# bottom fishing problem concerning terminal tackle



## legalhookin (Oct 4, 2007)

Ihave just reciently switched to power pro for my grouper rigs and i usually always use egg sinker on the main line and then tie it to a swivel then have my leader and hook. the problem is that the egg sinkers are chaffing my braid line. I usually use between a 4-8oz wieght. what do other people use for rigs. I really like this set up but the line frays got to stop. Also how can you prevent the egg from beating on your knot? Haven't been burnt yet but see it in my future.


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## sniper (Oct 3, 2007)

Tie your braid to a swivel, tie some heavy mono to the swivle (3-4 ') bead the ends of the sinker and slide onto Mono tie on another swivel, then tie on your leader. You still have the fish finder rig but the sinker only runs on the heavy mono.


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## fishinmagician (Oct 16, 2007)

<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">

make sure you knock off the sharp edges of the sinker with a knife or a small drill bit, and use at least a 175lb swivel, what size power pro are you using nothing less than 80 or 100, also check your end eye to make sure it isnt the eye that has a bur on it fraying the line, hope that helps!! Andy</BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>


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## sandman (Oct 31, 2007)

legalhookin,

I agree with "sniper", on the larger rigs. Have been doin it that way for several years now with no problems at all. However, on lighter weight setups for bottom rigs (nearshore & inshore) we use one of the comercially available "sinker slider" products. They thread onto the braid main line with a plastic tube and have a clip to attach the weight to, then tie on your swivel and leader as normal. The big advantage to these devices is they allow you to change weights without cutting & re-tying. Good luck.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

i have NEVER seen this problem...dont know what to tell you. but ya we dont skimp on the quality or pound test on our swivels yet either....


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## wrightackle (Oct 29, 2007)

If you really want to make your life easier just use a knocker rig. Basically the egg sinker slides all the way down to the hook. Use a bead or two to keep the sinker from jamming into the knot and you are good to go. No more tangling on the drop or chafing the braid because the sinker is sliding on your leader. Use as small a sinker as the current will let you. Last week we were getting by with one to two oz. sinkers. Last year a charter boat out of perdido pulled up next to me and everyone was rigged up with knocker rigs and the sinkers were painted chartreuse! I thought that was pretty neat.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

My son is a tackle rep for several large companies and he showed me a new product the other day called a sinker slide that remedies this problem. I am not sure if it is in the tackle shops yet, but I think it is. It is a pretty neat idea.


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## Bryan Bennett (Dec 29, 2007)

I have not done a lot of bottom fishing with braid, so am no expert...like Woody said, I have not seen nor heard of the problem. Without getting into the merits of braid vs. mono, or what type of braid, or perhaps even the quality of the sinker mold you have received leads from, what about this: a lot of deckhands make a rig where the sliding sinker rides on its own section of leader. To be clear, you could rig it like this: running braid from rod tip--swivel--18" of your choice of size monofilament--egg sinker--luminous egg-shaped bead (for knot protection)--second swivel--personal choice of bottom fishing leader with hook. This setup still gives you the sliding sinker effect, although it will not slide above the first swivel. It allows the egg sinker to ride on heavy mono and eliminates the chaffing. Use your regular braid knot on the first swivel, probably a palomar. Hoping this helps, please contact me at Sam's in Orange Beach if we can be of further help (251) 981-4245....good luck.

Oops...just realized I basically reiterated Sniper's point...didn't read soon enough, sorry...just goes to prove that great minds think alike...anywho, do what Sniper said and your worries will be over.


