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What size to buy tackle bits 'n bobs? + diagrams of rigs?

46K views 25 replies 12 participants last post by  steelwindmachine 
#1 ·
This must sound like such a beginners question, but how does one figure out what size to buy the different components of a setup?

I read up on here, wrote a list of different stuff to buy, hooks, swivel barrels, etc, went to Dicks' and was overwhelmed with the stuff that everything comes in different sizes, size 2, size 0 etc. etc.

Do these sizes mean something standard in the fishing world? I'm in the NY/MA area, surf fishing for stripers. We are using a spinning reel on 8ft & 9ft rods.

Also (at the risk of exposing how much of a noob I am,) I tried to find picture diagrams of whole rig setups but there are very few of those... its hard for a beginner to visual especially learning all the lingo in the process. Any ideas?
 
#2 ·
I was at a Dick's earlier in the season to grab some braided line and if memory serves me correctly their fishing tackle is seperated between salt and fresh water. It's very hard for anyone to tell you you need size 'x' barrel swivel or size 'Y' hook because everyone does things a little differently. The best advice I can give ya is to visualize the different size tackle your looking at and match it up with the size of the rod you'll be using, (**i.e** smaller barrel swivels/snap swivels/hooks/leader material would match up better with a 6 1/2, 7 or even 8' rod while larger terminal tackle would be used for a 9, 10, 11, 12' rod). Again this is all a very basic example but it should be enough to get ya started. A lot of it is trial and error, like when you're chucking chunk mackerel from shore, get a monster hit only to lose the fish and upon reeling in realize he bent your swivel like a paper clip or it popped open on ya.....well, ya know you'll need a bigger one the next time. Ya definitely wanna buy some fluorocarbon leader material, at least 40-50 lb test if not heavier. Before ya tie on your leader slide a good sized snap swivel up your main line, this will come into play afterwards. The standard leader I've been using this year has consisted of tying a big snap swivel to your main line (with a palomar knot), take 18-24" of fluorocarbon leader material and tie a smaller barrel swivel to one end and your whatever you're using for a hook (somewhere between a 5/0 to a 7/0 J or circle, whichever you prefer) on the other end. Then all ya have to do is open the snap swivel ya tied onto your main line and attach your leader using the end with the barrel swivel, close the snap swivel and you're good to go. The snap swivel you slid up your main line, you now wanna open up and slide a weight onto. The size of the weight will depend on where/what kind of fishing (beach, river, rocks etc...) you'll be doing. Ya wanna have a variety of sizes and types of weights, say 3, 4, 5 and 6 oz, pyramid, bank, egg and bullet would be a good start. The reason you wanna have your weight on a slider is so that when the fish takes your offering, the weight slides back up your main line and the fish doesn't feel the extra tension of the weight......which often times will cause him to drop it. I'd get a variety of weights, brass barell swivels, snap swivels etc and see what works best for ya through trial and error, that's the best advice I can give ya my friend. Good luck out there man, hope ya hook into a monster.

StriperHyper ~ Will
 
#4 ·
Hi Will, thanks for answering! So, in terms of size, its just trial and error? If the hook looks too small then its probably too small, for example?

I hope I've understood your description. I didn't know if there was a line/leader on the weight to the sliding snap swivel ... so I left it out. Does this seem correct? I assume this setup is largely for live bait like clams?



What about for surface lures like metal spoons and popper/bombers etc? Is the setup the same or do I not need the swivel weight part?

Does anyone use sluggos in these NE parts to catch striper anymore?
 
#5 ·
That set-up looks right to me. I may have been a bit too vague in what ya need to get started, although it certainly never hurts to have a variety. To get started grab a package of small Spro power swivels (Grabbed some small ones last night but they were rated for 230 lbs) some large brass swivels, large snap swivels, 50 lb fluorocarbon material and some 6/0 and 7/0 hooks. That is more than enough to get ya started and you wanna use this basice set-up for chunk mackerel/herring and clams.

