# Offshore rigging - Poorly setup



## victor-victor (Jan 12, 2006)

At Barlings Beach, hoot of a trip I discovered I was poorly setup for fishing offshore. A few things I noticed was a few different rigs, a fixed sinker about 30 cm behind the softpastic to get it down and a small jighead on 3"- 4" plastic.

I was wondering what poundage of line people where using when setting out for Trolling and bottom bashing.

The main area I really lacked was soft plastic jig head weights and with flick baits I was rigging these upside down (MangoX put me straight after seeing what I was using - thanks). What weights and hook size do you use when rigging soft plastics?

When trolling soft plastics do you a swivel before attaching Soft plastic?

Any thoughts or comments :shock: ?

Victor


----------



## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Gday Vic, I found that I could JUST reach the bottom at Barlings in about 12-15m using a 1/8th ounce bullet jighead with a #1 hook (but 1/6 ounce bullets were better) - I used these for 3" plastics. For 4" plastics I was using a 1/4 ounce darter jighead with #2/0 hook. I used 8 pound line and leader on both my SP outfits, and was trolling HB lures with my heavier outfit which had 20 pound braid.

Others might disagree, but I reckon 8 pound was fine for bottom bashing, the key was using jigheads that were heavy enough to hit the bottom and stay there. IMO you don't want to fish so heavy that you'll miss bites you would have felt with lighter line (I'll probably change my opinion if I get smoked by something big). I'll be stocking up on 1/6 and 1/4 ounce jigheads before I head down that way again. :wink:

Although drop shotting would also work a treat, and allow you to fish much heavier weights without impairing the action of the SP.


----------



## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

QlpoOTFBWSZTWdJHgJ4AAELfgAASQOfvSAAgFgA//9+gMAEyathKnpCp+k8qe1T8oyCNqZANG1BqZMjUxTIAGmjQNPUAaajSYo2k0e1QaAAGgIAKzngZDArzSRVfXnGBvxwD0jkd6On+WBWSsY1g0AxSNW8ot172ya3xS5YxqVozyM1R0dgxuqFKAxxnjDPdXp1wYq7QXrFdB+gtGGcY3bKo97tbfkoxcdjuZdaHpJ6emkPWa5HjyRqpyrZiDLX37e2VpBKnyWC91GoFtWEq6JEJJCJvDAh6ZxMmBIKYlUILMEC97Q7328JidOFmkTDAzVN0Wn5bNvCqiyTmEXDFFuIiKghhL6qTBAfGyLYOsvKvq5hr0wvyuogoCcDEna7Uz/KJRUmsAxWOgZgmQHJoxUy+lmsAmnNDGngmjcoFnu1fxwMIl1sub/8XckU4UJDSR4Ce


----------



## victor-victor (Jan 12, 2006)

Looks like my problem was 20 lb Braid with 1/8 oz and 1/4 oz jigheads. I just could not get the SP to the bottom with drift and current working against me.

I was lucky I used a Storm 55 nipper SP with 1/16 oz jighead and nailed a nice snapper, which I think I was very lucky because it was nailed on the way down. With 20 lb braid it took for ever to get down and I had to feed line out manually.

I did take one packet of 6" shads pre rigged with 2 oz lead, which hooked many rock cod and sergeant bakers. The packet didn't last long at all but the SP got to the bottom.

I think I need to rethink my setup completely, 6- 10lb might be a better setup and buy better reels as my cheap reel drag seized a few times. The gear I have is aimed at land based rock fishing which I don't do allot lately with the Prowler.

All my other gear is aimed at freshwater and is 4 (everything except targeting cod, cod 10lb, no luck there yet) rigged with better quality reels and rods.

Much food for thought and $ for my local tackle shop.

