Braid for Tube and Worm
 

Any of you guys use braid rigs for tube and worm?

I'm looking to get a single conventional setup that I can use for trolling tube and worm, single plugs and some rookie vertical jigging. I'm getting a kayak this week and would like to get all my gear in one shot.

Yes. 50 & 65 Lb Suffix. Attach about 36" of 40 or 50 lb. mono to your tube so you will have something to grab without getting sliced. Works great for bucktailing as well.

Any issues getting down in the water column? I'll be trolling the T&W in mostly 25-40' of water. I would like to avoid having to use something like the T-Man Rigs.

Also, any suggestions on a conventional rod and reel to pair it up with?

I'd prefer a levelwind.

in water that deep, I would opt for leadcore line.

most of the T&W fishing a lot of us do is in under 20 feet and lots of guys use braid and it works just fine for them.

That's what I've been told. I'm hoping to get around needing leadcore. It's going to be somewhat of a multipurpose rod/reel.

Basically, I'd like to only bring 2 rods on my trips. A spinning rod for casting and a conventional for trolling T&W, swimming plugs and drifting eels.

Most of my t&w is also in less than 20' but you could easily use a keel type sinker or drail for deep water trolling for deep water spots should the need arise. The quick change keel such as T-mans work great for changing conditions because you can adjust the weight easily and they also prevent line twist which is a big problem. I made my own from some .062 ss wire bent around a wooden form with some nails driven into the appropriate locations. Then you just slip on various egg sinkers to adjust the weight for changing conditions. Use good quality ball bearing swivels. They are worth the extra money.

This might the way I'll have to go. You ever have trouble with blues mistaking the egg sinker for bait and biting you off?

Thanks for the tip on the ball bearing swivels.

:lama: Whatcha get Johnny? Just wondering which one you decided to go with.:kewl:

I'm getting a 13' Prowler Trident - looked them over at your suggestion. I really fell in love with the cargo hole in between the legs. The electronics compartment is a little bit far for me to reach, but I've got good eyes so I'll at least be able to see it.

Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to get it secured on top of my little Mitzu Lancer.

BigBo, you use leadcore or braid for tube & worm?

JD, what about a Daiwa Saltist 30 or 40 married to a 7.5' rod (maybe rated 20-40lbs)? You want at least 7 feet to make sure you clear your paddles when trolling. This set up could also be used for eeling off a boat and with a fairly fast tip would cast very nicely as well and would make a nice boat rod with good power. You could also get a spare spool and keep one with braid and one with lead core...or just use the old cordless drill and soda bottle trick to quickly change lines on the spool as needed.

If I know the areas you're gonna yak, you are definitely going to want to fish deeper than the <20 feet I saw mentioned earlier in this thread. 25-45 feet is more likely. I would use lead core for this (30# test). I don't like adding weights and dredges between me and the lure, these things act as levers as a fish shakes it's head and can cause the hook to tear out of the fish's mouth.

Sweets, you're exactly on point with my thinking. I know we haven't talked specifics on gear for my new yak, but what you suggested is pretty much exactly what I'm looking at. I was leaning towards a Saltist 30 paired with a 7.5' to get past the bow, due to my short arms.

You know exactly the areas I'll be fishing. I think I'm going to try spooling with braid and go with a dredge, see if I have any trouble. After the first fish I drop, I know I'll be buying a second spool loaded with leadcore. Only takes a couple minutes to switch anyway.

I have not had any problems with the quick change keel system other than picking up weeds when there are alot of weeds in the water. As far as a fish being able to leverage itself against the weight I don't think that"s a problem because you are only talking about a maximum of about 2 oz. about 4-5 feet ahead of the hook. Usually i'm only using 1/2 -1 oz. of weight or no weight at all in areas up to about 10 feet.. When my homemade tubes with 6/0 Gamakatsus hit home they aren't coming out especially as hard as the fish typically hit the tube. The advantage of the braid is you see every little tick of the bottom (which is where you want to be) on your rod tip. If you want flexibility and you don't want to carry multiple rods/setups then braid is the way to go. Keep it simple because the more stuff you bring the more problems you will have. The one problem you might have is when you get hung up on the bottom or a lobster pot or such is its real hard to break yourself off so make sure your leader is the weak link. Braids are rated conservatively. A 50 lb braid might take 70 or 80 lbs to break depending on the brand or condition. I usually use about 3 feet of 40 or 50 lb flourocarbon for my connection between the keel and tube but mono would be fine.

Thank you

You bring up a good point I had not considered. What do people do when they get snagged while yaking? Hooking a pot is a huge PITA on the boat, how do you get the leverage to break off?

For depths to 20-25' braid will be fine after that lead core or a egg sinker on the mono/fluoro will do the trick to reach the desired depth. Mono/fluoro is key like stated above to grab and control fish while the braid will cut you up. As for a reel a Calcutta 400 for the braid application will do the trick. A 7 foot rod with med action should be right.

Excellent choice. Good luck with it.
I don't use leadcore on the yak. Generally a keel weight or egg sinker will do fine. It's pretty easy to adjust your speed to get your tube down to where you need to be.

Thank you keeper, your comment seems to be the general consensus. Appreciate the info.

I can't wait to get out. Good to know that someone uses the keel weight with success.

Wanna yak sometime?

Yes. Shoot me a PM sometime. :btu:

trolling in 20 plus feet you will need trolling sinkers you need to be no more then 8 feet from bottom and you will need alot of line out to get that deep.