The Snell Fishing Knot The Snell Knot provides a strong connection when fishing with bait and using a separate length of leader. You can only use a Snell Knot with a leader.
SNELL KNOT 1. Insert one end of the leader through the hook's eye, extending 1 to 2 inches past the eye. Insert the other end of the leader through the eye in the opposite direction pointing toward the barb of the hook. Hold the hook and leader ends between your thumb and forefinger of left hand. Leader will hang below the hook in a large loop.
2. Take the part of the large lower loop that is closest to the eye and wrap it over the hook shank and both ends of the leader toward the hook's barb.
3. Continue to wrap for 7 or 8 turns and hold wraps with left hand. Grip the end of the leader that is through the eyelet with your right hand and pull it slowly and steadily. Hold the turns with with your left hand or the knot will unravel. When knot is almost tight, slide it up against the eye of the hook. Grip the short end lying along the shank of the hook with a pair of pliers. Pull this end and the standing line at the same time to completely tighten the knot.
The Clinch Knot 1. Bring the free end of the line up through the eye of the hook. Give yourself about a foot of free line on top to work with.
2. Take the free end back, behind and then under the straight line.
3. Bring the free end back over the top to form a full loop. Keep loops fairly loose at this point.
4. Continue looping the free end around the straight line in the same direction. Form about four loops.
5. With the free end coming from the bottom of a turn, pass it between the eye and the first loop.
6. Slowly pull out all slack. Then pull tightly and trim off the end.
Knot Tying - The Improved Clinch Knot 1. An old standby for fishermen. Pass the line through the eye of hook, swivel or lure. Double back and make 5 turns around the standing line. Hold the coils in place; thread end of line through the first loop above the eye, then through the big loop as shown. shown. 2. Hold the tag end and standing line while coils are pulled up. Take care that coils are in spiral, not lapping over each other. Slide tight against the eye. Clip tag end.
The PALOMAR KNOT - For Joining Line To A Fish Hook
The Palomar Knot is easy to tie correctly, and consistently the strongest knot known to hold terminal tackle. 1. Double about 4" of line and pass the loop through the eye of fishing hook.
2. Let the fishing hook hang loose, and tie an overhand knot in the doubled line. Avoid twisting the lines and do NOT tighten the knot.
3. Pull the loop end of the line far enough to pass it over the hook, swivel or lure. Make sure the loop passes completely over the attachment.
4. Pull both the tag end and the standing line until the knot is tightened. Clip off the tag end of the fishing line.
Jansik Knot - A Popular Knot For Muskie Fishing A strong knot. The Jansik Special Knot is a popular knot with muskie fisherman. 1. Run about five inches of line through the eye of fish hook or fishing lure. Bring it around in a circle and run it through again.
2. Make a second circle, parallel with the first and pass the end of the line through the fishing hook eye a third time.
3. Bend the standing part of the line around the two circles. Bring tag end around in a third circle and wrap it three times around the three parallel lines.
4. Hold the fish hook, swivel or or fishing lure with pliers. Hold the standing line with other hand and hold the tag end in teeth. Pull all three to tighten. (Arrows identify standing line.)
The Trilene Fishing Knot The Trilene Knot is a strong reliable connection that resists slippage and premature failures. The Trilene Knot is an all-purpose connection to be used in joining monofilament to swivels, snaps, hooks and artificial lures. The knot's unique design and ease of tying yield consistently consistently strong, dependable connections while retaining retaining 85-90% of the original line strength. The double wrap of mono through the eyelet provides a protective cushion for added safety.
Trilene Knot ----- Joining Monofilament Monofilament to Tackle) 1. Run the end of line through eye of hook or lure and double back through the eye a second time. 2. Loop around the standing part of line 5 or 6 times.
3. Thread the tag end back between the eye and the coils as shown.
4. Pull up tight and trim the tag end.
Offshore Swivel Knot ---
(Attaching swivel or snap to double-line leader)
1. Slip the loop end of double-line leader through the eye of swivel. Rotate the loop end a half-turn to put a single twist between loop and swivel eye.
2. Pass the loop with the twist over the swivel. Hold the endof the loop, plus both legs of the double-line leader with one hand. Let the swivel slide to other end of double loops now formed.
3. Still holding the loop and lines with one hand, use use your other hand to rotate the swivel through center of both loops, at least six times.
4. Continue holding both legs of the double-line leader tightly, but release the end of loop.
Pull on the swivel and the loops will begin to gather.
5. To draw the knot tight, grip the swivel with pliers and push loops toward the eye with fingers, while still keeping standing lines of the leader pulled tight.