Now if ya wanna use sandworms the set up is a little different as I HIGHLY recommend floating them off bottom, otherwise the crabs will have them eaten up in 5 minutes. The set-up is as follows:

Take your main line and tie a big brass snap swivel on the end. Tie your leader as you would normally with a 6/0 circle hook on one end and a small Spro power swivel on the other. Before ya tie on your Spro swivel, slip a cigar/ball/egg float onto your leader approx. 4-5" up from your hook. The easiest way to do this is to take the small, round plastic piece off the top of the float, remove the metal "rod" in the middle and the larger plastic insert but save the smaller inner plastic tube. Slide the float down your leader to it's desired position and re-insert the small plastic piece back in the top of the float, wedging it in there tight so the float doesn't slide up and down your ine. This will be just enough to keep the float in place but also allow you to slide it up or down if it's too far away or too close to your hook. Now just as you would with the bottom rig, attach your leader to your main line by clipping it on your snap swivel. You still wanna use a 3 or 4 oz weight (or heavier if the surf is high or a strong undertow is present) however ya don't want it on a slider this time. Use either a split ring or a very small duo-lock snap swivel and attach your weight to the top half of the snap swivel on your main line. The reason for this, when you cast out your weight will sit on bottom in one place and allow your float to keep your worms a few inches off bottom. Make sure ya use a 6/0 or 7/0 hook and hook them worms up two at a time.....first one in through the head, feed it on until it covers the majority of the shank of your hook then pull through allowing the rest to dangle. The second worm you wanna go in through the back an inch or two down and have the point come out through the head. This is the most effective method for keeping your worms on the hook while you cast and retrive but the key is to make sure both worms are hooked through the head right between the pinchers.

StriperHyper ~ Will
 
#6 ·
Hi Will, I appreciate your thorough descriptions! Did I decipher it correctly? Do I need any between the weight and the duo-lock snap swivel connection? This is especially helpful as our clam bait were getting stolen the last time we were out but in that case, our weight was on a sliding swivel...



How about daytime fishing, with metal spoons and plugs and stuff?
 
#7 ·
I don't do a ton of fishing with plugs but when I do I use a smaller set-up (7-8') with mono line attached right to your plug, ya just have to keep re-tying but that's all part of the game. If ya ask 100 people ya may just get 100 different answers. Some people tie a snap swivel so they can change plugs quickly, others tie their plugs directly to briad while others will tie a fluoro leader either directly to the braid or using a small barrel swivel. Like I said, personally I like to keep it as simple as possible and with plugs, for me anyway, it's straight mono all the time. Ya wanna be able to feel that plug and the way it moves on the end of your line so you can impart the action of each individual lure to your liking.

That set up ya have looks good man, I can promise ya if there are fish around, ya won't be disappointed. I have caught some good sized fish and have seen some really nice fish caught using this method. The only thing ya may wanna consider if you're surfcasting (10-11' rod) is loading up with briaded line (50 lbs or better, a bit overkill but wont hurt either and you wont lose a fish to snapped line, EVER) with a mono backing. Take your reel and spool on 20-30 yards of mono, whatever your reel is rated for, 15-20 lbs should do the trick. THEN tie your braid to the mono and continue filling the reel until it's approx 1/8th of an inch from the lip of your reel. The reason ya put the mono backing on is because the braid won't grab your reel so ya need the mono otherwise you're gonna run into all sorts of issue like bird nests, wind knots and endless tangles.

I forgot to answer you about your inquiry about sluggo's as well and the simple answer is ABSOLUTELY ya wanna have some in your arsenal. The theory is bigger bait bigger fish, but I have never had luck with a sluggo bigger than 6". Those things are absolutely deadly and very versatile, any good fisherman should have some in his/her arsenal. Try the 6" in sand eel, black over grey, white, black to get ya started, they only cost a few bucks per package of like 6 or so. Try texas rigging them unweighted attached directly to your mono line, throw 'em out there and twitch and rip them across the surface and watch the stripers go nuts. You can also rig them on lead jig heads (1/4 oz to 1 oz depending on depth/structure) and bounce them off botom with a steady jerking retrieve.

StriperHyper ~ Will
 
#8 ·
Thanks so much Will - so really, no line needed between the swivel (from main line) to the actual weight itself?

Can I also ask what knot you use in the making the fluorocarbon leader, especially tieing it to the spro swivel or the hook ('ve learned only the palomar and the centauri to date.)

We lose quite a bit of tackle in the times we've gone. Is this a pretty typical thing or we need to find less weedy areas?
 
