Traditional O’shaughnessy

Variations on Trolled Ballyhoo

Enter time on the water and evolution. Those dual-hook trolling ballyhoos on single-strand wire leaders scored plenty of kingfish and Spanish and cero mackerels, along with some dolphin and the occasional wahoo, but the action was on par with a pencil: stick-straight and boring. Nonetheless, the rig remains popular for foiling short-strikers, or fish that sever a bait and then circle back for its remains.

There are numerous ways to rig ballyhoo for hooking specific game fish. Here’s a selection of fine-tuned hook and rigging configurations for trolling ballyhoo, each tailored to specific situations and particular species.

especially when it is limbered up by breaking the backbone, and is well-suited for fish that engulf the entire bait, such as tuna, billfish and dolphin. The long-shank hook also offers some chance of success with wahoo; but if this species is your primary target, opt for single-strand wire instead of mono or fluorocarbon leader.