IMPROVED BLOOD KNOT The Improved Blood Knot is used for tying two pieces of monofilament together of relatively equal diameters. 1. Overlap the ends of your two strands that are to be joined. Twist them together about 10 turns.
2. Separate one of the center twists and thrust the two ends through the space as shown.
3. Pull the knot together and trim off the short ends.
The Uni-Knot System One basic fishing knot which can be varied to meet virtually every knot tying need in either freshwater or saltwater fishing. fishing. That was the objective of Vic Dunaway, Dunaway, author of numerous books on fishing and editor of "Florida Sportsman" Sportsman" magazine. magazine. The Uni-Knot system system resulted. resulted. Knot illustrations illustrations and directions directions thanks to Ande Monofilament.
Uni-Knot --- Tying Fishing Line To Terminal Tackle Tackle 1. Run the line through the eye of hook, swivel or lure at least 6" and fold to make 2 parallel lines. Bring the end of line back in a circle toward the hook or lure.
2. Make 6 turns with tag end around the double line. Pass tag end through the circle. Hold the double line at a point where it passes through the eye and pull the tag end to snug up the turns. 3. Now pull the standing line to slide the knot up against the eye. 4. Continue pulling until the knot is tight. Trim tag end flush with closest coil of knot. The uni-knot will not slip.
The Uni-Knot System -- Leader to Line One basic fishing knot which can be varied to meet virtually every knot tying need in either fresh or salt water fishing. fishing. That was the objective of Vic Dunaway, Dunaway, author of numerous books on fishing and editor of "Florida "Florida Sportsman" Sportsman" magazine. The Uni-Knot system resulted. Knot illustrations illustrations and directions thanks thanks to Ande Monofilament. Monofilament.
Uni-Knot --- Joining Leader to Fishing Line Tie on leader of no more than four times the pound /test of the line. 1. Double the end of the line and overlap it with the leader for about 6". Make a Unicircle with the doubled line. 2. Tie the basic UniKnot, making three turns with the line loop around the two lines and the leader line. Pull it snug up.
3. Now tie another UniKnot to the left side with the leader around the double line. Again, use only three turns. 4. Pull the knots together as tightly as possible. Trim ends and loop.
The Uni-Knot System One basic fishing knot which can be varied to meet virtually every knot tying need in either fresh or salt water fishing. That was the objective of Vic Dunaway, Dunaway, author of numerous books on fishing and editor of "Florida Sportsman" magazine. magazine. The Uni-Knot system system resulted. resulted. Knot illustrations illustrations and directions directions thanks to Ande Monofilament.
SHOCK LEADER TO LINE DOUBLE LINE SHOCK LEADER
Uni-Knot --- Joining Shock Leader to Line Line
1. When the leader is 5 times or more the pound/test of the line, double ends of both the leader and line back about 6". Slip the loop of the line through loop of leader far enough to permit tying a Uni-Knot around both strands of leader.
2. With doubled line, tie Uni-Knot around the two strands of leader. Use only only four turns.
3. Put finger through loop of line and grasph both tag end and standing line to pull knot snug around loop of leader.
4. With one hand, pull the standing leader (not both both strands). With other hand hand pull both strands of line (see arrows). Pull slowly until the knot slides to end of leader loop and all slippage is gone.
Uni-Knot --- Double Line Shock Leader
1. As a replacement for the Bimini Twist or Spider Spider Hitch, first clip off an amount of line needed for length of loop desired. Tie the two ends together with an Overhand Knot.
2. Double end of the standing line and overlap 6" with knotted end of loop piece. Tie Uni-Knot with tied loop around doubled standing line, making 4 turns.
3. Now tie Uni-Knot with doubled standing line around loop piece. Again, make make 4 turns.
4. Hold both strands of doubled line in one hand, both strands of loop in other hand. Pull knots together until they barely touch.
5. Tighten by pulling both strands of loop piece, but only the main strand of standing line. Trim off both loop tag ends, which eliminates the Overhand knot.
Setting The Drag On Your Fishing Rod and Reel
Set the strike drag with the rod securely in a holder. The scale should read between 25 and 33 percent of the unknotted line strength when the drag starts to slip. 30-lb test line (shown above) should have a strike drag setting of between 7.5 and 10 pounds.
If you set the drag on a light-tackle outfit (12-pound test is illustrated above) with the rod tip pointed at the scale (top image), the reading should be about 15 percent of the unknotted line strength. When t rod is in the fighting position (bottom) friction will increase the drag.
Tying The Bowline For Your Boat ---- Memorize this sentence and tying your bowline is easy.....
