Thread: The Trouble With the Bubble

Whatever happened to David anyway? Still enjoy reading his One Hundred Best Saltwater Angler book! Used to look forward to his reports in the paper every week.

So, only googans use bubble rigs? Are there any other rigs I should stay away from to try to not get that label?

David's still around - fished with him Saturday. Wealth of knowledge!

Call me a Googan only way I can get a little jerk bait out as far as I want to.

I wear googan well plus touron,
but not from fishing a bubble rig (rarity for me) but will iffin that's what those tasty Spanish want that day
Was just Working on another thing(jig) to try I saw worked well on Okaloosa last fall some guy had , for this coming fall trip

Yeah, D. Mac is still around (try Facebook), but he doesn't write any more (that I know of).
He was charter captain for a while.
He had a short-lived magazine in the late 1970s (The ??? Sportsman)?

Anyway, here is an article that was in Great Days Outdoors magazine (March 2020) about Bubbles...

Spanish Mackerel Lures - Bubble Rig Fishingby David Thornton


Seriously, who thinks this stuff up?


A great thing about pier fishing is seeing the creativity and ingenuity of numerous shore-based anglers from all over the country at work.
They are constantly conspiring and contriving new or easier ways to catch bait and fish. Of all the pier fishing innovations experienced on
the gulf beach piers along the Emerald Coast, the Bubble Rig has got to be one of the most unlikely yet successful. Who would have thought
a float intended for fishing quiet trout streams coupled with a fast food plastic drinking straw would practically revolutionize jigging for
mackerel in saltwater. Seriously, who thinks this stuff up? Necessity being the 'mother of invention' and all, fishing for spanish mackerel is
a sport pursued by many thousands of gulf coast anglers through much of the year. Spanish are one of the most available and reliable
gamefish pier anglers seek on a regular (daily) basis. And they can be caught by a variety of methods, but none now more widely used.


How And Why It Works (splish/slash/sploosh)
To understand the success of this lure, one should appreciate WHY it works. Broad-striped anchovies, and other baitfish smaller than 4
inches long are the primary food items for spanish mackerel, along with a host of other intermediate sized predators across much of the
Gulf of Mexico. Anchovies spend most of their time filter feeding macroscopic zooplankton from warm Gulf waters. They form into large,
compact groups called “shoals for feeding, breeding and protection. Shoals are often so tightly packed together the water is discolored
by the sheer numbers of individuals. Hence their nickname of “red minnows” pertaining to the dark reddish-brown color of the shoal as
it undulates underwater. Predators like mackerel may 'drive' a shoal, usually by pressing them towards the surface from underneath.
Once on the surface, fish feeding on anchovies break the shoal into smaller and thinner groups until a few isolated individuals school up
and make 'a run for it'. These are easy prey for the fast swimming mackerel. And their slashing attacks along the surface make very
characteristic splash which sounds like “SPLOOSH”. This sound travels well underwater, and it attracts more fish to the feeding frenzy
until the school of hapless anchovies has been decimated and the last individual consumed or escapes the fray. Seabirds often get in
on the melee, diving or picking strays from the water. They are often a good indicator of fish feeding on anchovies or other small baitfish.


The reason the Bubble Rig is so effective as a lure, is how well it mimics the characteristic splashing sound of feeding intermediate sized
predatory fish. It essentially works as a 'fish call' to attract hungry or inquisitive fish toward the surface. Then the lure action entices
them into striking. The proper presentation of a Bubble Rig is to cast it far out, perpendicular to the pier. This is so angler's lines don't
cross each other. As soon as the rig lands on the water, flip the bail (manually) and begin a rhythmic retrieve. Many anglers jerk downward
on the rod to impart the action on the bubble that makes it “sploosh”, intermittently. But that much exertion can quickly tire an angler,
especially an old one like me. I find it much easier to use the rapid rotation of the reel handle (in a series of single turns with a pause in between)
to make the bubble splash. The length of the pause between cranks of the reel handle allows the lure to fall after the splash, giving more
time for fish to strike what looks like a wounded baitfish. Using braided line as the main helps too, as it eliminates any stretch, casts farther
and the thinner diameter allows for more line capacity and less drag against wind and current.


So why isn't the Bubble Rig used all the time? Mainly because spanish mackerel are migratory and likely not even be present in our waters
during the cooler months. For the most part, spanish mackerel show up in mid to late March and are available until November before they
move to the south. But this lure really doesn't become effective in the spring until the water temperature has risen high enough (near 70)
to allow the anchovies schools to feed higher in the water column. In the early spring, when the water is still cool, spanish mackerel tend
to stay deeper. Perhaps they are pursuing squid more at that time, or because the baitfish are not on the surface yet. Anyway, this makes
fast sinking lures like jigs and Gotcha plugs much more effective during this time. Not that some spanish can't be caught on Bubble Rigs
early in the season, but it just becomes more effective by late spring. Through the summer and into the fall, the Bubble Rig is easily THE
most efficient lure to target spanish mackerel.
And it is not just spanish mackerel that fall to the “Bubblers”. Bluefish, ladyfish (“skipjack”), blue runner (“hardtails”) and a host of other
mid-sized predatory fish (mostly jack species collectively called “yellowtails”) are typical bycatch using this rig. At times small king mackerel,
Little tunny (“bonita”), and even Blackfin tuna have been hooked and caught on these rigs too!


