A Judas fish is a fish that, once hooked, is kept in the water close to the
boat. The fish's presence will cause other fish to come to the boat thinking
that there is a food source near. This technique works extremely well with
Dorado. Dorado can be tough to locate without the presence of Sargasso grass.
The usual method in these circumstances is to troll with conventional gear until
a fish is hooked and then that fish is handed over to the guide who reels it in
and keeps it close to the boat while the fly fishers cast to the crowd that
shows up looking for an easy meal.
A really successful trolling lure that has proven itself for many years, is inexpensive to make up and extremely reliable as a fish catcher is a, "hoochie."
Here’s a description of a proven “hoochie”
pattern. This pattern has hooked (but not landed) blue marlin (maybe it has
landed a blue marlin but not the one I hooked!) and hooked and landed the
following: Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Skipjack, Bonito, Yellow fin,
Yellowtail, Roosters, Sierra, lady fish, triggers, giant needlefish, and almost
NEVER gets refused by anything near the top. Through experience I’ve found
that the colors are VERY important and the colors mentioned in the pattern seem
to work much better than anything else I’ve tried in the Sea of Cortez.
 | brass swivel |
| 40 inches of 40 pound test mono |
| two ¼ ounce egg sinkers |
| one 4 ½ inch green and silver plastic salmon squid (Cabela's #109) |
| one 4 ½ inch pink plastic salmon squid (Cabela's #027) |
| one ring eye 5/0 steel hook. |
1. Tie the 40 inch length of mono to the
ring eye hook using an improved clinch knot or other knot of your choice.
2. Slide on a ¼ ounce egg sinker.
3. Slide on the pink salmon squid.
4. Slide on a ¼ ounce sinker.
5. Slide on a green and silver salmon squid.
6. Tie the swivel to the loose end of the mono using a double surgeon's loop or
other knot of your choice.
The two colors of squid are available through Cabela’s. They’re item number
is Item:IG-113669. The sliver and green bodies are #109 and the pink bodies are
#027.
I have no problem leaving the harbor without live bait but will NEVER leave the
docks without some hoochies. Some days when there’s plenty of weed all you
need is a fly rod but it seems that the weed is scarcer these years. Instead
we’re forced to scout and to use Judas fish. A hoochie is all you need for
either.
Hope this helps the novice Dorado fisherman.
Has this article helped you
prepare for Baja? Please let me know!
Jerry at DeltaStripers.Com