(Originally published November/December 2012)
By Michael Yocco
Dead-bait trolling captains have been running lures in front of their ballyhoo for decades now. A naked ballyhoo has its time and place for white marlin, but a ballyhoo/ lure combo can be an effective bait for tuna and blue marlin as well as an excellent teaser
bait for white marlin. I like to call any lure specifically designed to run in front of a ballyhoo a “combo” lure, because its sole purpose is to be utilized in combination with the meat behind it. A lure can be an important compliment to any bait as it can add
weight, color, and it will dictate how and where the ballyhoo will swim. Whether it is Ilanders for yellowfin and blue marlin or Joe Schutes for bluefin we have seen examples of how effective these ballyhoo/ lure combos can be.
Historically, the most common type of lure has traditionally been the blue and white Ilander as it has been around for decades now, and for years was the only one of its kind. More recently though, new and improved lures are hitting the market specifically made for running with ballyhoo as seen with many Laceration Lures’ models.
Many years ago as a teenager, I experimented with literally hundreds of lure/ ballyhoo combinations. At the time, the Ilander was
the only ballyhoo combo lure of its kind on the market, so I had to hand make almost everything else I tried. I fished with many head shapes and sizes, but I found myself constantly coming back to the Ilander as it always seemed to out-produce. Why was such a simple lure so effective when run in front of a ballyhoo? Well, as they say,“The devil is in the details.” Aside from
