dead.

Send us your Ballyhoo tips


Helpful Books

cover Fishing With Live Bait

Buy this Book

cover Tackle Techniques Species Bait

Buy this Book

cover Lou Tabory's Guide to Saltwater Baits

Buy this Book

cover The Orvis Pocket Guide to Saltwater Baits

Buy this Book