Yo yo questions after reading many posts

[CaptTom]

One thing I love about Amazon is the customer Q & A. I found this gem in the product listing posted near the top of this thread:

Question: possible to adjust the length of the line from 1ft up to 9ft or 12 ft?

Answer: Yes. Its easy to adjust. It works like pullind your blinds up and down.
By craig on October 7, 2014

There doesn't seem to be an external adjustment but it is possible to replace the line with a shorter or longer line.
By Dave on October 7, 2014

The travel of the line is determined by the travel of the spring and all that is needed is enough to set the hook and resist the pulling of the fish. You can add to the length of the line provided the weight of the added line does not exceed the power of the spring.
By William E. Smith on October 7, 2014

Maybe, if you do lengthen the string, you will have to re adjust the spring tension, but you are limited to how much. Like Bryan said add a longer leader. That is all I have.
By Bill Platteborze on October 7, 2014

There are no adjustments. But its probably 3 to 4 ft long. If u need it to be longer just add a leader line to desired length. Hope that helped
By Bryan Gentry on October 7, 2014

[wjsobers]

Thanks. I never read the Q&A. Just the reviews. Here is something from the Q&A.

[thinwater]

Yup, those are yo yos, not cuban yo yos. They are for catfishing from the riverbank.

What you need are 8" cuban yo yos. Order them bare and add ~ 200' of 80- to 100-pound line and the sinker and lure of local usefulness.

As for bungee cords to absorb the shock of a strike, that is legend and needless complication. The line will stretch 10-20% on a hard strike (20-40 feet) and a few feet of bungee will make no measurable difference. A trolling release clip is handy for indicating strikes.


Trolling with 5 yo-yos.


41 inches, 28 pounds.

[wjsobers]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQpaAE7hCmU

Check out the video around the 6.30 mark. If that little yo yo will hold that fish, why not similar size salt water fish?

[Red Sky]

The red line is the bungee cord, the white attaches the 200# test to the boat. 15' of S.S. leader to hide the mono, a clip and a 6"cedar plug. I've only had experience using it on passage from Hawaii to S.F., buy it worked like a charm. The only problem was not enough tortillas on-board, lol.

[seahag]

Sailors are silly when it comes to fishing. Get a rod and reel and go fishing for real. Yoyo haha what a joke

[Madwand]

Trolling a lure with a handline is no joke. You don't fish much, do you?

[Matt Johnson]

A yo yo is for when you're fishing for food. If you're doing it for sport, then use a pole.

The Mahi I posted before took less than two minutes to pull on deck.... how long would you spend playing around to reel in a fish like that with a pole?

Matt

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by seahag

Sailors are silly when it comes to fishing. Get a rod and reel and go fishing for real. Yoyo haha what a joke

I also carry a few light rods. But what sailor would want to store 2-5 heavy trolling rods (? I can store 6 yo-yos and all the rigging in a 2-gallon bucket.

I doubt I loose more than 1 hook-up in 10. Would I do better with a rod? No, having used both. I've never lost a fish during the fight, after the first few seconds. And depending on the boat, walking around with a 6' stick is not a lot of fun. Sailboats have backstays, sheets, booms, and shrouds. Yo-yos are tangle free.

The "food fisherman" have spoken. And I promise you, reeling in a 20- to 30-pound fish is always sport. In truth, I use small lures on purpose most days, cus' I don't want big fish to eat. I want small-medium--they taste better and it's less wasteful (no freezer).

BTW, I have an article on yo-yo fishing in the next issue of Good Old Boat. You'll get to see my pretty () face.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by thinwater

The "food fisherman" have spoken. And I promise you, reeling in a 20- to 30-pound fish is always sport.

We've never had much fight in a fish we've caught with the yo yo. I'm not sure if it's the shock from the hard set of the hook or not letting them "run", but they've all become pretty docile until they get next to the boat. Gaffing and getting them the final 3ft to deck has always been the hardest as they seem to wake up and start the fight for their life.


Matt

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

A yo yo is for when you're fishing for food. If you're doing it for sport, then use a pole.

The Mahi I posted before took less than two minutes to pull on deck.... how long would you spend playing around to reel in a fish like that with a pole?

Matt

True. Rods are for sport. Handlines, spears, nets, traps are what locals fishing for a living use.

Rods are only used by sport fishing gringos. 😆

[a64pilot]

Rods have their purpose, 6' Wahoo, I have no idea what he weighed, we ate him

[topmast]

In Mexico we make index finger sleeves from inner tube .Haul tuna in hand o'r hand.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by topmast

In Mexico we make index finger sleeves from inner tube .Haul tuna in hand o'r hand.

Finger condoms. Fishermen in Belize use them too...and haul in some serious fish.

[thinwater]

Just for clarification, you do NOT handle the line with you hands with a yo yo. You wind the line on the spool. If you are doing anything more than guiding with your off hand, you are doing it wrong. I've brought in 30-40 pounders with no gaf, and I have soft hands. I'm pulling in a 20-pound fish in this image; pull, and when you get some slack, roll your wrist, like this.