Balloons 

                  (not just for birthdays anymore!)

    Balloons are used to get bait out behind your boat at a good distance while still keeping control over the baits movement. The balloon will hold the bait close to the surface or as deep as you want it by adding weights to the line. It sounds easy and it is, if it is done correctly. Tying the balloon to the line incorrectly will allow the fish the leverage needed to escape. When using balloons correctly they will "pop" of the line when a fish strikes, allowing you to fight the fish and recover the balloon later. When tying on a balloon, follow these simple steps.

    Tie the balloon just like you would any balloon. Then just before you pull the balloon off your fingers to finish the knot, insert the fishing line between your index and middle fingers. Then pull the balloon over the line and off of your fingers. This causes the line to be pinched in the knot. If done correctly there will be a loop of line on one side of the knot. Always pull the line out some so that the loop is as small as possible. If the loop is left large it can allow the tied end of the balloon to go through it. If that happens the line will not be able to "pop" free. If tied correctly the fish will pull the loop out of the knot and the balloon will "pop" free.

Always use biodegradable balloons!

Always try to recover "popped" balloons!

Water balloons work great and they're just about the size of a baseball. The drawback to them is they are hard to blow up. I use a hand pump for blowing up basketball and soccer balls etc. Makes life easier. Some colors are easier to see during different light conditions and always use Tennessee orange on game days.