20lb clear big game test > fish finder > snap swivel > clear leader with hook

and I set it up this way, because if BLUES come in I can take the clear leader off, and attach the metal leader quickly. Plus I rigged up some leaders that attach to the swivel quickly. I attach my rubber baits with jig heads to this leader setup.


This is the easiest way I have found to make it easier for me.
I know before I was "talking" like someone who doesn't fish at all, but hey I'm new to this. I have fished, but not a lot.

In your eyes...how is this setup idea I have here?

***( ALL comments are wanted :) )***
***( If this is bad, tell me! If it's ok tell me..... )***

Get a plugging rod......
and Keep a snap on it. and then You can jump to that.
Loose the fish finder. the blues will chomp it off.
I dont use any Metel leaders. Use a popper and take the front hook off
:D

it'll work

Like Red said, it'll work.....but.......make sure that snap swivel is a duo-lock or a coast lock.....don't use those other snaps, they are not very reliable unless you crush them down with a pair of pliers, and then you lose the reason you have the snap in the first place.

That being said, you are better off using a barrel swivel in that postion. If you really need to change to wire, have wire leaders with barrel swivels on the top end. Then just clip off your mono leader from the main line above the barrel swivel and retie. It really only takes 30 seconds or so.

My other thought, as I have said many times, fish finders are okay from a boat, bridge or pier with water running away from you, but from the beach, a hi-lo rig, or a similiar set up with just a single hook, I think, is much better. Because it is more streamlined with the sinker at the end of the rig, it casts a whole lot easier and farther.....and you get less casts-offs of bait. Using a fish finder, when you cast, there tends to be a "whipping action" of the hook and bait around the sinker, which shortens the cast and can cause the chunk or whatever to go one way, while the sinker and the hook go the other. Just my $0.02

Not that the fish finder won't work, I just like the other rig better.

If you are at the show on Saturday, we can meet up, and I'll show you what I'm talking about.

Good Luck! :)

The extra leader setup with the snap swivel for easy connecting to my setup...What if I add another snap swivel on the other end of that, and connect my rubber bait there? Would the fish not take it, because of the swivel being there? Or would that not matter?

PS:

I can't make the show Saturday.
I'm working :(

It looks like it will only work for bait chunking. If blues come in that is fine for a quick change to wire as long as you are still using bait.

If you want to change to set up for casting plugs, you should re-tie and lose the fishfinder. Especially if the blues are around, if they see that shiny fishfinder thingy, they will chomp you off, then no more jig or plug :(

Wouldn't it be ok if I added the metal leader/hook with bait if blues came in? I mean it would work to switch from rubber bait with one leader setup..and another for live bait, right??

And for the fish finder. It's all black, so should I still remove it?
I put that in, because the fish won't feel the bait as easily....

I don't know, man. Personally, I try to use snap swivels and swivels in general to a minumum when fishing for stripers.
I do use a small snap when fishing for schoolies with a fresh water spinning rod that has Fireline on it, though. It seems to not make a difference to them if there's a snap in front of a bucktail or some rubbah.
I feel like bigger fish get spooked when I start putting all sorts of metal stuff on my line; when I do use a leader it's 60# shock tied to my line via a blood knot (I think that's the name).
Sorry knot nazis, I only memorized the tying part, not the nomenclatures.
Rick:smash:

Plum,

One of the biggest mistakes in SW fishing, especially to the relatively new, is making things more complicated than it really needs to be. Keeping things simple with the least amount of terminal tackle will reduce the trouble you can have. "Terminal tackle" is everything at the end of your line: hooks, leaders, swivels, fishfinders, snaplocks, duolocks, beads, and on and on and on...

Develop a standard rig for your bait fishing:

I used to do a fair amount of chunking and this works perfectly fine - For chunk bait fishing for bass: 20# Big Game (I only use green) with a fishfinder tied to a good regular no snap swivel and a 24 inch heavier mono leader (I use Big Game mono leader material) tied to the hook. If you use 50 pound clear leader material, you are less likely to be cut off by a bluefish if they are in the area and still not spooking the bass if they are "steel leader shy" like many feel they are.

If you are chunking bait and there are a lot of both bass & blues, you can use steel leader instead of mono to be safe.

If bait fishing, only use the standard barrel or bearing swivels, if you use a snap swivel instead, you are only creating an extra possbile point of failure, especially if you get into a big fish. Remember to keep it simple. Wouldn't it just kill you to hook onto a 40 pound bass and the swivel failed? Just make sure your line has no nicks, your swivels are fresh and not corrroded, and your leader material has no nicks. The one other recommendation is to make sure that your hooks are sharp.