Buy Or Make Your Own?
The original “Bubble Rigs” appeared in the 1970s. They were homemade and quite rudimentary. It was simply a 4-inch-long weighted
styrofoam popping float with a three-foot-long piece of clear heavy monofilament line (30# to 50#) tied to a white crappie fly. Of course,
the super sharp teeth of mackerel and bluefish made short work of the light thread used to wrap the jig and even the mono leader.
And fish would occasionally even attack the float itself, damaging it or cutting it off. But it was relatively cheap and effective enough,
so more anglers became interested in using the rig and improving it.
Next came the “Straw Rig” modification which used a 3-inch-long piece of McDonalds plastic drink straw over a #2 treble hook as a lure.
These are still available in tackle shops and even some 'big box' stores carry them. Though they worked quite well and were very cheap
too, they weren't very durable either. So, the search was on for something that held up better as the lure.
The next great innovation in the evolution of Bubble Rigs was the widespread use of the clear 2 ½ inch butyrate plastic “Tough Bubbles”.
The hollow plastic bubble has a central tapered peg which can be pushed up allowing for water to be introduced and retained within the
bubble. By filling the bubble about ¾ full of water it becomes a positively buoyant casting weight which can get the rig out long distances,
even into the wind. They don't fare well when 'smacked' onto a hard wood or concrete surface though. A cracked plastic bubble will not
hold water and is useless. So savvy pier anglers like George 'Haywire' Carlton started putting a ring of “Shoe Goo” along the seam of the
bubble to cushion it from or repair such damage. Another great example of pier fisherman ingenuity!
The best find of all though may be small diameter surgical rubber tubing, typically used as eyeglass retaining tubes. Tough, durable and
available in a variety of bright colors the tubing makes an excellent material for making lures for Bubble Rigs. Sometimes the color makes
a lot of difference to the fish, but usually most any highly visible color that contrasts in the water attracts fish. Still, anglers may insist a
particular color gets more strikes on a given day. You can be the judge of that. The most popular colors are fluorescent orange, fluorescent
green, chartreuse and red in that order.
Tweaking The Bubble Rig...
Combining the clear plastic bubble with the brightly colored durable tube lure has revolutionized the sport of spanish mackerel fishing from
piers and even beaches. Once the lure on the rig became more durable, nicks and cuts on the monofilament leader became more of a factor
to those anglers. A popular improvement is to add a 4 inch long piece of 27# single strand wire above the treble hook so it just does extend
beyond the top of the 3 inch long piece of tube, and attach it to a medium swivel or just make a haywire twist to tie the heavy mono leader to.
This adds protection from the razor-sharp teeth of spanish mackerel and bluefish and great increases the longevity of the rig.
There are other helpful modifications to help your Bubble Rig be even more effective. When gamefish attack their prey, they 'key off' on the
eyes of that prey item to gauge their approach. You can easily add 'eyes' to the tube simply with a black 'Sharpie' or other indelible marker.
Another modification is to add 2 or 3 BBs or small lead shots inside the plastic bubble. This helps the rig give off high pitched 'clicks' or rattles
under water that seem to entice even more fish to investigate the lure.
Most recently, we have seen that replacing the tube lure with a small silver Clark spoon or better yet, a 3” long shallow diving plug will on
average catch larger spanish mackerel. A real value in late summer when undersized or “keychain” spanish mackerel abound. Yet, filling the
personal limit of 15 spanish mackerel is often no problem using some variant of the Bubble Rig.

It was a little too long to post all at once. Here is the final paragraph (also there were several pictures in the article not included here)...

One thing for sure, the Bubble Rig is here to stay as a part of the repertoire for coastal pier anglers targeting spanish mackerel or other
medium sized gamefish. Even children, 'beginners' and ‘newbies’ to pier fishing can appreciate the success of this simple contraption.
And it's not just for pier fishing. The Bubble Rig can be just about as effective while surf casting and wade fishing when targeting 'hard to reach'
spanish mackerel, bluefish or other schooling fish from shore. It casts so much farther than any small lure alone will, and it can 'call up'
otherwise lethargic or 'non-feeding' fish even from deeper waters in the trough between the beach and longshore sandbar. If your tackle
box or bag doesn't contain a Bubble Rig or two, you are likely missing out some easiest spanish mackerel catching there is!

Ihad forgotten about the 'broom handle' version JohnG mentioned.
Thatwould be a colorful footnote to add ;-)

wow........

I usually only want a few fresh Spanish, so I'm not concerned about getting every possible bite, but a piece of tubing and a hook is a lot cheaper to lose than a swim bait. I'm still traumatized by watching a shark swim around with my big brand new pink Rapala hanging from the corner of his mouth for a few hours a couple of years ago.