#9 ·
No line needed if I'm understanding your question right?? You have your main line attached to your snap swivel. On a slider the weight snap siwevl is threaded onto your line not tied, allowing it to slide up and down the main line. On the float rig you wanna use a split ring or a small snap swivel that will attach the weight to the top circle of your snap swivel that ya tied on your main line. The goal here is to attach the weight directly so it doesn't slide, weight will sit on bottom, float will sway in the surf. I only use two different knots, improved clinch knot and the palomar.....can't go wrong with the palomar buddy, VERY strong knot :icon_thumright:

StriperHyper ~ Will
 
#10 ·
Hi Will, in the diagrams, I've drawn every piece of equipment (including all lines) that I've understood. So in both scenarios, there is no line at all (just snaps) connecting the weight. See below highlight in red.

The red arrow points to the weight's connection to the swivel (either sliding or duo-lock snap.) In either scenario, do these places need any line at all? or the way I've show it, simply snapped to swivels be okay? I feel like this might be a stupid question but I gotta ask it anyways. lol

 
#11 ·
I think both rigs look good. The first one on top is what I call drifting bait. No float. You can put a split shot a few inches or so behind the J hook or not. It depends on what you are doing.

The second diagram with the three way: I may add some 10# mono from the swivel to the weight if I were over rocks and expected to loose the weight. I would likewise use a float to keep the bait up out of the rocks. When you get a hit or want to reel in and the weight is snaged, the light test mono will yield and the hook will come out. That is just one technique, so it really depends on what you want your bait to do.

You'll get a fish finder rig snaged a few times, maybe in kelp or football sized rocks or maybe large 'un-movable' rocks, and begin to think. If you are on sand, then there is no worry of snags.

Nice diagrams! I think you are well on your way to success!
 
#12 ·
Great thread!

StriperHyper your detailed responses along with smoochas diagrams were VERY helpful for me. I came across another thread where a person got blasted and shown a screen shot of the search feature but when your a newb its sometimes hard to search for things when you don't really know what your looking for. I've been lurking around reading posts and searching for diagrams or pictures of things, the in depth responses given in this thread are excellent.

I'm new here but I think this thread should be a sticky or at least linked in one of the sticky threads.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Great thread!

StriperHyper your detailed responses along with smoochas diagrams were VERY helpful for me. I came across another thread where a person got blasted and shown a screen shot of the search feature but when your a newb its sometimes hard to search for things when you don't really know what your looking for. I've been lurking around reading posts and searching for diagrams or pictures of things, the in depth responses given in this thread are excellent.

I'm new here but I think this thread should be a sticky or at least linked in one of the sticky threads.
Thanks man, I really enjoy helping a fellow fisherman out and sharing ideas (some of which I came up with on my own, others I learned on this site/from others) and techniques that have worked for me. It is very rewarding for me when I read a post from someone new to the sport, suggest doing something a certain way and then come back to find out it worked for them as it did for me. As far as another member adressing a post negatively, well, I can't speak on behalf of what others do. I will say, as someone who has been here for a few years now, that the majority of members, especially veteran members, don't normally talk to someone like that, especially a newbie. With that being said, everyone has bad days, hell I have been short with people on here before myself, but in my opinion with good reason. When ya get a second go into any forum, on any topic in any area and check out the difference in the number of people who view a particular thread as opposed to how many people actually comment on them. Spammers and weekend warrior anglers will skim through the pages here at 247.com in search of quick fixes and honey hole locations. I have met many of the veteran members of this site and had the pelasure of talking to a bunch more and I can assure you that the furthest thing from their agenda is to make a new member feel like he/she is not welcome. Now the flip side of that is a new guy who comes on and asks a general question in a forum, is told to try a search because the subject is too broad, or has been answered a number of times elsewhere, but they don't wanna take the time so they just post it in a bunch of different forums. The guys on this site are top notch man, and those who aren't usually don't stick around long enough to matter one way or the other. Stick around for awhile and see for yourself what stripers247.com is all about, I can assure you ya won't be disappointed.

StriperHyper ~ Will
 
#14 ·
This thread (and site!) is exactly what I have been looking for. My 12 year old son wanted a surfcaster for Christmas and we'll be heading to Eastham, MA this weekend. Wish me luck because I am sure he'll be frustrated to learn this is not like catching sunnies in a pond. I have a question on the leader line. Is what you are suggesting strong enough to deal with bluefish in case they decide to bite, or do you need a wire leader?
 
