Lots of tackle questions

[workinprogress]

I am a relative newbie to fishing, and I have a lot of questions for those of you who have been doing it since birth. I'm going to ask several questions of the old pros who frequent this site, and urge anyone else with other questions to add them in this thread.

I typically use 20lb braided line with 30-40lb monofilament leader. I don't carry, nor do I have room, for 5 different poles, so I try to use something on my medium strength poles that can go from snapper to trout to snook and reds. The sharks have nothing to fear from the setup I fish with. *surrender*

What weight rated line do you use?

I notice a lot of you use swivels when attaching your leader to your braided line. Right now I am using the double uni knot without a swivel. What are the pros and cons of either style?

What are your opinions of mono vs. fluorocarbon leaders?

What kind of weights do you use? I have talked to people who swear by the "bullet" style slide weight, but I see others using the "eggshell" type. In what instances is the round clamp on style the way to go?

It is URGENTLY important that I become a better fisherman in a hurry, because my 5yr old is quickly beginning to understand that I don't really have any idea what I'm doing.rotflmao I'm hoping to spark a good conversation about everyone's personal preferences and techniques while learning from the pros in the process. Thanks for your input.

[Gunnar]

WIP,

I'll usually carry 3 poles with me fishing inshore, they are all medium weight with 20# braid(been using Suffix lately). two are spinning rods that I'll keep different lures attached to when I'm throwing artificials and I have a baitcaster that gets the nod with bait. I like to use 15# fluorocarbon as a leader. It is less visible than mono under water, for those leader shy fish and more abrasion resistant than mono. When I'm using artificials I'll use a Double uni knot to connect the lines. Starting with a leader of around 4', so I can change lures without changing the leader. When the leader gets down to about 18" I'll change it out again to a 4' section.

The only time I'll use a swivel is if I'm fishing a carolina rig, to stop the sinker from sliding all the way down to the bait. I've got both bullet weights and egg sinkers in my tackle box and which ever one I pull out first is what I use. A slip shot(clamp on) I'll sometimes use with live bait under a cork if the bait won't stay down where I want it.

If your son catches the fishing bug, he'll be teaching you tricks in a few years.

Gregg

[Eel]

If you want to catch more fish, it is imperative to have more than 1 rod/reel with you. Like Gunnar says, you need at least 3, each with something different tied on. You have more room to carry rods than you think; I have a 16'er, and I have 10 rodholders. If fishing by myself, I'm not leaving the dock with less than 4 and I'd prefer to have 6-7, each with different stuff rigged up. Your fishing time is too valuable to spend it rigging something up on the water.

I don't know anything about catching snappers, but your rig sounds like overkill for trout, snook, and reds. Personally, I'd step down to a lighter braid (15lb, even 10lb should do the trick) and definitely step down the leader (you can get by with 15-20lb, if a snook gets the leader on his gill plate, you're toast anyway). Lighter line, longer casts. Casting distance will increase your catch ratio. The further you can stay back from the fish, the more likely you can get them to eat your offering. Your splice knot is personal preference; whatever you're comfortable with. I like to reel the knot inside the guides, so I prefer smaller knots than the double uni (but that's personal preference).

My warm weather go-to rig is a 3000-4000 series spinning reel with 14lb Fireline and 20# flouro leader (I switch over to mono leaders if I want the leader to float). A high-end 2500 series reel like a Diawa Sol will whip just about anything you'll encounter inshore, however.

As far as natural and live bait rigs go, I'll defer to the experts. I don't fish anything but artificials, so I can't help you with the natural/live stuff.

My advice to you, if you're interested in becoming a better fisherman (and who among us doesn't want to get better?) is target a specific fish when you go out. If you want to catch a snook, target the snook. Learn everything you can about snook fishing. Learn what they eat at their various sizes/ages, and target that class of fish. Learn what habitat they prefer. Be able to look at a snook and know that fish is a 3 year old fish. Read anything and everything you can get your hands on that pertains to your target fish.

The same approach can be done for reds and trout.

Too many guys go out to catch "whatever is biting". They use the same techniques every time, and usually have the same result. Their expectations are low when they leave the dock and their results are a self-fulfilling prophecy. They wonder how other guys get "lucky" all the time, and just assume they have bad "luck." Don't be that guy.

Fishing success is 90% confidence, 10% technique, IMO. Every time you leave the dock, think about one of your best fishing days. Get that warm feeling you get after a good day of fishing BEFORE you make the first cast. Then go out there and make it happen.

The fish don't always cooperate. That's fishing. But learn something EVERYTIME you go out. At the end of the day, think about what you could have done differently and figure out why the fish didn't cooperate.

I can't think of a better conversation to have with your son on the ride home than "what do you think we could have done differently today?" Remind him that he's an equal on your fishing team and ask his input. Remind him that you are both learning together.