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## Wharf Rat (Sep 27, 2007)

> *bbennett (4/9/2008)*I have not done a lot of bottom fishing with braid, so am no expert...like Woody said, I have not seen nor heard of the problem. Without getting into the merits of braid vs. mono, or what type of braid, or perhaps even the quality of the sinker mold you have received leads from, what about this: a lot of deckhands make a rig where the sliding sinker rides on its own section of leader. To be clear, you could rig it like this: running braid from rod tip--swivel--18" of your choice of size monofilament--egg sinker--luminous egg-shaped bead (for knot protection)--second swivel--personal choice of bottom fishing leader with hook. This setup still gives you the sliding sinker effect, although it will not slide above the first swivel. It allows the egg sinker to ride on heavy mono and eliminates the chaffing. Use your regular braid knot on the first swivel, probably a palomar. Hoping this helps, please contact me at Sam's in Orange Beach if we can be of further help (251) 981-4245....good luck.
> 
> 
> 
> Oops...just realized I basically reiterated Sniper's point...didn't read soon enough, sorry...just goes to prove that great minds think alike...anywho, do what Sniper said and your worries will be over.




Just recently learned this method(same as Snipers) and agree with it. Only difference I do is create a double line with the braid using either a bimini or a spider hitch and then connect the braid to the first swivel using an "offshore swivel" knot.



http://www.fish4fun.com/swivel.htm


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## andyyar (Nov 4, 2007)

to maintain the sliding sinker effect i usually join my briad to a few feet of flourocarbon with a line to line connection (no swivel) then add my egg sinker, then swivel, then leader and hook. This allows for the sinker to slide up and down the flouro, rather than the braid without giving up the sliding effect. as for keeping the weight off the knot you can of course add a bead, but i find myself switching up my rigs well before my egg sinker has compromised the knot in my flourocarbon so i generally don't worry about it


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## legalhookin (Oct 4, 2007)

The exact setup that im using is 50# power pro, 3-6 oz egg sinker bought anywhere thats cheep and don't look like it has visually jagged hole through it, something like a80# swivel (guessing on the size), 60# flora carbon and a 3/0 to a 6/0 gamahatsu(don't grade the spelling!) octopus circle hook.I use a snell on the hook and trilene knot, but the knot that gets contacted is the braid to swivel which is a double 5 turn uni knot. the single 5 or so turns would pull loose on a good fish and the double fixed that. May just go to the mono mid section to hold the weigh like suggested to use what i have already. like the slide weight concept that was spoken of and will have to look for them have to buy all my lead now anyways and not pouring them yet. Just thought of this, i wonder if a coffee straw stuffed in the lead would work, may have to add some silicone(a mechanic so got alot of it) to get it to stay in. as to the comment of 80# and up, I have 80 on a larger rod and it just owns what I've experienced so far but really like the low drag i get from my 50 which ain't alot less than the 80 but i dont go out very far and the lesser the wieght the better for me for the picky fish. thank you alot for the comments and will apreciate any more.


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## legalhookin (Oct 4, 2007)

I forgot to say on the larger rod with the 80# i have a bead over the not because the wieght hits the not and doesn't even go over it. know dont laugh....... I put one of those caralina rig brass knot covers on the line. it covers the knot and i have a bead inbetween it and the wieght. all i ever do with this rod is put a live bait on, send it down and wait for it to bend over. Figure maybe all that "clicking" from the brass, bead, and wieght might help draw attention to my bait swimmingor atleast iritate something into stiking.Hasn't seem to scare the fish off cant really say its a advantage yet either. figure i would share my idea or "******* tecknology!" thanks again, love this forum.


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## Clay Peacher (Oct 2, 2007)

Stick a toothpick in the hole of the slip sinker - It will still allow it to slip but will slow it down.


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

On my grouper rig I take the 200# power pro mainline and tie on about 15-20' of 100# mono with an Albright, and put the slip lead on the mono. The knot is big enough to stop most slip sinkers without a bead, but stillslips through the guides easily.Then I tie a swivel under the slip sinker and attach what ever size leader I want. For lighter line setups a bead is needed.


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## bombtosser (Oct 5, 2007)

p-cola native. that might be a good idea to put the 100lb mono on..have you noticed it help absorb some shock over just having braid on?


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

Yes, I think it does. You do not want to hook into a 70# AJ or a 50# grouper with straight braid and a locked down drag. For snapper and small grouper it isn't as important, but I think it helps keep from pulling hooks.

For trolling I put on an even longer shock leader.