#17 ·
Great info here , thanks very much. I have been using a wire leader to tie all of my plugs because im scared of losing 15-20 dollar lures to bluefish. Is there another strategy for tying plugs with bluefish around? I picked up a couple of surf leaders that im waiting another week or 2 to try. Thanks to everyone i really apreciate it.
 
#18 ·
I have never lost a plug to a bluefish using a regular mono or flouro leader, as when they're hooked on a plug their teeth are generally well back away from the leader. Not saying it can't happen, but it hasn't ever happened to me. :icon_thumright:

I have lost bucktails & eel hooks to blues on occasion, but even that is rare. A 40lb test flouro leader will often come back scuffed up a bit after a blue tangles with a bucktail or eel hook, but rarely will it be bitten through if the fish is lip hooked. If it takes the hook deep, so that the teeth are directly on the line, that's when you'll have the greatest chance of losing it. I lose way more bucktails to getting them caught in rocks than to bluefish :redface:
 
#19 ·
Awesome thread! I have a question. I was fishing the cape cod canal this past weekend for stripers. To cut a long story short, an old timer started fishing next to me, and was explaining that my setup was wrong, as I had a lot of big swivels and snaps (Fish Finder setup) and that the stripers would see all of this and stay away from my line. He also said to never use a wire/steel leader, as stripers will stay away from them, best to let a blue take it... Now, all this being said, I passed it off as "oh boy, just someone elses opinion...". That was until he caught 4 stripers in 2 hours!! (3 under size, but 1 at 32 inches). He was using a 50lb braided mainline with a small 50lb barrel swivel and 3ft mono leader to a 5/0 hook with Mackerel chunks, no weight, just letting it go with the current and chuming Mackerel... So, that being said, does a wire/steel leader really put off the stripers, and do they stay away from big brass snaps and swivels??
 
#20 · (Edited)
Let's just say you got some good advice from a guy who knows what he's talking about :icon_thumright: Hard to say exactly what a fish sees, and often that depends a lot on the clarity of the water, amount of light, etc. Depending on those factors, the fish could be hunting by sight, smell, or the vibrations in the water, but keeping your terminal tackle to a minimum is always sound advice.

Plus... when the current is running hard in the CCC, it's going to be really tough to get a fishfinder rig to do what it's supposed to do. Drifting chucks, eels, or fishing with jigs/lures are usually much better options in the canal, especially when the current is ripping.
 
#21 ·
By the way,,, next time you see someone chumming in the canal, move yourself at least 30 yards or so down current from him so that his chum slick is working in your favor as well, but far enough away that you're not messing with the drift of his line. :icon_thumright:
 
#23 ·
Thanks alot JakeF and im sorry for asking in a sticky. Im going to try my surf leader tonight on the side of the state channel. I wish i could reach the bridge pylons but its a little far 8). Ill be at field 2 Moses tomorrow if anyone would like to fish and ill be in Montauk Fri. Im glad i saved some vacation time this year. Great fishing everyone and im enjoying the site, thanks alot.
 
#26 ·
I've been looking for a thread like this, so thank you.

I'm only 2 outings-old into surf and inshore fishing and am wading through all of the jargon, techniques and such to figure out where to start.

I prefer to keep things simple, but am always evaluating price vs. performance.

I bought up a bunch of well lauded lures while I had a $10-off $50 Dick's coupon. I experimented with fishing several of them on the Metedeconk river at the end of my street :) I've got the water column covered.

However, I'm still uncertain about my terminal tackle setup for hooking all this stuff up to allow the lures to operate at their best and then figure out effective tackle for bait fishing. I haven't tried fishing with bait yet.

I'm targeting stripers, blues and then summer flounder for the table here in NJ. I fish in the Metedeconk and out on the ocean beach in Ocean county. [I see the new regs were just adopted here, one striper of 28"+, a second striper of 43"+].

I'm on a single pole, Penn Battle II 8000 combo with 10' MH 2-6oz graphite rod loaded with 400yds of 20# mono.

For lures, I was thinking of getting a goood quality Spro or Sampos 100#-150# ball bearing swivel with welded ring + coastlock and tying that to my main line with a Palomar knot. Attaching lures right to the coastlock.

For bait, fish finder clip on main line, bead, then 100-150# welded rings ball bearing swivel, then tying on red or black wire (not sure on test) or 80#+ test flouro to a Gamma 7/O or 8/) octo hook.

Thoughts?

Not sure on simple flounder rigs.
 
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