Leader & Rig line size
Hoping to get some experienced input about this topic
I'm starting to venture further out with the Boat to FFB & Beyond and i've always favoured 80lb leader and use the same material for making the paternoster rigs when fishing deep
Lets just say while i'm learning to find spots and times I haven't been overly successful even with burleying or a selection of fresh baits.
On Sunday I headed out just before sunrise to the FFB from the southern edge of Garden Island.
I stop and throw the burley bucket over to about halfway down.
Ten minutes later and my deckie was onto a nice Pinkie about 65cm and again onto a smaller undersize model.
I'm using the same bait and hooks but where he's using 20lb i'm using 80lb braid to an 80lb leader with a paternoster rig made out of the same 80lb leader material and the only thing I managed was a skippy.
A little bit later I pulled out my light gear which has 20lb braid & leader and tie on a soft plastic and throw it out the back.
I kept it 3m off the bottom and about 20 mins later a 45cm dhuie gobbled it up
I'm believing it'd be fair to say that the fish can see the 80lb and i've been shooting myself in the foot by going that heavy and should scale back to 20lb or 30lb for bottom bashing.
Thoughts? Comments? Insults?
crasny1
Posts: 7009
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Correct
The lowest strenght leader you can get away with is going to land you more fish. When you think about it, how often are you going to catch an 80lb fish? Answer not very.
So leader strenght is not usually an issue with wt of fish. It is needed with BB to prevent the line from being cut on reefs. With some northern (and some southern) species they make a hasty retreat to their reef home, and this is where leader strenght can save you. I have mostly fished off Dampier in the last 6 yrs, and even there I mostly tried 40lb, in good coral trout country perhaps up to 60. 80 and above used for trolling lures without wire for the Razor gang.
Mainline is raely what your gear can handle. If you have a PE4+ rig then you can use 80lb main. The main line is not what a fish is going to see in its face.
However it is more fun to run a lower main. I use balanced rigs, so when targetting a species use I choose the outfit that will catch the target. Looking at the example above I would use 20lb main with a 40lb leader. If 10lb a 20lb leader etc. An old salty dog taught me when I was young to use a leader double the mainline, and I have stuck with that principle over the years, with modification should the need arise.
Fish as light as you can, there is no massive shark problem down south, and 2 main targets realy suffer from barotrauma down here (Baldies and Dhu's) so there is no need to skull drag them up.
JMO
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
Just the way the cookie
Just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes as to who hooks up .. I fish mono 40lb main - 80lb leader in less than 30m .. If you look at threads of Scotto and Outdunnit their leaders would be around 80lb as well I think .. a few options are to threaten not to take them fishing anymore .. take over their fishing position on the boat .. or my favourite is just to verbally abuse them .
“Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”
Tradewind
Posts: 754
Date Joined: 18/09/12
Haha thanks Chris, I'm fine
Haha thanks Chris,
I'm fine with whoever catches what on my boat, unless it's the second dhuie and one isn't mine ;)
sunshine
Posts: 2641
Date Joined: 03/03/09
I prefer 60lb flourocarbon
80 is a bit over the top and is a bit too stiff - as you know I also choose to use smaller hooks than most (2.0 or 3/0 circles snooded in pairs) as I enjoy bycatch of baldies with small mouths and KGW ditto - fresh bait is important and if you smoke can effect the bait also as you can transfer the strong nicotine smell from your fingers to your bait. Western King Wrasse fillets (or even better really small ones) and skinned occy as per Ryans suggestion works for me
bitten
Posts: 803
Date Joined: 07/04/10
40 lb for dhuies and snapper
40 lb for dhuies and snapper just check it after eacvh fish ti make sure its in good nic i only fish plastics though so as far as bottom bouncing with bait i cant see any reason to go higher than 60 lb fluro carbon is always gonna be better obviously but i have not had a problem with normal monio usualy use black magic but jinkai is prety good