The Directional Bird Bar introduces a unique element to tuna trolling with its swimming plate located on the underside of the bird. This ingenious addition is engineered to direct the swimming action away from the boat, eliminating the need for outriggers to spread the bird bars in the wake. The Directional Bird Bar autonomously swims, creating a more natural and dispersed trolling pattern that effectively mimics a school of baitfish. This self-steering capability not only simplifies setup but also enhances the lure's effectiveness by offering a more lifelike presentation. Ideal for anglers seeking to streamline their gear without compromising on the spread's expansiveness or the lure's attractant capabilities, the Directional Bird Bar is a game-changer in offshore trolling technology.

The 40” Flexi Bird Bar redefines the concept of simulating a large bait ball with its wider frame and smaller 6” squids, perfect for mimicking dense
groups of small baitfish. Its innovative design incorporates a lightweight, spring stainless steel bar that introduces flexibility and occasional pulses.
These spontaneous movements create a lifelike action that can provoke reaction strikes from trailing tuna. Despite its impressive size, the Flexi Bird Bar remains lightweight, allowing it to be utilized with 20 class fishing outfits without compromising the ability to land sizable catches. This unique
combination of size, flexibility, and lightweight design makes it an effective tool for anglers targeting tuna, offering a blend of practicality and efficiency in a larger spreader bar format.

The Harness jigs have become my ALL TIME favorite flat line clip lure and have permanently replaced cedar plugs on my boat. I fish harness jigs on each flat line clip, about 10 feet in front of each of my closest spreader bars. They swim in and out of the wake and have the appearance of a confused, lone baitfish. They can be dropped down and jigged while fighting a fish. This has resulted in dozens of hook ups on my boat over the years and why I like the lightness of my rod and reel combo so much. It’s easy enough to switch gears and jig. They swim well near a spreader bar without getting tangled. I like how they swim close and further away. They are the ultimate sand eel hedge. If tuna are
keyed in on sand eels, sometimes they prefer the Harness Jigs over small, olive-colored squids that likely brought the fish to the wake.

The Hogy Hybrid Inshore/Offshore Rod System encompass a unique category in fishing gear, blending the ruggedness required for heavy-duty inshore angling with the finesse and agility needed for light-duty offshore fishing. The Hogy Hybrid rod platform is a testament to  our “fish simple” mindset, allowing anglers to effectively manage a wide spectrum of fishing scenarios with a single rod.

Deployment and Distance: Begin deploying directional bird bars first. Port and starboard birds should be placed the furthest back in the spread (150' - 200'+). (Further distance back will increase outward tracking on directional bars). Once directional birds are deployed, center line "straight" birds can be sent back (75' - 100') a shorter distance to create a "W" shaped spread.

WITH Outriggers: For me, trolling with outriggers is ideal as they allow me to fish a couple more rods and with larger spreader bars, namely the Hogy Flexibars that I designed for this spread specifically to pulse and dance just on the edge of the wake on light trolling rods. I just LOVE a bunch of big, lightweight spreader bars loaded with smaller bulb squids.

Capt. Mike Hogan shows us how to deploy a 5-rod no-outrigger tuna spread using the Hogy Directional Tuna Splash Bird Bars for trolling scattered tuna in Cape Cod Bay. The Hogy 18" Pocket Splash Bar has a place in every spread. Its small size makes it easy to manage on light tackle and traditional gear. The bird is made out of super lightweight foam that is impossibly strong. The oversized wings spray water up to 24" and are made of a semi-rigid plastic that reduces breakage when the bar hits the deck.

Learn how Capt. Mike Hogan likes to deploy and troll his Flexi-Squid Bulb Spreader Bars in the productive bluefin tuna grounds south of Martha's Vineyard, MA.

Capt. Terry Nugent outlines his favorite spread for targeting Bluefin Tuna keyed in on large sand eels and half beaks.

Capt. Mike Hogan and Capt. Cullen Lundholm deploys a light tackle spread of Harness Jigs on spinning tackle for Bluefin tuna.

Capt. Mike from Salty Cape and Hogy Lures loads up his 28' Contender and steams South of MV in anticipation of cashing in on a hot school Bluefin Tuna bite. With the fish being scattered, he name of the game was deploying a simple 4-rod spread of the Hogy Directional Bird Bars. These bars are ideal for any angler who doesn't have or doesn't want to deal with outriggers on their boat.

Join Capt. Mike Hogan and Capt. Nat Chalkley as they chase Cape Cod school bluefin tuna in mid June just south of The Claw, around 15 miles south of Marthas Vineyard. Capt. Mike covers the techniques he likes to use for finding fish in open water, including a brief how-to on rigging and deploying the Harness Jig and details his suggested offshore rod and reel outfit.

Capt. Mike Hogan shares step-by-step instructions for offshore blue water tuna trolling with spreader bars south of Marthas Vineyard. These techniques are excellent for targeting school-sized bluefin and yellowfin tuna. Topics include: Letting out spreader bars, bleeding tuna, using flat line clips, adjusting trolling speed and spread placement.

Capt. Mike Hogan shows us a quick and efficient method for filleting bluefin tuna using the Hogy 9" Fillet Knife.