I haven't been out but five times this year, so really just getting rounded into fishing shape. Found some nice fish today, and got broken off, twice... So might end for end the braid on that reel, or put on all new. I also like the big Styrofoam bobbers for livelining big macks in the rocks locally. But I am losing them on the vicious hits these macks have been attracting. So what do you use for a float and how are you attaching? Considering balloons...

Hi Ross... I didn't think any one used ( or could find) those old floats... I've been using balloons for over a decade now... I found some at a party store that are base balls... what I mean is.. they were meant for a Childs party that imitates base balls when you blow them up. They have print on them that imitates the seams on a base ball.. I only mention this because they are the most durable ( reasonably priced) balloons I have ever used... their max size is perfect mac bobbers...( Ive also used them to float eels out over submerged rocks )

I fish mine on a slider rig using a thin rubber bands as a stop ( cinched around the main line then cut to make a stopper) ... that way I can reel right to the leader.. a small plastic bead on either side of the slider keeps the slider from jamming on the swivel or stop.. for a slider I use the sliding surf "fish finder" hard plastic slider... you can buy just the slide with no hardware... I attach a thick rubber band to that and then to my balloon... by using a thicker rubber band you break less bands and you can usually get the cinch on the rubber band/balloon free if you want to make a move ( I like to do that so the balloon does not twist up my line as it spins in the air)....live lining macs is fun for sure... especially around the rock piles... I just cant deal with people during the day... as soon as they see you with a bent rod... they all become your "friend"...

I just want to weigh in on the braid thing. I have had it with braid. I believe it has its place on a sandy beach but if you are around rocks it sucks. ZERO abrasion resistance. I fish conventional with 10 to 12 feet of 50# mono as a leader. Albright Knot to go braid to mono.

I have lost countless big fish to the braid getting cut on rocks. I'm now all mono on my boat.

I just want to weigh in on the braid thing. I have had it with braid. I believe it has its place on a sandy beach but if you are around rocks it sucks. ZERO abrasion resistance. I fish conventional with 10 to 12 feet of 50# mono as a leader. Albright Knot to go braid to mono.

I have lost countless big fish to the braid getting cut on rocks. I'm now all mono on my boat.

with ya on that... 50lb Ande will take a lot of abuse...might even serve as an anchor rode in a pinch!

big fan of Ande 40 and 50 lb as leader material... much less expensive that fluoro and gets the job done well

I've always used balloons, usually 5 or 6 feet of 40lb flouro when fishing live bait

I know guys use braid in rocky areas with no issues, but I've always had issues and stick with mono!

I only troll macks behind the yak, but in that area I see everyone using balloons!

Thank you all. Just so happens there is a party store on the way to visit my mother in the memory care facility this hot afternoon...... Will check out the balloon aisle!

No macs in Narr bay, (that I have seen). No one uses floats for the pogies.

Lately I don't go above 25 lb leader or mainline for stripers; typically my "heavy" setup is going to be a conventional reel with 25 lb flouro leader and 20 lb mainline. I'm usually too scared to get that close to rocks though so am not livelining into rockpiles either.

Sometimes I don't think it's makes a difference but for instance last year off p-town I noticed far less action on my reels that had 40 flouro & 30 mainline. I normally don't use use anything like that but had set them up thinking I could really haul fish into the boat; the result was I just caught less fish and went to the lighter stuff. Tried keeping the reels in play & went down to 20 lb leader but those rods still got completely outfished by the 20 leader & 17 lb mainline combination; seems like even with a 3 ft leader a heavy mono mainline can shy them off in some situations (but if any fish have had practice selecting safe food it's that mass off p-town!).

Jon

No macs in Narr bay, (that I have seen). No one uses floats for the pogies.

Nope, just the opposite. Using 3ways or egg style to get those things right near the bottom.

Nope, just the opposite. Using 3ways or egg style to get those things right near the bottom.

BINGO!!!!!:agree:

I just want to weigh in on the braid thing. I have had it with braid. I believe it has its place on a sandy beach but if you are around rocks it sucks. ZERO abrasion resistance. I fish conventional with 10 to 12 feet of 50# mono as a leader. Albright Knot to go braid to mono.

I have lost countless big fish to the braid getting cut on rocks. I'm now all mono on my boat.

Amen to that! Last night I spent more time messing with the braid than fishing,,, these old eyes just can't work with that stuff at night and not much better with the sun up... :deadhorse:

I haven't used floats for the bait in years but when we did we used those huge bobbers ,, kept the macs out of the rockst

Braid rules in my world, but light tackle finesse fishing requires sensitivity. Mono for me would be like plugging in an eight track for music, but I'm sure if I were shore fishing in the rocks, I might have a different opinion.
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When I fish bass with live bait My braid setup seldom leaves the rod holder .......no snaps . swilvels . etx .hook tied directly to MONO .