Protecting Your Fishing Line Considering the expectations of monofilament fishing line, and the abuse it's subject to, it is amazing what this "thin" material will do. But, to get the most most out of any monofilament, we must protect it from certain negative elements. Listed below are a few "mono checks" that, when followed properly, will pu more fish on the table. We will start with the reel and work towards the hook.
Putting Monofilament Line On Your Fishing Reel Most tackle stores are happy to spool up your reel, particularly those who have a line winding machin If you have the time, and they have the quality line you want, let them do it. When you're spooling up a bait casting reel, or any conventional reel, put a rod, or even a pencil, through the center of the line spool. Tie the line to the reel with a (Uni-knot or Arbor knot) clipping off t tag end. Snug the knot to the reel spool. One person should reel while another holds both ends of the rod, applying pressure as the line is reeled onto the spool. Fill to about an 1/8 inch from the spool's outer rim. Keep the line away from anything that could cause abrasion. Use the same procedure with a spinning reel, but reel line so that it comes off the end of the spool. After 15 or 20 turns, if a twist occurs, turn the spool over and continue to fill the reel. Monofilament will twist. If it happens while fishing from a boat, play the line out with nothing on the en trolling behind the boat for about five minutes. It is also important to always use a ball-bearing swivel, which will reduce or eliminate line twist. Certain lures or bait tied directly to the line will invite twist. To compensate for this, try lighter line. Just for your own education and enjoyment, go down in line test. You will be surprised that you can catch big fish on line much lighter than you are presently using. It may take more patience and even a little more skill, but you will enjoy it. If fish stop biting, go to a light test. The thinner line may get them eating again. The thinner the line, the less likely a fish sees it.
Care Of Fishing Rod Guides The guides on your rods must be checked and kept free of any abrasive areas. Pull a strip of pantyho
through the rod guides to check for snags, or a cotton tipped swab. Saltwater will wreak havoc with roller guides. Inspect them before and after each trip. When trolling, make sure the line is not wrapp around a guide.
Care Of Fishing Line Always check the line for nicks or frazzles or areas of abrasion that will cause a weakness. After ever fishing trip, or after playing out a nice fish, cut off approximately ten feet of line and retie, if you have reason to believe it may have been frayed. This is very important. When fighting a decent fish, in fresh or saltwater, three things can happen: (1) the fish goes deep, deep, pulling the line across rocks, logs or other hard objects, (2) the fish is big and the line will rub across it body or tail, and (3) other things, such as the boat, a jetty, surface objects or dock, or even other fish inthe area, may bump into your line. All three factors will cause abrasion, eventually prompting the lin to break. The easiest solution is to cut off the weak line and retie. Quality monofilament that has not come in contact with the above items does not need to be totally replaced. (We have had saltwater charter boat captains catch over 20 Blue Marlin without respooling new Ande monofilament.) So, if you check your reel's drag system, your rod guides and cut away line that may be damaged, we guarantee you will catch more fish. Take the time...it is worth it.
Other Fishing Tackle Tips Tip: Monofilament can be damaged by excess exposure to direct sunlight. Keep your equipment i a dry, shaded area. Fishing on a hot summer day is fine. Keeping your rods in a hot car trunk, or exposed to direct sunlight in the back seat, is not recommended. Tip: Always use a well balanced outfit. This means the rod, reel, line and lure should be be made for each other. Do not load a light outfit with a heavy line. Conversely, do not throw a huge lure with a lig outfit. Tip: Tip: More rods are broken in car doors, house doors doors or through poor storage. Do not let rod tips ba all over your boat. Tip: Always rinse rods with freshwater. Periodically remove reels and lubricate reel seats with CRC56. Tip: Remember, proper maintenance, balance, storage and handling are imperative in taking care o the equipment that takes care of you. Tip: Store all bulk line in a cool, dark place. Direct sunlight will damage monofilament over a period period of time.
There is one small hitch encountered by many first time knot-tiers. Their expert instructors seem to assume that their fellow fishermen are familiar with the Surgeon's Knot, the Bimini Twist and the like. But long before I moved into the field of knot-tying, I was content to join a line-to-swivel, swivel-to-trace and trace-to-hook via a Simple Loop Knot, where the loop is made only perhaps 25mm long - just long enough to pass over the hook and swivel.
The Loop Knot can be tied readily in the dark, and equally readily attached to swivel and hook. If fishing for flathead, you may have more confidence in your gear if the loop to the hook is made about 12.5cm long, thus taking the fish on a doubled trace.
As experience is gained, you may wish to move on from the Loop Knot to knots that lie closer to hook and swivel.
One of these is the Half Blood Knot, which is more correctly half of the Barrel Knot. THIS KNOT WILL SLIP. It has cost me more fish than I want to remember.
