Tarpon line
Salty Leader
Posts: 27 Greenhorn
I've always have used mono when fishing for tarpon. I only fish the beaches and in the river and like it for the stretch. generaly I stick to 40-30 pound test. Just wondering what others use and how it works for them. Everything else I use has braid on it (except flyrods :cool:). Looking for input. Thanks.
Replies
I'm curious what the more knowledgeable people will say.
Captain Keith - Crooked Rod Charters
I use Cabo 60's with #65 Braid with #80 fluro leader. #60 fluro is a little light on fish in the #100-#150+ category (Lost many fish using #60). #65 Braid helps to keep the fight down to 10-15 minutes on #100 class fish.
65lb mainline to 80lb fluoro used to be my go-to setup, I just got tired of tying the 80lb. In my limited experience though it doesn't seem that I've experienced any more break-off's or that the length of the fight has increased substantially. I use Saltist 6000's and Stella 10000's so even with a hefty amount of drag it all seems to hold up well.
I use mono when fishing vertically in passes and braid everywhere else. I've not noticed a significant difference in fish landed on either method, if anything the braid seems to hold fish a bit better (but, admittedly, there's a big weight on my vertically-fished mono rods, which could be throwing things off).
I use circle hooks almost exclusively, so stretch on the hookset (which is virtually nonexistent and really done more out of habit) doesn't really play into the equation for me.
For conventional free line: 40# braid, 4' bimini , offshore swivel knot to 80# micro swivel, improved clinch to 5' 60# fluoro , red bead , 4" foam float , red bead , small rubber band, uni-uni to 18" 80# fluoro.
"Well Gary, the easiest way to look tall is to stand in a room full of short people." - Curtis Bostick
"All these forums, with barely any activity, are like a neglected old cemetery that no one visits anymore."- anonymouse
Way too complicated
What did you expect, it's Gary's rig. He likes to make things more complicated than they need to be.
Not for me. I can tell you about my 11 wt. systems if you want.
"Well Gary, the easiest way to look tall is to stand in a room full of short people." - Curtis Bostick
"All these forums, with barely any activity, are like a neglected old cemetery that no one visits anymore."- anonymouse
Please do, I just picked up a 12 wt this year and I'm curious on how to rig my leaders.
I use 40# power pro and 5' of 60 # fluoro.
Never had a problem catching them
20" 40# fluoro nail knoted to fly line, coated with Pliobond with a bimini loop at the end . this is your basic line/ butt section to loop to loop your leaders.
I use two:
'Homeboy' - 5' 20# fluoro, bimini loop at butt section, uni-uni to 18" 80# fluoro.
'Turnover' - 3' 30# fluoro , bimini loop at butt section, uni-uni to 2' 20# fluoro, uni-uni to 18'' 80# fluoro.
"Well Gary, the easiest way to look tall is to stand in a room full of short people." - Curtis Bostick
"All these forums, with barely any activity, are like a neglected old cemetery that no one visits anymore."- anonymouse
Works (I Guess) until:
Top 11 Reasons why you should not use a snap swivel:
1. Mackerel or Bluefish homes in on your snap or bubble trail and cuts you off
2. Target Fish sees the snap or the debris tangled around your snap and passes on your bait
3. You snag something in your boat because you are trailing 6'-8' of leader & line behind you (Tarpon)
4. You snag a tree/dock/angler in close quarters because you are trailing 4-5' of leader (Backcountry)
5. Can't quite get a bait to skip under anything because of a long leader
6. Can't quite get a bait far enough because you are dangling too much leader (Need 3-10" to effectively skip)
7. You spook a redfish or snook, etc., because your snap lands a little to close to the fish you just sight casted to; or you reeled the snap swivel across the path of an unseen fish.
8. Wasting too much fluro material because you just cant trim off the chewed up section near the hook and retie, because now your hook is too close to your snap
9. You chipped a guide because you (Or someone else) just reeled in the swivel or snap through your top eye
10. You wasted 25 minutes trying to undo a massive tangle your white bait made after swimming in circles on a semi slack line, and now all of that braid is wrapped all over your swivel or snap swivel (Braid users who fish a lot know exactly what I'm talking about).
11. Accuracy; you just cant seem to get that lure or bait where you want it because you are dangling too much leader
Personally, I don't see any advantages to a snap vs a uni. One can make an argument; 100% breaking point (Snap) vs. 95% (Uni), but then again, aren't the other two knows (Hook & Swivel) @ 90-95%?; AND quick change of leaders. But then again, I can tie on a new hook and attach braid to leader in about the same time as it takes to unwind a leader and snap a new one on.............seconds.
You are absolutely correct, it's a matter of preference. Personally, I don't think I could cast anything out of a Yak using a 4-6-8' leader.