Bottom fishing offshore

srqfishing941

I bought 2 setups to go offshore with. I have a Shimano speed master 12 with 65lbs braid paired with a mojo salt rod. 

I also bought a 7500 spinfisher because I like using spinning reels offshore sometimes. I have it paired with a Shimano talica px rod. Rated 40-80 lb braid. 

What pound braid would you guys put on the spinning reel?
going after American red snapper, grouper, amberjack. As big as they come. Looking to fill the freezer but also don’t want to over do it on the braid. Will be fishing a lot of structure so will need to horse em out and put a lot of heat on em. 

bigfinn35

first off, if you want a setup for big grouper and AJs on heavy structure, and aren't planning to do finesse fishing like slow-pitch jigging, use the conventional reel. You really need that cranking power if using a heavy setup like that for truly large bottom fish on heavy structure. Different story if you're fishing freshwater springs, flat areas of hard bottom, or other low-relief structure that holds bottom fish.

For most bottom fishing and fun-size AJs (anything under 40 lbs in my book) though, the spinning setup should be fine. I use 40lb braid on my heavy spinning setups, anything larger than that is just overkill because your spinning reel's drag won't be able to put up higher resistance than that. So stay a bit lighter and keep the extra sensitivity that gets you. Most braid sold these days actually has a considerably higher breaking strength than it's marketed with, anyhow.

I will say that adding a monofilament topshot (maybe 20-30 ft of 40 or 50-lb mono) is a great idea if you plan to be fishing around large structure. Braid gets shredded nearly instantly when rubbing against a wreck or rocky ledge, the mono will give you a bit of leeway there while letting you keep most of the benefits of braid. 

poncedorado

^ Yep. What he said.

Hunter85

I Set up my offshore line size by the reel. I want atleast 300 yds of braid and a mono top shot of 20-30 ft of lesser pound test to fit on the reel. My line sets are 80/60, 65/50, 50/40, 40/30, and 20/15. 

pottydoc

bigfinn35 said:

first off, if you want a setup for big grouper and AJs on heavy structure, and aren't planning to do finesse fishing like slow-pitch jigging, use the conventional reel. You really need that cranking power if using a heavy setup like that for truly large bottom fish on heavy structure. Different story if you're fishing freshwater springs, flat areas of hard bottom, or other low-relief structure that holds bottom fish.

For most bottom fishing and fun-size AJs (anything under 40 lbs in my book) though, the spinning setup should be fine. I use 40lb braid on my heavy spinning setups, anything larger than that is just overkill because your spinning reel's drag won't be able to put up higher resistance than that. So stay a bit lighter and keep the extra sensitivity that gets you. Most braid sold these days actually has a considerably higher breaking strength than it's marketed with, anyhow.

I will say that adding a monofilament topshot (maybe 20-30 ft of 40 or 50-lb mono) is a great idea if you plan to be fishing around large structure. Braid gets shredded nearly instantly when rubbing against a wreck or rocky ledge, the mono will give you a bit of leeway there while letting you keep most of the benefits of 

The Cat's Eye

Before braid was even on the horizon anglers decades ago employed methods to land large AJ's and even grouper occasionally on light mono from structure. I won't get into the specifics but i once took a 44 lb AJ on 10 lb test mono off a very high profile deep wreck in 240 ft. I also took a couple of 15 gags off a shallow wreck with 10 lb mono. Many other talented anglers landed much larger fish off structire the same way back in the day. This method was used primarily to enter the Casting Divisions in the popular MET Fishing Tournament where the line test limit was 10 lb mono for the Spin Div and 15 lb test mono for the Plug Div. The same held for the Fly Div. as far as line test. No bait or even scent on an artificial lure was allowed in these so called casting divisions. So trolling or even drifting was prohibited. Of course i am sure cheating occured but no money prizes were awarded, only trophies, plaques and certificates. However many guides launched their career by taking the top trophies.

