7. Small Trolling Lures
When running and gunning for dolphin, keep at least two outfits rigged with small, blunt-headed trolling lures. The best color combinations are blue-and-white and green-and-orange. When you find birds working, pitch out the lures, throttle up to a fast trolling speed and head toward them. These lures mimic the size of flying fish, favorite dolphin forage, and withstand the rigors of faster trolling speeds better than natural baits.
When you reach your target or find another likely spot, such as a floating board or big weed patch, slow the boat to a reasonable trolling speed and make a few passes. If dolphin are around, they'll ambush these lures. Small lures fished this way have yielded many large dolphin for me. And of course, these lures are mainstays in catching school fish. I prefer to rig my lures with 6 feet of 110-pound-test fluorocarbon leader and a single 8/0 long-shank hook that's positioned with spacer beads to ride near the tail end of the lure skirt. I'll either crimp or tie a loop at the end of the leader and keep a half-dozen of these lures close at hand, if not already on an outfit or two.