Line -> barrel swivel -> leader -> hook - total of 4 points of failure.

Line -> swivel -> locking part of swivel -> leader -> hook - total of 5 points of failure with that lock part of the swivel a big weak and unnecesary link...

Steve mentions the Hi-Lo rig - that's fine too. No need ever that I can think of for a snap or coast-lok swivel - just use a barrel.

If you are using any kind of plug, plastic, or eel - never leave the fishfinder on. If blues are around, the will see it and bite it off - doesn't matter if it's black, white, clear, red, green or whatever nightime, foggy, or a high-noon in August with no clouds in the sky. Just a simple step to remove the fishfinder, take off the last few feet after you check for nicks and retie without the fishfinder... This is when you would use a quality locking swivel, only to be able to quickly change the plug or lure and only to add some different action to the lure because it will swing easier in some conditions (that was a generalization ;) ). You never want to more pieces than you need to. Often when I'm plugging a nice section of clean beach, I'll tie my 20 # line directly to the plug - just 1 point of failure - my knot...

Just keep it simple. Too many people try to overanalyze their rigging and wind up losing fish. Sure, there is a time and place for a complicated rig but that's only in 5 percent of the fishing so why make things complicated? It would really bit to lose a nice fish to too many points of failure, each point increasing your chance of LOSING the fish....

Just my 25 cents...

John....thanks for the reply :)

You and others on this site say remove the fish finder. Ok I undersntand that, but replace it with my normal weight? or nothing? Sorry if this sounds stupid, but hey I'm still new :)

Replace it with nothing, if you are using jigs or plugs, you don't need any additional weights. Make sure that you are using a 2 ounce jig when 2 ounces is needs to cast and reach bottom.

99.99995 % of the time there is really no need to use a heavy weight in addition to a plug or jig. Not even worth thinking about.

When you are fishing cut bait, you use the weight to get it out and to the bottom against a current. When you are using a plug or jig - the weight is in the plug or jig. So the answer is nothing - only consider using the weights when you are fishing cut/chunk bait...

Good luck & remember to keep it REALLY simple...

Thanks John!!!

Plum, maybe I'm reading you wrong, but you seem concerned with retying. Unfortunately, there is no universal rig for bait-plugs-plastic-jigs. They are all different and incorporate different techniques and rigs.

I usually take one rod while surfcasting. When your walkin' and working the beach, dragging around extra gear can be pain. One rod, a small surf bag, an eel bucket... like John said, keep it simple. Your equipment and your rigs. Seriously, keep that hardware to a minimum.

Even if someone says that 90% of the time, they'll ignore excessive hardware and strike... well, that 10% is probably you're biggest fish of the night, or that one fish on a slow day that makes your trip. Any little advantage you can get, is worth it.

One rod to throw eels, plugs, jigs... or when schoolie fishing to throw shads, jerkbaits, poppers. I'm constantly changing and retying. Once you know a couple basic knots, it only takes a few seconds. Its just the nature of the game.

When I was a freshwater bass-hole, I took 6 or 7 rods out on the boat. A rod for every lure, size and weight... well, I still do that for stripers on the boat... BUT, for the surf you want to remain light and mobile. And the nature of surf fishing for bass involves structure... so, you should be checking your line and retying regularly anyway.

Take it from someone who's lazy butt didn't do that for the first couple years. Than when I finally started to catch some bigger fish, the need became more apparent. There's nothing more crappy than sticking it out all night and finally getting that nice fish on and -snap- bad words will come out of your mouth.:eek:

Again, don't sweat this stuff. Take your time, keep things simple, learn some basics, see what works for you.

PRACTICE TYING KNOTS!!!!!!


....the faster you can tie a knot the less you'll worry about being able to interchange gear........:)

I think plum is concerned about switching from bait to plugs.Again there is NO easy way to do this.You really have to decide before you hit the beach which method you are gonna use.I would recomend leaving the bait at home.It's just too boring waiting for the fish to come to you. I prefer going after them.You can also travel very light. Just rig your pole with a barrel swivel and 4 foot of 50# mono leader to a qaulity snap(no swivel). All you really need is 3 lures(popper,swimmer,jig). I usually bring 3 of each in different sizes in a small plug bag I carry on my shoulder.I bring some wire leaders just in case I run into some bluefish.With this setup it will be easy to move around the beach and the breachway.Stick with fishing the moving water(breachway) as the fish will be THERE most of the time.