My favorite technique for bream!

FREELINING: WHAT IT IS


Basic Principle:
I've been fortunate enough to fish saltwater EVERYDAY :D and I'm not the average fisherman.;) I almost exclusively "freeline" baits for mackerel, tuna, and shark. "Freelining" is put out a live bait with no weight or float of anysort. It allows for a very natural presentation, because the bait isnt struggling to swim down away from the bobber. Because of that, one little minnow can last for hours. Because there is no weight, the bobber isn't pulling the hook out of the suction of an opening mouth. Go on Youtube and search "feeding tarpon" you will see how when it opens up its mouth, it makes a vacuum to suck in a bait. Its the same principle with any bream or crappie. By the way, this is the ONLY way I fish crappie or bream.

Tackle:
Now that I have covered the basic principle of freelining, let me cover the tackle. The tackle is the most important part. I use a Shimano Sahara 500, on a BPS Microlite Glass rod. I have the reel spooled with 2#. The light line makes it easier to let the bait swim naturally through the water. It also makes it easier to keep track of the bait. The size hook I use a size 8 mustad longshank hook. I hook the bait through the lips and let 'er go!


Bait Care:

Here in South Florida, it's not uncommon to pay $100 for a dozen of these baits called "goggle eyes." Because of this, we keep the baits alive for up to 2 weeks! I have carried this over to using live minnows. First of all, it helps not to load up a gallon bucket with 4 dozen minnows. I take a 1'x1.5'x2' tote filled with water and 4 "bubble box" aerators and load it up with up to 6 dozen minnows. I do have a few tricks though. I try to handle the baits as least as possible. I also try to scoop up one at a time in a net. At night when I'm not using the "bait cage" as I call it, I put a bunch of ice cubes in the tote, to chill the water, and make the bait lethargic.

Presentation:

I don't troll when I'm freelining. I will troll around, with jigs, and traditional crappie tackle, when I find I'm in a school of fish, I make a mental note where I am and what depth it was. I will come back, or just stop at that spot. I have my ultralight spinner, rigged with a size 8 hook, and 2lb. I scoop one minnow out of "the cage" and put him on there as quick as possible. I will QUICKLY hold my rod up high and let out 6ft. of line, if the fish are marking at 6ft. I keep the bail open and hold the line with my finger. I watch the line curled up on top of the water, when it starts flying through the water close the bail and REEL!


This is just my favorite way to pursue 'ol papermouth. Give it a try! You get better at it with time.

-Kevin

You use minnows for bluegills, too?

Yes, I prefer the smallest ones I can get. They will hit them just as good, and you can catch multiple fish on one bait

I like to use the smallest minnows, when I'm in a bunch of bream. I also think that the shape of the minnow helps the bream swallow it. Sometimes, if they are hitting real hard, I cut the minnow in half and freeline that.

interesting.........thanks!

I also use this approach, but mostly on bream while using worms. This technique usually results in the catch of bigger fish. They know how live bait is suppose to act and if it isn't natural they leave it alone. Just like FREELINE said toss out the bait and just watch the line coils on the water, if you see it twitch or take off, set the hook.

There is a down fall to this technique, if you don't react to the pickup fairly quick, the fish will most likely swallow the bait.

i was taught this by an old timer and while i don't use it regularly anymore, i pull it out when the fish get fickle and it works. i use worms for the most part. i do it with minnows when the crappies are spawning and are real shallow and won't touch anything else.

I use this method for bream when the tent caterpillars are on the tupelo gum trees. Get a cricket cage and load up on tent caterpillars. You can usually get enough off one tupelo tree for the whole day. I will put 2 on the hook and sling it out there. They will usually float for a few seconds, and the bream will smoke em! If they start to sink, watch your line and set the hook as soon as the line twitches. This is the best bait around when the bream are keying in on them, and free too

I caught my 1st crappie freelining a minnow when I was about 9 or 10 yr old. aint done it much since then.

I agree with the worm theory. I have caught gills on minnows but not very often. They simply won't pass up a night crawler.

This time of year here, in the southern states they are starting to get active; my best technique is not live bait related...

6.6 ft or 7 ft ultralite rod
4lb easy cast mono
1.5 (white or chartreuse/silver flake) Berkley Johnson beetle grub
1 split shot 18 inches above

Just toss it toward bank, slowly retrieve and wait for that thump. I tend to pick up the bigger most aggressive gills with this technique. You will pick up a bass and crappie here and there with this technique.

I love to get those small live shiners that some tackle shops sell and freeline those on size 6 Owner Mosquito hooks for crappie and bass. I have never tried it with any kind of worms or anything for bream, but after reading this I will probably end up trying it before long.

By the way, the Mosquito hooks are perfect for freelining, but you will need some hemostats or something along those lines to unhook the fish since they have a really short shank.