Saltwater Bait Pitch Rod

Saltwater Bait Pitch Rod

The Rod that earned it name from the offshore billfish anglers who pull spreads of Teasers and Dredge baits to get the marlin, sailfish, wahoo or dorado’s attention and keep boat speed up and use a Bait Pitch Rod with usually a live bait which can be a Ballyhoo, Mackerel, or Bonita and pitch the bait to the end of the teasers and let the bait fall and get a good take and hook set and fight the fish.. That in simple terms what the bait pitch rod termed after, the truth is that there are situation whenever you find fish feeding or attract a school that have a great rod that has the right tip action and strength to pitch bait to the fish.

Below is a excerpt from the Florida Sportsman’s that in our opinion says all that needs to be said.

“Pitch-baiting is primarily an offshore big-boat billfishing trick in which a couple of rigged outfits remain ready for deployment. Should a sailfish or a white or blue marlin rise behind a surface teaser or dredge, an angler grabs the appropriate outfit and pitches the bait back to the fish. If a fish is on a surface teaser, the angler's job is to position the bait so that it takes the place of the teaser - which is reeled up and away from the fish by the captain. The goal is to coax the fish off the teaser and onto the bait. If this is done correctly, the fish will take the live bait. Pitch-baiting is primarily an offshore big-boat billfishing trick in which a couple of rigged outfits remain ready for deployment. Should a sailfish or a white or blue marlin rise behind a surface teaser or dredge, an angler grabs the appropriate outfit and pitches the bait back to the fish. If a fish is on a surface teaser, the angler's job is to position the bait so that it takes the place of the teaser - which is reeled up and away from the fish by the captain. The goal is to coax the fish off the teaser and onto the bait. If this is done correctly, the fish heats up and are likely to feed aggressively. This aggressiveness, combined with the short distance between the rod and the fish, means minimal line stretch, and successful hookups are the norm.

When a fish rises behind a dredge, it's basically the same drill, though the dredge remains in place. Like my earlier example with the dolphin, successfully hooking a fish in this situation often requires a bait free-spooled back and down to just alongside or behind the dredge, where it appears as if the predator has injured it. Should the tactic appear natural, the charged-up fish will consume the bait. Some may question the merits of pitch-baiting. Won't a full spread of baits or lures already in place catch fish? A well-tuned trolling spread certainly will, yet pitch-baiting enables a crew to take advantage of a fish that rises onto teasers or behind dredges. And while Offshore Trolling 101 dictates positioning bait near any teaser or dredge, there are instances when game fish will ignore these offerings. Unless you have pitch bait ready to go, you could miss what might be your golden opportunity to catch that fish.  Too often this tactic is reserved for large sport-fishing vessels with cockpit space for extra rods and well-honed teams to play out the pitch-baiting game. But small-boat anglers can also incorporate pitch-baiting into their arsenal and run up their scores up and is likely to feed aggressively. This aggressiveness, combined with the short distance between the rod and the fish, means minimal line stretch, and successful hookups are the norm.

 When a fish rises behind a dredge, it's basically the same drill, though the dredge remains in place. Like my earlier example with the dolphin, successfully hooking a fish in this situation often requires a bait free-spooled back and down to just alongside or behind the dredge, where it appears as if the predator has injured it. Should the tactic appear natural, the charged-up fish will consume the bait, just as our big dolphin did.

Some may question the merits of pitch-baiting. Won't a full spread of baits or lures already in place catch fish? A well-tuned trolling spread certainly will, yet pitch-baiting with a good bait pitch rod enables a crew to take advantage of a fish that rises onto teasers or behind dredges. And while Offshore Trolling 101 dictates positioning bait near any teaser or dredge, there are instances when game fish will ignore these offerings. Unless you have a pitch bait rod and bait ready to go, you could miss what might be your golden opportunity to catch that fish.

Too often this tactic is reserved for large sport-fishing vessels with cockpit space for extra rods and well-honed teams to play out the pitch-baiting game. But small-boat anglers can also incorporate Bait pitch into their arsenal and run up their scores.”

 We think the 6’10” 25-50 lb. Bait Pitch Rod offered by Catcher Rods is one of the best value rods for what’s under the hood. The Catcher Bait Pitch Rod is a Heavy Spinning set up rod that will handle most any offshore condition and it is made with the best components Catcher can find from ALPS and is built to be durable and put the right amount tip into the pitch and pressure on the fish. Check out the Catcher Rods Bait Pitch on www.Wahootackleandfishing.com and these rods are handcrafted in the USA by Veterans.