Fisherman007

The Cat's Eye said:

Before braid was even on the horizon anglers decades ago employed methods to land large AJ's and even grouper occasionally on light mono from structure. I won't get into the specifics but i once took a 44 lb AJ on 10 lb test mono off a very high profile deep wreck in 240 ft. I also took a couple of 15 gags off a shallow wreck with 10 lb mono. Many other talented anglers landed much larger fish off structire the same way back in the day. This method was used primarily to enter the Casting Divisions in the popular MET Fishing Tournament where the line test limit was 10 lb mono for the Spin Div and 15 lb test mono for the Plug Div. The same held for the Fly Div. as far as line test. No bait or even scent on an artificial lure was allowed in these so called casting divisions. So trolling or even drifting was prohibited. Of course i am sure cheating occured but no money prizes were awarded, only trophies, plaques and certificates. However many guides launched their career by taking the top trophies.

What's that got to do with the question?

Missed

3 rigs - 65# braid and 60# mono - everyday rig, trolling, bottom fishing, live lining, etc.
1 rig - 80# braid and 80# mono - trolling and bottom fishing
2 rigs - 100# braid and 80# mono. - bottom fishing - forget why I got the 100# braid and using 80# mono leader.
2 rigs - 50# braid and 50 mono for kings
1 rig - Penn 7500 with 300 or 500 yards of 80# braid on it, forget - haven't used it yet.
2 rigs - 30# braid and 25-40# mono for small grovers and yellowtail

Using 20-25 feet of mono on the braid and then 6 ft leader to the hooks. 
Use 25-80# leaders depending on what fishing for.  

Unless fishing for small fish like yellowtails or sub-20 inch grovers, I won't bottom fish with less than 60# mono - over the years have lost some very nice fish due to line failures during the fight.  Also use palomar knots due to the line being doubled - help keep the swivels from cutting thru. 

Fisherman007

Missed said:

3 rigs - 65# braid and 60# mono - everyday rig, trolling, bottom fishing, live lining, etc.
1 rig - 80# braid and 80# mono - trolling and bottom fishing
2 rigs - 100# braid and 80# mono. - bottom fishing - forget why I got the 100# braid and using 80# mono leader.
2 rigs - 50# braid and 50 mono for kings
1 rig - Penn 7500 with 300 or 500 yards of 80# braid on it, forget - haven't used it yet.
2 rigs - 30# braid and 25-40# mono for small grovers and yellowtail

Using 20-25 feet of mono on the braid and then 6 ft leader to the hooks. 
Use 25-80# leaders depending on what fishing for.  

Unless fishing for small fish like yellowtails or sub-20 inch grovers, I won't bottom fish with less than 60# mono - over the years have lost some very nice fish due to line failures during the fight.  Also use palomar knots due to the line being doubled - help keep the swivels from cutting thru. 

I only use Palomar knot too. 

Guy on Youtube channel (I won't say who) who only uses 20lb leader.  Says he gets more bites (but he breaks off on all the big fish).  A lot of people have commented (and I have emailed him) that he should go up in leader but he says it bends in the water and he gets more bites.  You can lead a horse...

tankered

Not getting many snapper, especially yellowtail bites with 25# leader...

The Cat's Eye

Fisherman007 said:

The Cat's Eye said:

Before braid was even on the horizon anglers decades ago employed methods to land large AJ's and even grouper occasionally on light mono from structure. I won't get into the specifics but i once took a 44 lb AJ on 10 lb test mono off a very high profile deep wreck in 240 ft. I also took a couple of 15 gags off a shallow wreck with 10 lb mono. Many other talented anglers landed much larger fish off structire the same way back in the day. This method was used primarily to enter the Casting Divisions in the popular MET Fishing Tournament where the line test limit was 10 lb mono for the Spin Div and 15 lb test mono for the Plug Div. The same held for the Fly Div. as far as line test. No bait or even scent on an artificial lure was allowed in these so called casting divisions. So trolling or even drifting was prohibited. Of course i am sure cheating occured but no money prizes were awarded, only trophies, plaques and certificates. However many guides launched their career by taking the top trophies.

What's that got to do with the question?

If you can't figure out the connection of my post to the origianl post question you must have failed reading comprehesion in school.   

