While a boat’s wake and mechanical hum draws fish from the depths, teasers focus a predator’s attention on specific targets until anglers can present baits to their willing quarry.

A small boat creates less commotion than a 50-footer, for instance, and the more stuff in the spread, the better the chance of raising fish. Creating a larger footprint increases the size of the “baitfish school” behind your boat and attracts more interest.

Daisy chains work especially well for small boats because they allow you to put 30-40 gizmos in the wake rather than just three or four.

Teasers undergo constant evolution, thanks to the ingenuity of sport-fishing crews and the introduction of new materials. When deciding which offerings to pull, anglers must adjust tactics to suit fishing styles and target species.

Don’t put them too far back — position teasers where you can easily see fish under and around them. The exact distance varies among boats, but it’s usually somewhere between the second and fourth wave in the wake. A teaser is useless if you can’t see what’s going on around it. Don’t put them too close. There’s no sense in placing teasers in the wake’s whitewash. Put them in clear water and let them work.

For blue marlin, use big bowling-pin teasers or pushers to generate more action. Use a dredge for striped marlin. Use smaller teasers and create a commotion by putting out a bunch of them.

Place a flat line bait just over and a few feet behind the dredge. You want a bait to be seen if a fish is trailing the dredge. If the fish looks up, you want it to see a bait. You don’t want to have a bait too far behind the dredge, where the fish could fade back or away. Give them something easy to see… and eat!

Place a neutral-colored shell squid over torpedo weights ahead of dredges.

The squid is more attractive than a plain sinker, and it protects the boat’s finish by cushioning the weight — a real plus when deploying and clearing the dredge.

Equip dedicated, bait-and-switch teaser rods with swivel tips (the kind used for wire-line trolling). The line-guide extension keeps mono from looping over the rod and eliminates the danger of a tip wrap when teasing fish to the transom.

Small boat crews can wrap teaser lines on “yo-yo” hand-line reels. This trick stores the line conveniently and keeps the cockpit uncluttered.

For trolling dredges, two options: 480-pound, vinyl-covered cable (the coating makes it safer to handle) or 800-pound Spectra line. The extra-heavy Spectra’s thickness won’t cut your hands; it feels like limp rope.

When targeting species like tuna, which come up and inspect baits closely, use lifelike teasers such as squid imitators.

To attract marlin, make a commotion. Marlin look at the shape and action of a teaser more than its finer details.

Don’t stow your spreader-bar teasers just because seas get rough. Remove a couple of lines from the bar to make it easer to handle and to avoid tangles in choppy conditions.

The dredge teaser is by far one of the most productive teasers of modern Sportfishing, but the key is to find a set-up that works best for you.