05-26-2003, 11:59 AM
[cool]Hey, JR, you tryin' to teach my little jewels some bad habits?
Seriously, on some occasions, needlefish can be a pain. I find them a lot in the Sea of Cortez. They average about 36" down there, though, and can be almost 5 feet. They often roam near the surface, in big schools, off points or inside where currents or wind sweep baitfish by. They are aggressive and it is almost impossible to get a lure through them to whatever might be below them.
The problem is, they chew up lures without getting hooked in that hard beak, unless they take down inside their mouths. When I get tired of replacing shredded plastics, I tie on some specially made jigs or flies that I wrap with Velcro bodies. (Learned that trick from some gar fishermen). When a needle fish grabs it, the velcro tangles in the teeth...at least long enough for one of their characteristic high twisting leaps.
Most Velcro hookups still result in a "long line release", but at least you get a couple of exciting jumps. I ain't too keen on getting them close to my tube anyway. Those beaks also serve as spears...as some of the night fishermen in the south seas have learned when needle fish come leaping out of the water at their lighted up sails...meant to attract flying fish.
Here's a two-part pic I took of a needlefish, for those who have never seen one up close and personal.
![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage0278758.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage0278758.jpg)
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Seriously, on some occasions, needlefish can be a pain. I find them a lot in the Sea of Cortez. They average about 36" down there, though, and can be almost 5 feet. They often roam near the surface, in big schools, off points or inside where currents or wind sweep baitfish by. They are aggressive and it is almost impossible to get a lure through them to whatever might be below them.
The problem is, they chew up lures without getting hooked in that hard beak, unless they take down inside their mouths. When I get tired of replacing shredded plastics, I tie on some specially made jigs or flies that I wrap with Velcro bodies. (Learned that trick from some gar fishermen). When a needle fish grabs it, the velcro tangles in the teeth...at least long enough for one of their characteristic high twisting leaps.
Most Velcro hookups still result in a "long line release", but at least you get a couple of exciting jumps. I ain't too keen on getting them close to my tube anyway. Those beaks also serve as spears...as some of the night fishermen in the south seas have learned when needle fish come leaping out of the water at their lighted up sails...meant to attract flying fish.
Here's a two-part pic I took of a needlefish, for those who have never seen one up close and personal.
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