And brainwash your son every opportunity you get. ;D I use the following storybook every night with my 3 year old.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/Mal_Pais/reddy_redfish.jpg

*Cheers*

[justaddwater]

Eel, what knot do you use for leader. That was a great post by the way. I enjoyed reading it and agree with it 100% *Cheers*

I use 4 spinning rods and one baitcaster. If I might use any live bait I'll take a couple of 8' rods with level wind reels with 30lb Power Pro Braid for carolina rigs. I tie on usually a 20lb florocarbon leader with swivel and what ever lead I pull out, egg or bullet of what size I need to hold it still. All my other rods have 15 lb Power Pro Braid with a 6 or 20 lb florocarbon leader depending on what my target is. Trout and flounder is always 6/8lb leader and stripers and reds I usually use 20 lb leader tied on with a uno/uno know so I can reel it into the guides. Start out with 4/5' so you can tie on different baits if needed without puttin on new leader each time. I have different baits on each rod. My go top water is light spinning reel by Quatium, I think it's a size 10 on a Shamano medium rod with fast action tip at 6.8' long. I don't have anything rod longer than 7' long three with 10's and one with a 20 reel on it. *thumbsup*

[Gary13]

WIP
This will probably be the skinniest tackle assortment you will see.
I fish straight artificial. I have a small compartmentalized Plano clear plastic box that holds everything I use to fish in water temp above 60 degrees. It contains 4-inch grubs in White, white/red tail, chartreuse sparkle, christmas tree, root beer and plain green. Plus 1 topwater MirroLure.
For lead heads I use 3-- 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 ounce sizes. All red with the paint cleaned out of the eyes BEFORE I put them in the box.
For water temps below 60 degrees, I use 1 1/2 inch grubs on a 1/16 or 1/32 ounce white jig head (crappie jigs). Colors include chartreuse and white. Floated 18-24 inches below a 4-inch weighted bottom clip-on float. Sometimes in the dead of winter I will use 3" Gulp New Penny shrimp on a 1/8-ounce jig if I get really desperate rotflmao.
Rods: I carry 2 in case 1 breaks. Both are 6 1/2 light-medium action. Reels are BassPro Fish Eagle Tournament II Series 2500 and carry Stren 8-pound mono. I use the MirroLure knot only.
With this setup, I target (and catch) Specs, Reds, Flounder, and a ton of others that I won't mention*laughing*.
Thats it my friend. You can probably tell I also fish from an 11-foot canoe from time to time and space is a premium even more so than my J16. Hope this helps.
Gary

[Redfish]

JJ, I can't add too much to what Brother Eel is telling you. He made some very good points, and has been schooling us all up on the art of redfishing here lately. Besides, you know all about my tackle selection and how I fish if you've read my posts in the tackle section and elsewhere.

I do think that you're using too heavy a line. I rarely use over 10 lb on my baitcasters (Garcia 4500 series)--mostly 8lb or 10 lb test. I've been using mono for a while, though I do have two reels with braid on them now just because I wanted to try 'em out for a while set up that way. I use a swivel, (too much line twist otherwise) with a short piece of 20-30# mono leader tied between hook and swivel. I don't use weights anymore. I fish with a jighead from 1/4-3/8 oz. If I use live bait, I either hook it on to the jighead or use a hook with no weight (freeline).

I have one spinning reel that I use to throw my Cajun Thunder rigs since they cast better than the baitcasters when throwing a long rig that can't be reeled up all the way. I will generally take either two or three other reels (all baitcasters) with me so that, like Eel says, I can have one ready for live bait, one with a spoon or plug, and another with maybe a jighead that can be easily fitted with whatever color soft plastic I want to throw.

I don't fuss with a lot of fancy tackle (and in my opinion, you don't need to either). Jigheads and soft plastic and the "natural" artificials are great in a few colors. I keep a few MirroLures in various colors. Always keep some gold weedless spoons and a few rattle-trap type plugs. There are a couple of spinners I have used and like. I don't get to topwater fish much, but if I did, I would take some of those types of plugs (Skitterwalks, floating MirroLures, TopDogs, etc.).

I would agree that targeting one or two spieces is best. If I were fishing your area, it would be reds, trout, and maybe snook (although I don't know much about them). Like the man said, learn one or two kinds of fishing best. You will become better at it and become more sucessful more often.

Don't worry about Ausitn. He is just "taking it all in" right now. The two of you will learn together.*thumbsup*

[Fayetteguy]

Im writing this to help remind me to take pictures of my rigs tonight, im going out in the AM and will be tying everything up tonight so i will try to photograph how i do it. Given everyone does it different, some dont use swivels, i do. Some dont use weights, i do, even on my live bait rigs. If im using artificial i dont use weights unless i need a bb weight to help it do what i need it to. I prefer corks, and popping corks, and grubs on jigheads!

-FG