Tautog fishing in the fall I use both depending on conditions ............otherwise its almost always braid <><><

As anyone who has come out with me will tell you, I set up close to the rocks.... not quite Clammer close, but pucker close for some. Most of the time it is less than 20' deep, often less than 10 or 12'. The macs always want to swim down and hide in the rocks, while I want to suspend them 3-6' below the surface, which with those depths, puts them on the big screen for any stripers lurking below. But if I don't hold them up, they will dig in, hiding, chafing line and leader. Big macs equals big floats. Some say the resistance of the float results in the fish dropping the bait. I concur that this can happen, might happen, has crossed my mind. I could then take the float off. But I usually just jerk the line and try to piss the fish off by pulling his meal away a little. Usually triggers a better strike. The key here being that when fishing livies, you just do not want any slack in your line. Much easier with a conventional reel. Of course once the mac sees the wolfpack, he is up on top, trying to swim his way out of danger. So once you have the spot identified and the fish all jacked up, then I will go without the float since the bait is not going to want to swim down to the waiting diners.... Pogies on the other hand are more apt to swim close to the surface without the need for a float, in my experience. Either way, staying in constant touch with a live bait is essential to avoid missed hits or gut hooked fish. Still like braid. Big Game and Ande for leaders. 7/0 live bait hook. Only downside is that I like to crush the barbs and that hook will make a big hole so I do lose some baits on the cast or when I do not maintain some tension.

I can,t see using a float unless your in less than 6' & even then I don,t use any ......I use too waaaay back with herring in a couple of places & the reason was the eel grass & weeds .<><

The last 3 bass trips we did this year . we were no deeper than 8' & Denis caught a good fish in less than 2' while the motor was tilted up & till chopping rocks ><><

cast a Magic Swimmer instead

As anyone who has come out with me will tell you, I set up close to the rocks.... not quite Clammer close, but pucker close for some. Most of the time it is less than 20' deep, often less than 10 or 12'. The macs always want to swim down and hide in the rocks, while I want to suspend them 3-6' below the surface, which with those depths, puts them on the big screen for any stripers lurking below. But if I don't hold them up, they will dig in, hiding, chafing line and leader. Big macs equals big floats. Some say the resistance of the float results in the fish dropping the bait. I concur that this can happen, might happen, has crossed my mind. I could then take the float off. But I usually just jerk the line and try to piss the fish off by pulling his meal away a little. Usually triggers a better strike. The key here being that when fishing livies, you just do not want any slack in your line. Much easier with a conventional reel. Of course once the mac sees the wolfpack, he is up on top, trying to swim his way out of danger. So once you have the spot identified and the fish all jacked up, then I will go without the float since the bait is not going to want to swim down to the waiting diners.... Pogies on the other hand are more apt to swim close to the surface without the need for a float, in my experience. Either way, staying in constant touch with a live bait is essential to avoid missed hits or gut hooked fish. Still like braid. Big Game and Ande for leaders. 7/0 live bait hook. Only downside is that I like to crush the barbs and that hook will make a big hole so I do lose some baits on the cast or when I do not maintain some tension.

they don't call 'em rockfish for nothing....

Back to the braid for a moment... I love it for deep jigging or drifting baits over deeper water .. I love the non stretch part of it and when trolling live bait ( eels in my case ) with circle hooks it definitely improves the hook up ratio.... but after that my love can turn to hate in a hurry...Sunday night ( in pea soup fog) I have a place that I can fish early in the incoming .. the river channel is adjacent to an extensive mussel shoal.. and it is "doable " in the fog... I hadn't planned on fishing there and had brought my conventionals with 80lb braid to fish the first half of the tide in the deeper water at the mouth of the river early in the tide ( not an option with only feet of visability).... my other rod was spinner loaded with 16lb ande tournament that is primarily used for "plugging" eels...the edge I was fishing was between 4-6' and the current /drift is about 2-2.5 knots )... and dropped off to 20 -25' sharply... 4 times I hooked up with the braid.. 4 times the fish dropped over the mussel shoal/edge and cut the braid... I managed to land 2 25lb class fish with the 16 Ande before the fish moved up river.. the line looked like it went through a cheese grater but held... where the braid parted on contact...normally I use 50lb Ande mono here because of the under water hazards.. last night I was prepared.. 4 conventionals loaded with 50 lb mono.. they all look like they were in a war with a cleaver prop this morning ...but I landed 9 fish in that 25 - 30lb class... and never broke one off before the fish moved up river...

I guess it all comes down to making the right choice for the situation... like any form of fishing .. being smart and versatile about your tackle choices trumps ( no pun intended) stubbornness every time..

but when we did we used those huge bobbers ,,

I AM getting huge recently.......

I AM getting huge recently.......

Ummm