Keep the comments coming :shock:


----------



## Jeffo (Sep 10, 2006)

For offshore I generally use 3/8 nitro jig heads on 5 inch SP stick baits (Berkely nuclear chickens etc), for water 20mtrs or so

From experience min 10lb braid & 10lb leader because there is a very big chance of a decent fish coming along & in the yak you need a little "stopping power"

10lb also seems to be a good weight to troll Hard bodied lures behind. If you use a 4000 type reel it can double well for flickign SP's or metal slugs as well as trolling

Hope thsi helps

Jeffo


----------



## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

QlpoOTFBWSZTWXq4YDgAADXfgAASUOfKAiAilAo/7/+wMADqbQ0QFPKaepp6mnojTRkyNNPU0DUyT1M1TZJ+qNA2oDQaAA1U/0mqeTKbKZP1Ro0ABoAGCdI0lbhjpr5bdSy8ReofHv5dEZiFAclqm5JdXAazpX6ffotjCw3KsbLW71cUp8KE1D0g8xPHDCkQ9TG4FzIzfcu+SxaZ79dgUTckJ0QO4PrlilR2RmO1DkIWwpz4ItI/06iiZvHgwxuGNcrEwWM3UlGTcKpGyA3GGCAg5TBalk4+0F08GXIT1qshOJgQ9TA6HI4Ik7Tma57SBKsTB4tBZIJdvbOeK0ddeaRK42aX2sQcGGtCOqi5FoGiEIoRpEVYfZU/Cp7ye7vGEg57ZSy5/4u5IpwoSD1cMBwA


----------



## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

I'm really enjoying using a baitcaster with 10lb braid and 10-15lb leader for trolling, casting and bottom bashing inshore. With lure weights from 7g upwards, the baitcaster casts well and is so much easier to use than a threadline, provided you watch the casts and avoid birdsnests. Handles everything my 4000 sized threadline does but is much nicer to use.


----------



## aleg75 (Dec 20, 2005)

redphoenix said:


> victor-victor said:
> 
> 
> > buy better reels as my cheap reel drag seized a few times
> ...


I can vouch for the IT range from okuma too, a budget reel but very nice to use! however havent used it in salt, but it has lasted a couple seasons in freshwater with no faults.

Ash


----------



## victor-victor (Jan 12, 2006)

Peril, just out of interest what type of Baitcaster do you use in the salt?

I love my freshwater ones, Chronarch 50mg and Viento for freshwater but I haven't been game to use them in saltwater.


----------



## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

victor-victor said:


> Peril, just out of interest what type of Baitcaster do you use in the salt?
> 
> I love my freshwater ones, Chronarch 50mg and Viento for freshwater but I haven't been game to use them in saltwater.


Wouldn't be using a magnesium (mg) reel in the salt.

I've got a Daiwa Procaster 103HSD. Retails for about $150. Pretty sure its not recommended for the salt, but I don't get to see much fresh.

Check out the Coastal Inshore Special. Looks just what the Doctor ordered without being over the top pricewise - $175 at Campbells


----------



## Guest (Feb 27, 2007)

Vic,

The Viento will be fine in the salt mate as long as you wash it down after use, the Daiwa coastal got a great review on tackle tour website and it is under $200 it also has a bigger line capacity than your Viento.

TDA153HST, Coastal or HRF are all under $250 and well worth a look at being larger "low profile" baitcasters, I personally would go the TDA as it is a proven reel with outstanding capabilities.


----------



## victor-victor (Jan 12, 2006)

> Occy: I wish I could use my baitcasters. I have a Chronarch and a Spider (from the Spider Wire people I think). Nice reels but I can't seem to cast with them.


I'm trying to make it to Forster so far it's 80/20, I can go through the setup to help you reduce the number of bird nests you get. Tackle WOrld used to give out a free DVD about their products and how to use them and they have a good bit about setting up and casting with a baitcaster, I see if I can find it if you are interested.

