dogboy Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 i have tried to absorb as much info as my feeble brain will handle as far as lures and modifications go for distance casting for roosterfish in the surf a couple of questions remain: barrel swivel or not? leader strength? (am using 25, 40, and 50# mono and/or flourocarbon as shock leaders, depending on rod and reel) leader length? (shock leaders will be fairly long, and tied directly to line on spool) all comments gratefully appreciated! less than two weeks to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudsratt Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 HPD I'm sure will be extolling his expertise here,but I've caught a few good fish(Roosters,Jacks,Cubera) with the following set-up(s): Snaps.....100# BERKELY CROSSLOCK, not a Coastlock,not a Duolock,but a CROSSLOCK snap. some like the breakaways,but it's not an actual locking type snap,more of a beefed up paper clip.I do like them for slinking bait rigs though. Barrel swivel: SPRO 130# Leaders,leader length: I've used 40,50 and 60# TRIPLEFISH,GAMMA and SEAGUAR fluoro. All good,with a length of about 30-36". Preference? 40...Seaguar 50...TripleFish 60...Gamma and 30# PowerPro braided line GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN! Steve GET OUT THERE, and FISH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogboy Posted November 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 thanks! the guy i am going with has worked one day a week (in addition to his full time job) at a bait and tackle in CT he has yet to draw a paycheck...he draws his wages in tackle! if he can keep his luggage below 50 pounds, it will be a miracle! he does catch a lot of fish though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudsratt Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 cool! so I guess you've read alot of HPD's posts on surfcasting Mexico? Lures,rods,reels etc?? by chance are you going with him? Steve GET OUT THERE, and FISH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Plains Drifter Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 i have tried to absorb as much info as my feeble brain will handle as far as lures and modifications go for distance casting for roosterfish in the surf a couple of questions remain: barrel swivel or not? A swivel is not needed for line twisting reasons. Swivels do not avoid twist and braid is not affected much by twist anyway. I use a swivel to join my running line (braid) to my mono leader because it is stronger and more durable than direct line to line knots leader strength? (am using 25, 40, and 50# mono and/or flourocarbon as shock leaders, depending on rod and reel) Rooster fishing involves high speed top water cranking. There is little advantage to using fluorocarbon in this situation. 50# nylon mono is fine! leader length? (shock leaders will be fairly long, and tied directly to line on spool) I assume you are using spinning tackle. Long leaders that wrap around the spool (true shock leaders) and spinning reels lead to massive wind knots. If you use #30 - #50 pound braid you do not need a long "shock leader" for casting. Instead, you should use a 24" -42" leader that never gets reeled inside the rod guides. It is used for abrasion/cut resistance against the sharp parts of the fish. The actual length depends on the length of your preferred line drop prior to casting. all comments gratefully appreciated! All your line and leader strength questions are dependent on the quality of your knots. They are the weakest link. #30 line with a really good knot will give you as much pull strength as #50 line with a mediocre knot. I recommend you use #50 braid if you are not highly experienced with big strong fish and all the nuances that lighter lines require when dealing with them. Sudsratt gives good advice regarding crosslock snaps. I'm using Breakaway links and like them the best. The formula for most people would be a minimum of 300 yards of #50 braid tied to a #130 Spro Power Swivel. A 24" - 42" #50 nylon mono leader gets tied to the other side of the swivel. A #100 Crosslock snap (or Breakaway clip) gets tied to the terminal end of the leader. less than two weeks to go! Where are you headed? - HPD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudsratt Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Hi G Great advice.....................as usual! Nope, no need for fluoro.And the set-up you stated is right on! Braid,swivel,leader,clip,plug................ ..........BIG FISH! Hunkerin' down for the big North winter yet? Don't forget to bring home the gaff! Steve GET OUT THERE, and FISH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Plains Drifter Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Hunkerin' down for the big North winter yet? Don't forget to bring home the gaff! Hi Steve - I'm making the last roosterfish trip of the year in two weeks with some interesting guys ! At the moment, it's hunting season for me so I'm in the field shooting pheasants, in the marsh shooting ducks, and in the tree stand with my bow. Hunkering down for winter?? When you are an outdoor sportsman, winter doesn't start until mid January! - HPD Yeah, yeah, yeah.......the gaff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogboy Posted November 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Where are you headed? - HPD Costa Rica- the Nicoya peninsula Potrero, Samara, and apparently the Tempisque River Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogboy Posted November 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 i hate braid! but will bring some, at least for my big rod what kind is most user friendly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canyondiver Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 HPD, Have you tried McMahon snaps? I use them for everything from light surf fishing to heavy offshore and have never had a failure. I also find them easy to thread the devices to. Proud to be a NERB and I have the shirts to prove it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Plains Drifter Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 HPD, Have you tried McMahon snaps? I use them for everything from light surf fishing to heavy offshore and have never had a failure. I also find them easy to thread the devices to. I've seen them but never used them. If the Breakaway clips ever fail me I'll give 'em a try! - HPD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Plains Drifter Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 i hate braid! but will bring some, at least for my big rod what kind is most user friendly? Now (two weeks from your trip) is NOT the time to enter into the world of braid! Put it on the "must do" list for later on. MUST DO! Good success on the tropical Eastern Pacific requires very long casting and having a minimum of line stretch with 100-150 yards line out. Both those things spell braid. If you are using nylon mono, make sure you are on the beach at the crack of dawn when the fish are nearer shore. - HPD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogboy Posted November 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Now (two weeks from your trip) is NOT the time to enter into the world of braid! Put it on the "must do" list for later on. MUST DO! Good success on the tropical Eastern Pacific requires very long casting and having a minimum of line stretch with 100-150 yards line out. Both those things spell braid. If you are using nylon mono, make sure you are on the beach at the crack of dawn when the fish are nearer shore. - HPD thanks for the tip- i tend to use mono on the light side of the ratings for each particular set-up, so maybe i won't lose too much casting distance i had a buddy on my boat using braid one night we were three waying eels just off the bottom in 50 feet of water through a gut, drifting with a fast current, picking up 40 plus inch stripers he had a pretty fancy set-up that some high roller friend of his gave him and got hung up where mono would have broken after a while, he nearly busted everything up, including his fingers i think i ended up cutting the line my personal experience was getting wind knots and having a tough time dealing with snags without losing my fingertips, so i switched spools back to big game maybe i will practice with it during off peak fishing times it is all my buddy uses, so he can offer suggestions i am sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaux Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 HPD, Have you tried McMahon snaps? I use them for everything from light surf fishing to heavy offshore and have never had a failure. I also find them easy to thread the devices to. I've seen them but never used them. If the Breakaway clips ever fail me I'll give 'em a try! - HPD Cross Locks - Breakaway Clips - McMahon Snaps - etc. What I've never understood is why as something as simple as => Lure - Split Ring - Solid Ring - Leader hasn't garnered more favor over the years. All you need with this setup is a good pair of split ring pliers to swap lures out. Reaux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furbait Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 thanks for the tip- i tend to use mono on the light side of the ratings for each particular set-up, so maybe i won't lose too much casting distance i had a buddy on my boat using braid one night we were three waying eels just off the bottom in 50 feet of water through a gut, drifting with a fast current, picking up 40 plus inch stripers he had a pretty fancy set-up that some high roller friend of his gave him and got hung up where mono would have broken after a while, he nearly busted everything up, including his fingers i think i ended up cutting the line my personal experience was getting wind knots and having a tough time dealing with snags without losing my fingertips, so i switched spools back to big game maybe i will practice with it during off peak fishing times it is all my buddy uses, so he can offer suggestions i am sure dogboy, I don't like braid much either! If you use Big Game, I think you'd really like Trilene XT. It casts much better than Big Game, has far less stretch, is more abrasion resistant and holds knots very well. It's more expensive, but it's also stronger. It's what I use to get out 100+ yds. Good Fishing! FB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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