When to Replace Ballyhoo

Offshore anglers who troll ballyhoo know that having a properly swimming bait is critical to success. And ballyhoo tend to “wash out” and get beat up after a few hours, regardless of whether they get hit or not. So, when’s the right time to swap that ballyhoo out?

The ballyhoo in this picture is a great example. It took a very light hit from a small mahi and wasn’t trashed, but its belly ripped open  and the fish left a few tooth marks behind. Should it be sent right back over the side, or tossed into the bin? The answer is simple: is it still swimming right? If so, no fish in its right mind will pass up on lunch because of a few tooth marks, if it can even register them before hitting. We put this one back over the side and held it next to the boat, saw it was swimming great, re-deployed it, and a half an hour later caught a 40-pound yellowfin on it.

A word of caution, however: any damaged bait like this is likely to disintegrate faster than a fresh bait. If you can’t constantly watch it from a tower or place it in a spot that’s easy to monitor like a flat-line, the safer move is to replace it.

What if the bait spins, wobbles, or drags? Then eliminate it immediately.

As far as color washing out goes, some anglers like to swap them out immediately. Others leave washed-out baits alone as long as they’re swimming fine, and don’t worry for a second about it – have you ever noticed how effective a bone-white lure can be? Ummm… yeah. Again, the critical factor is that the bait is swimming in a natural-looking fashion.