# Tarpon fishing with balloons



## texasredzz (Jun 9, 2016)

Seen a guy in cedar bayou fishing for tarpon with a balloon. Almost looked like it was some sort of bobber. Anybody ever seen this technique before? Whats the purpose of the balloon? Sorry if this is a dumb question, just never seen a balloon that wasn't in the air!

Thanks, 

J


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## eastmaty (Jan 9, 2013)

Balloon fishing is very common in shark and tuna fishing. 


google 

Balloon fishing is great for controlling the depth of your live or dead bait
You can get a bait with a balloon out really far compared to a bobber (some anglers use balloons to move their bait hundreds of yards of the beach or jetties)
It can create a better hook set due to the balloon having so much more surface area (thus creates more resistance when pulled down) than a cork or a traditional bobber.
In windy fishing scenarios, or when you are trying to drift a live bait in a current, the balloonâ€™s large surface area moves across the water faster than a bobber, creating a lifelike movement of the bait fish.
Bright colored balloons stand out and give you better visibility than a traditional bobber.
Ideal when fishing rocky bottoms or areas where you need your bait at a perfect depth to avoid getting snagged on the bottom
When using balloons from a boat with a slight wind, you can angle the balloon to take the bait away from the boat much quicker than you could a bobber
Using a balloon for fishing is also ideal at night time as it is easy to stick a glow stick in or on a balloon to make it shine from really far away (also they make glow in the dark balloons).
Compared to kite fishing, balloons are much cheaper and require a whole lot less equipment and attention


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## doublehaul60 (May 14, 2017)

*Balloons*

Caught my first tarpon with live bait under a balloon in Belize.
Fished a cut in the reef on an outgoing tide.
Balloon carried the bait into the cut.
Doesn't take long for the balloon to burst when a tarpon hits the bait.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

That is how large stripers are caught here in TN.

You can see the balloon in the background of this picture.
rich


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