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## REEL FEISTY (Oct 17, 2007)

First thing I would do is get rid of the power pro and get some tuff line. I quit using power pro about 4 years ago because of break off due to frayed spots in the line. Power pro seems to be a finer tread than tuff line or deep drop and does not fray as easy. If you are fishing rigs,wrecks, or cut off rigs I fish tuff line to a 80lb mono leader or larger due to stretch and pulling you into the wreck and getting cut offwith the sinker above theleader. True you have your hands full with a locked down drag, but your chances are a lot better of getting the fish out of the wreck and in the boat.


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## legalhookin (Oct 4, 2007)

REEL FIESTY, are you letting the weight slide up and down on the "tuff line" brand you describe?


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## wrightackle (Oct 29, 2007)

I shouldn't answer for Reel Feisty, from the looks of his rig I believe he is probably slightly bit more savvy than me on terminal tackle. For my part I would never have the slip sinker sliding on the braid. A simple knocker rigs where the sinker slides all the way to the hook is easiest to do but having the slip sinker sliding on a designated part of the leader works too. The tuff line advice was right on the money. It is far superior to Power Pro especially the version that is black and white.


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## REEL FEISTY (Oct 17, 2007)

The lead is on the braid and have never had any trouble. I always clean the ends of the lead to make sure there are no rough spot. I use a knocker rig for snapper a lot only I don't use a leader. Slip the lead (2oz)onto 30lb mono and tie the hook on.


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## pound4pound (Oct 11, 2007)

I have been using powerpro on my heavy tackle for years, and the only problem I have ever had with the line fraying was being caused by the rod tip. Make sure you have a roller guide on the tip.


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## brnbser (Oct 1, 2007)

the salt and pepper tuff line James is using is by far the best for heavier bottom rigs and like he said doesn't fray like power pro.

one problem with the tuff line is that I just found out that Outcast is no longer stocking it in the smaller packages (150 and 300 yd spools).

They still have plenty in bulk and can spool your rod for you though.

Another draw back we had alot of trouble with, when your trying to hold on a spot vs anchoring and doing a quick drop using power pro, the weight will come back up the pp and twist everything up. you have to really slow it down or use some of the ideas already mentioned like a toothpic in the egg weight or a short piece of mono with swivels on each end and the weight in the middle to keep the weight from rising up.

I'd have to say my favorite way is braid to mono with a uni to uni (no swivel) and as small of a weight as I can get away with up against the hook (knocker rig).

The fish finder rig got real popular (again) several years ago you just have to slow it down like I said and it's always been effective.


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## REEL FEISTY (Oct 17, 2007)

We always knew you and I fish a lot a like Scott. Kinda sorta.I have been ordering my line from cabelas. I don't have access to tackle stores that carry saltwater stuff up here. The line I have on 2 of my reels is called deep drop made by the same people that make tuff line and is much more coarse and alittle bit larger, but have had it on my reels for four years.  Hope this information helps you some.


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## onoahi (Oct 5, 2007)

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">130lb braided, leader=6ft of 100lb mono w/ 11/0 circle hook. Tie leader to main w/ a 500lb 3-way barrel swivel, attaching 8-16oz lead to 3rd swivel eye. If have to use 20oz lead move to another site.


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## REEL FEISTY (Oct 17, 2007)

Very smart thinking except I don't like the three way swivel. If you have to go over 16oz you need an electric reel and do some real deep drop.


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## legalhookin (Oct 4, 2007)

thanks but that is probally on the heavy side for my little ride i have, i dont ever get to make it past 100' of water. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, going out tommorrow and going to use a piece of dedicated mono that is spliced onto the braid. have noticed the tangles every now and then though, if tangles get anoying i will let the wieght be on the leader and slide up to the hook like suggested. I'm a coward and like to have my bait a crank or two off of the bottom to give me a better chance of not getting "holed" up by a grouper since i usually have the rod sitting in the rod holder, so thats why i'm using the splice setup.(so the wieght doesnt hurt the action of my bait?) thank you all, been a good thread so far.


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