The point i was making was that is is not always necessary to use very high strength line to land large fish. For example, say you want ot use 40 lb or 50 lb test braid to muscle a 50 to 60 lb amberjack off a high profile deep wreck, you will lose the fish to the wreck most of the time. That is why charther boats use 80 lb line with a 6/0 reel or larger in a fighting chari to pull large AJ's off wrecks.  

pottydoc

Fisherman007 said:

The Cat's Eye said:

Before braid was even on the horizon anglers decades ago employed methods to land large AJ's and even grouper occasionally on light mono from structure. I won't get into the specifics but i once took a 44 lb AJ on 10 lb test mono off a very high profile deep wreck in 240 ft. I also took a couple of 15 gags off a shallow wreck with 10 lb mono. Many other talented anglers landed much larger fish off structire the same way back in the day. This method was used primarily to enter the Casting Divisions in the popular MET Fishing Tournament where the line test limit was 10 lb mono for the Spin Div and 15 lb test mono for the Plug Div. The same held for the Fly Div. as far as line test. No bait or even scent on an artificial lure was allowed in these so called casting divisions. So trolling or even drifting was prohibited. Of course i am sure cheating occured but no money prizes were awarded, only trophies, plaques and certificates. However many guides launched their career by taking the top trophies.

What's that got to do with the question?

Nothing. Just a humble brag on his fishing prowess. 

pottydoc

The Cat's Eye said:

Fisherman007 said:

The Cat's Eye said:

Before braid was even on the horizon anglers decades ago employed methods to land large AJ's and even grouper occasionally on light mono from structure. I won't get into the specifics but i once took a 44 lb AJ on 10 lb test mono off a very high profile deep wreck in 240 ft. I also took a couple of 15 gags off a shallow wreck with 10 lb mono. Many other talented anglers landed much larger fish off structire the same way back in the day. This method was used primarily to enter the Casting Divisions in the popular MET Fishing Tournament where the line test limit was 10 lb mono for the Spin Div and 15 lb test mono for the Plug Div. The same held for the Fly Div. as far as line test. No bait or even scent on an artificial lure was allowed in these so called casting divisions. So trolling or even drifting was prohibited. Of course i am sure cheating occured but no money prizes were awarded, only trophies, plaques and certificates. However many guides launched their career by taking the top trophies.

What's that got to do with the question?

If you can't figure out the connection of my post to the origianl post question you must have failed reading comprehesion in school.   

The point i was making was that is is not always necessary to use very high strength line to land large fish. For example, say you want ot use 40 lb or 50 lb test braid to muscle a 50 to 60 lb amberjack off a high profile deep wreck, you will lose the fish to the wreck most of the time. That is why charther boats use 80 lb line with a 6/0 reel or larger in a fighting chari to pull large AJ's off wrecks.


🙄

bigfinn35

tankered said:

Not getting many snapper, especially yellowtail bites with 25# leader...

depends. Most places I agree with you, but lanes seem to have zero self-preservation instinct when it comes to spotting/avoiding baited bottom rigs. Hell, the yellowtail I get in deeper water off Sarasota hit 40-lb test bottom rigs as often as they do my 20-lb test YT rigs. Definitely a different story for mangroves of any decent size, or most snapper further south.

Missed

Fisherman007 said:

I only use Palomar knot too. 

Guy on Youtube channel (I won't say who) who only uses 20lb leader.  Says he gets more bites (but he breaks off on all the big fish).  A lot of people have commented (and I have emailed him) that he should go up in leader but he says it bends in the water and he gets more bites.  You can lead a horse...

We definitely get more bites on lighter line but why someone would go 20# on offshore structure is another story.  I'd work my way up til there was a balance of landing fish and getting bites.  

If all I'm getting is 16 inch grovers, 25# mono or 30# fluro is my go-to.  Unknown bottom, I always start at 60#.  No bites, will drop to 40# and then to 25#.  Lose a fish, up to 80#.

As for AJs, they are my favorite fish to catch and not going below 60# or 80# w them.