Tag lines and tag line returns by Kim Bain
In the final instalment of our in-depth outrigger series, I will look at tag lines; the lines that are run from outriggers when trolling lures.
Mention the term 'tag' to an angler and most will probably think of tagging fish for research. In the context of outriggers and lure trolling, tag lines are lengths of venetian blind type cord that connect to the outriggers and reduce the angle of the main fishing line up through the outrigger and therefore the drop back to the lure is also reduced.
Those that advocate tag lines believe in reducing the amount of slack line just after the strike in order to get a better hook up ratio, this is especially so when trolling large hard-headed lures.
The tag line set up allows the fish to come tight to the reel's drag at almost the same instant that the fish eats the trolled lure. The caveat here is that there are a small number of anglers who use soft headed trolling lures who like a bit of slack line just after the strike so the fish can turn its head and be facing away from the boat when the line comes tight and the hooks are pulled into the corner of the big fish's jaw.
In the three previous parts of QFM's in-depth look into outriggers we discussed clips as the most common connection to the fishing line. However instead of a clip, tag lines normally use a rubber band attachment. At one end a tag line is connected to the outrigger halyard, and the lure end of the tag line is attached to the main line via a rubber band (or sometimes a clip).
Tag line set ups (one each side of the boat) normally incorporate a self-retrieve tag line return system. A tag line return is a stainless-steel weight (it looks like a big shiny sinker with a big hole through the centre). Both the tag line and the outrigger halyard run inside the return weight. When there is no pressure on the tag line the weight slides down over both the tag line and the halyard and the return weight rests at the bottom of the rigger halyard at a point where the rubber band end of the tag line is within easy reach of the crew.