Victor


----------



## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

occy said:


> I wish I could use my baitcasters. I have a Chronarch and a Spider (from the Spider Wire people I think). Nice reels but I can't seem to cast with them.
> 
> Note to self: next trip take one out and practice casting with it, then bring it back home and clean and de-birdsnest before packing it away again. Bloody birdsnests. Must try and work out what went wrong, other than the fact I have ten thumbs.


Paul, this link was posted by macfish a few months ago. Talks about how to adjust the reel for the weight you are casting - very important


----------



## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

victor, I get offshore reasonably regularly and when I do its usually targetting kingfish, salmon and tailor via trolling hard bodies around coastal headlands , in close to the rocks and around bommies. In this instance I want to ensure that I fish 'light'; enough to avoid spooking the fish, but heavy enough to give me sufficient stopping power.

For trolling I have several outfits but the most used ones are a 7' Shimano Bullwhip 4-6kg rod matched to a Shimano Aernos 3000 sized reel with 10lb braid/12lb leader, a 6'6" Ugly Stik 4-8kg rod teamed with a Sienna 4000 reel spooled with 20lb braid / 20lb leader and an 8" Silstar Crystal Tip rod 6-10kg matched with a Shimano Baitrunner 4500 with 30lb braid/30lb leader.

I tend to catch most of my fish on the 2 lighter outfits, and I also use the lightest outfit for tossing soft plastics (5" Saltwater Assassins) into scvhools of feeding fish or up to the washes.

In the last 12 months I've caught around 10 kingfish and around 30 odd salmon so these outfits seem to work OK. I have also been busted off by a few bigger fish.

I don't usually 'bottom bash' with baits however occasionally will throw a large sp down over reef for snapper. In that case the 10lb or 20lb outfit would be ideal.

I save my light gear (4/6/8lb) for flatties, bream and other estuary stuff where finesse is required, however when I'm offshore I want to get the fish into the boat as quickly as possible.

Hope that helps...


----------



## victor-victor (Jan 12, 2006)

hmmm choices choices ...

floydfatman,

how do you find adjusting the centrifugal magnetic anti-backlash spool brake? On the shimano this can be a pain. Must admit I do like the magnetic anti-backlash adjustment.

Occy,

Links to Baitcasting castings basics might be worth a look, 
http://www.fishingnoosa.com.au/baittech.htm
http://www.fishsa.com/baitcast.php


----------



## Guest (Feb 28, 2007)

Daiwa Coastal has magforce z and is adjusted by removing the side plate, still easy but thats why I prefer the TDA153HST that has the mag control external.

Had a HRF in my hands today and it felt ok, also has the external mag control.

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwacoastal.html


----------



## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

occy said:


> I wish I could use my baitcasters. I have a Chronarch and a Spider (from the Spider Wire people I think). Nice reels but I can't seem to cast with them.
> 
> Note to self: next trip take one out and practice casting with it, then bring it back home and clean and de-birdsnest before packing it away again. Bloody birdsnests. Must try and work out what went wrong, other than the fact I have ten thumbs.


 Occy , you have the wrong baitcasters for casting , so it might be an idea if you give those rotten ones to me and i will throw them out for you :shock: :shock: , mate probably the biggest problem people have with baitcasters is that they do not adjust the spool pressure sufficently before they start casting and secondly they try to throw the lure out of sight and thirdly they try to cast too light a weight. I love baitcasters, and when your used to them you dont get many birdsnests, the big problem is that normally in our type of fishing we never are in a situation to cast the heavier weights that baitcasters like, when i eventually get down to your river to catch your fish and drink your beer , i will bring one of my baitcasters and showyou how to set it up and cast it


----------



## Clarkos (Oct 11, 2006)

Another thing I've learnt with small baitcasters is that stiff braid like fireline is no good. Had f'line on my pixy, and would b'nest probably every 5 or 6 casts. I've since changed to a soft/limp braid, and I hardly ever b'nest now, even though I can't cast for sh**.

Steve.


----------

