How To Get The Most Out of Your Outriggers

By TACO Pro Team Captain Orlando Muniz, Nomad Fishing Charters

Florida is definitely one of the top fishing destinations in the world. Not only in quantity and quality of catches, but also in the number of targeted species. Offshore, possibilities include sailfish, marlin, mahi, wahoo and kingfish, to name a few. One of the most popular and effective fishing methods is trolling, both with lures and/or rigged baits. Outriggers aid in separating lines and keeping baits skipping on the surface. Although this style of fishing has its place, it isn’t always the best route.   

Captain Orlando Muniz of Nomad Fishing Charters.

Down in South Florida where I do most of my fishing, live bait kite fishing is the way to go during the winter and spring. No other system is more productive when game fish are cruising the surface looking for their next meal. Most captains opt to fish two kites that are tweaked to fly “left”or“right”. 

Captain Orlando kite fishing with his TACO Grand Slam 280 Outrigger Mounts and 15' Aluminum Tele-Outriggers. Photo courtesy Captain Orlando Muniz

On occasion when winds are a bit heavy, the kites have a tendency to want to come together. One way to remedy this situation is to run the kite line through a stainless-steel ring and clipping it the outrigger halyard. The kite line is the raised to the end of the rigger, creating extra separation. Using this system also makes it easier to maneuver the boat when hooked up.  

Captain Orlando's method for keeping kites separated is to run the kite line through a stainless-steel ring and clipping it the outrigger halyard. Photo courtesy Captain Orlando Muniz

Another benefit to using the riggers for kite fishing is in deployment. On larger sport fishing boats, the fly bridge and salon create turbulence, making it almost impossible to get a kite in the air. Experienced crews use the riggers to get the kite out away from the boat and into some “clean air.” Once the kite is out to a safe distance, the line can be retrieved so that the fishing lines can be attached.  

Occasionally, you will be faced with little or no wind. On these days, you could opt to put away the kites and just run your live baits out of the riggers. Live baits are fragile, so you will have to slow down or risk loosing your bait. The correct speed can be accomplished by bumping the boat in and out of gear. Baits should appear to be swimming naturally and unobstructed. Rigger clips should be set fairly light, depending on the size of the bait, and reels should be in the open position in order to allow proper drop back. The outriggers will separate the baits and allow for an extra bait or two to be fished down the middle. 

As you can see, outriggers have multiple uses. Make sure you know how to get the most out of your riggers so that you can take your game to the next level. Well, that is it for now. Be sure to check this blog regularly for more tips and techniques. 

Miami-based Captain Orlando Muniz of Nomad Fishing Charters uses TACO Grand Slam 280 Outrigger Mounts and 15’ Aluminum Tele-Outriggers to fish the waters from Miami to the Florida Keys. For more than 25 years, Captain Orlando has been a fulltime fishing guide. With a Bachelor’s degree in Education, Captain Orlando is a regular writer for multiple fishing and boating publications. More recently, Captain Orlando has appeared in several FISH TACO TV productions alongside Captain Mark Henderson to showcase TACO’s line of Poly Products for fishing and boating.