Unique Bait Placement Technique

Some years ago I discovered a very unique method for precise placement of very large flathead baits. The technique works equally well with other baits, and is really quite enjoyable.

The problem was, I was fishing with live sheephead that weighed over one pound. Oddly, none of my flathead rods are rated for 16oz. baits. I do have some very heavy rods I use, and I could kind of "toss" the poor baitfish out there; but my bait placement was quite inaccurate.

Then one day I was float fishing for flatheads, having a large sheephead suspended below an inflated balloon. In this method, I would typically position the boat directly upstream of the location I desired to fish, and simply float the bait into position. This technique can be quite productive, but it often takes several attempts to get the depth set correctly. On this particular day, I was fishing the upper branches of a large dead tree that had long ago fallen into the water. As I navigated the balloon into the branches, it hit a sharp stick and popped. I typically use a fairly large weight in this situation (something like 2-3 oz) so of course the whole rig sank immediately to the bottom. I figured it was in good position anyway, so I set my baitclicker and put down the rod to begin blowing up another balloon.

Within a couple of minutes, a flathead picked up that bait and was subsequently boated and released. As I reflected upon my good fortune of having accidentally gotten my bait on the bottom, in almost perfect placement, I began to wonder if there was a way to do this intentionally. Not every spot I fish has such a convenient balloon popper built in, you see. Then I hit upon it. My son has a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun; the kind with the single-cock lever action that holds like a hundred BB's in the tube outside the barrel. Using such a weapon, I could precisely control where the balloon is popped.

My next trip flathead fishing saw me toting this airgun along with an ample supply of balloons. The technique is basically to rig up as if you were simply going to cast into the location, and then attach an inflated balloon. Float the bait into the exact position you want to fish and then shoot the balloon with the BB gun. The balloon pops, the bait drops, and you are in the strike zone.

A few tips for using this technique:

1. Make sure your balloon is firmly inflated, an underinflated balloon is much harder to pop. I typically use water balloons.
2. If you're using a slip sinker, attach the balloon directly to the sinker using a rubber band. That way there will be no balloon residue on the line to interfere with slip sinker operation.
3. Be sure you comply with all local laws and regulations regarding the use of an air gun. In some places, even these innocuous little guns need to be cased during transport.
4. Have fun, my son loves to use this technique for obvious reasons.