Attaching Balloon to Line When Trolling

[know1]

I'm sure this might be one of the dumbest questions ever asked, but how do you guys attach a balloon to line when trolling.

More specifically, what do you do with it when you're reeling it in and the balloon gets to the first rod eye?

I'm guessing that it's best to use a rubber band???

[elnutsmalljaws]

I will try to explain how I did it the best I can which still may not get the idea across. I will blow up the balloon first and hold it in my right hand between my fingers, BEFORE KNOTTING THE BALLOON OFF. Then measure out the desired distance I want my bait to run behind my balloon and hold that spot on my line in my left hand. Make a loop in the line with about a foot or so of the line. Tie the balloon off AROUND the loop. The tension on the line between the balloon knot will hold while you troll then when a fish hits it the tight line will pull the loop out of the balloon knot and you fight the fish. The balloon will release and float around and you will have to go and retrieve it after landing the fish as to not litter. Probably not the best way but this is how I did it. Probably not explained the best but hope it helps

[know1]

Elwood,
That description makes sense to me, but that has to be a pain to change out if you are changing bait relatively frequently.

By the way, we used the stuff last week. It worked real well except we never had a hit.

Michael

[PRO V LE]

Baloons are kind of old school now days but still work. If you are around lake Cumberland almost all tackle stores will have the "EZ Floats" they come in two sizes, they have a spring loaded rubber release on one end and a snap on the other that allows it to slide on the line when a fish pulls the release free. Not much money either.

[striperjoe]

Balloons are one of my favorites in the Spring and early Summer. I don't run more than 15 20ft of line behind the balloon. Its a blast when they rip that line and pop that ballon on a light weight rod.
Rebaiting- you can pull line in by hand and rebait and set the same rig back out.
The above procedure for tying the balloon on what right on.

Striperjoe

[elnutsmalljaws]

I am glad the rods, reels, rod holders, planer boards and other stuff worked out for you. I sure hope you feel like you got more than your moneys worth of stuff. I have 2 floating lights ( that have never been out of the box) and a cast net if you ever want to catch your own bait. I had better luck with Shad caught from the lake versus the shiners that I would buy in the store. A little more work but worth it. I would catch my bait around the marinas at night under the lights. I bought the lights to set up on points and pockets to draw in the bait to try and catch stripers or walleyes but never got to use them. You could also set up the lights to catch your bait as well.

[apb]

I would recommend the floats that ProVle mentioned. If you really want to use a balloon, pick up an off-shore planer release clip. Attach a split ring to the one end (opposite the jaws). Add a snap to the split ring and attach a twist tie (like you get in packs of garbage bags and bread loafs) to the split ring. Snap goes over the line so that the rig can move up and down the line. Use the twist tie to secure the balloon. Let out the amount of line that you want, use the snap to attach the rig to the line, then the planer release is clipped to the line/balloon. Fish hits, the release lets the balloon loose from the line, but the twist tie keeps the balloon with the rig. The snap will stop at the swivel you use on the line. You can reuse the balloon this way and not have to worry about chasing balloons all over the lake after you hook up.

Andrew

[Duayne]

I've done the same thing only using some short fishing line between the clip and the snap swivel. Just tie the ballon to the fishing line between the clip and swivel.

[KyDr.B]

go alice.....go alice.....go alice...be gone.

Thank you Bob for my Sunday morning belly laugh.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Elwood,
That description makes sense to me, but that has to be a pain to change out if you are changing bait relatively frequently.

By the way, we used the stuff last week. It worked real well except we never had a hit.

Michael

I never thought about using the clips for the balloons so they would slide up the line after the fish was hooked. Great idea and you already have the clips for it was in the extra stuff that I gave you with the balloons, sinkers, beads, hooks, line counter and stuff. You could attach a snap ring to the line to one end of the clip then "clip" the other end to the balloon knot. When the clip is pulled against the fish it will release and then the snap ring will slide the balloon on the line all the way to the tip as you fight the fish.

[know1]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I ended up getting a couple of those EZ Floats and they work great. They cost about $3 each.

Now I just have to actually catch a striper. Took my second trip yesterday and finally caught a fish - 6-7lb. catfish. We were in an area with striper though. Saw many individual jumps or swirls and other striper boats in the area.

[nonamesleft47]

Funny story about balloon fishing. A buddy and I were drift fishing at Guist creek around the dam. There were hybrids marking close to the bottom and every once in a while one would grab a shiner on a down line but I had a feeling they wanted the bait away from the boat. I took out some balloons and we put them out at different depths and let the wind blow them over the school of fish. We caught a couple and then the game warden flys up, knocks into my boat and asks to see our ID and lisense. He's got his ticket book out and flipped open. I ask him what's going on and he ignores me for a second. Again I ask and he says "You can't jug fish here and you're both getting tickets." I get one of the rods out of the holder and reel the bait back in. He got a strange look on his face and handed us back our ID and said "I've never seen anybody use balloons for a bobber." Apparently he didn't get to Cumberland much.

I use balloons all the time, they are great for night fishing for flatheads, you can put a small glow stick in the balloon and float it into a snaggy area where a bait on the bottom would hang up.