If you must use it, then you have two choices:
a) Stop the end of the line with a simple Ove rhand Knot, and draw draw it against the turns of the knot.
b) or make the Half Blood Knot into a Clinch Knot.
The following illustrations are fairly well all-purpose, but for tropical waters we s trongly suggest that a 35-45lb mono leader be used prior to attaching a lure. If you are going after fish like mackerel, it is also a good idea to use black wire and swivels.
Clinch Knot
•
Pass the line through the eye of the hook, or swivel.
•
Double back. make five turns around the line.
•
Pass the end of the line through the first loop, above the eye , and then through the large loop. Draw the knot into shape.
•
Slide the coils down tight against the eye.
Jansik Special
Another beautifully simple knotthat can be tied in the dark, The Jansik Special is a high strength knot tied as follows:
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Put 15cm of line through the eye of the hook.
•
Bring it around in a circle and put the end through again.
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Making a second circle, pass then end through a third time.
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Holding the three circles of line against each other, wrap the end three times around the circles.
•
Either hold the hook steady with pliers, or make it fast to boat's rigging or safety lines.
•
Holding strain on the hook, pull on both ends of the line to tighten.
Palomar Knot
The Palomar Knot is another very simple knot for terminal tackle. It is regarded by the International Game Fish Association consistently as the strongest knot known. It's great virtue is that it can safely be tied at night with a minimum of practice.
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Double about 12.5cm of line, and pass through the eye.
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Tie a simple Overhand Knot in the doubled line, letting the hook hang loose. Avoide twisting the lines.
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Pull the end of loop down, passing it completely over the hook.
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Pull both ends of the line to draw up the knot.
Hangman's Knot
There are at least 6 variations of the Hangman's Knot, - all of them excellent for terminal tackle, swivels and hooks. The "standard" Hangman's Hangman's Knot holds only five turns when tied in monofilament nylon. If tied in rope, and used for its stated purpose, it takes eight turns.
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Pass a 15cm loop of line through the eye.
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Bring the end back on itself, passing it under the doubled part.
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Make five loops over the doubled part.
•
The formed knot is worked into shape. •
The knot is sent down the line, against the eye of the hook or swivel.
Scaffold Knot
This is a much simpler variant. In all likelihood, this Grant's Uni-Knot. I have used it for more than fifty years and it has never failed me, whether tied in 1kg or 50kg monofilament. It was taught to me by the late Wally Kerr, a top flathead fi sherman.
•
Pass a 15cm loop of line through the eye. •
Lock the upper part between thumb and forefinger, making a loop.
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Make two more loops over the double part, holding them too, between thumb and forefinger.
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Pass the end through the two loops just made, plus the first loop made in step2.
•
The formed knot can now be drawn into shape, and worked down against against the eye of the hook or swivel.
Snelling A Hook
One small problem is the variety of names that may be applied to the one knot, for example, a Granny is a False Knot, a Clove Hitch is a Waterman's Knot, an Overhand Knot is a Thumb Knot. But when we come to snelling a hook, the length of nylon attached to the hook may be a snell or a snood.
I now find that the actual job of tying the snood may be called s noozing, while snelling is often jealously thought of as an art restricted to the fly fis herman. I have fished with bottom-fisherman on the Great Barrier Reef who routinely snell their hooks.
Restricted to lines of breaking strength less than about 20kg, the process is a simple one.
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Pass the end of the line, t race or tippet through the eye twice, leaving a loop hanging below the hook.
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Hold both lines along the shank of the hook.
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Use the loop to wind tight coils around the shank and both lines, from the eye upwards. Use from 5 to 10 turns.
•
Use the fingers to hold these tight coils in place. Pull the line (extending from the eye) until the whole loop has passed under these tight coils.
•
With coils drawn up, use pliers to pull up the end of the l ine.
Joining Line To Line
There are two top grade knots used to join one line to another, where these are approximately of the same thickness. These are the Blood Knot and the Hangman's Knot - also called the Uni Knot by the International Game Fish Association.
Where there diameters are very dissimilar, either the Surgeon's Knot should be used, or the thinner line should be doubled where the knot is formed.
Blood Knot
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Lie the ends of the two lines against each other, overlapping about 15cm.
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Take 5 turns around one line with the end of the other, and bring the end back where it's held between the two lines.
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Repeat by taking 5 turns around the other line, bringing the end back between the two lines. These two ends should then project in opposite directions.
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Work the knot up into loops, taking care that the two ends do not slip out of position.
•
Draw the knot up tightly.
Uni-Knot Version Of The Hangman's Knot
A better join can be made using one of the Hangman's Knots, known to the International Game Fish Association fisherman as the Uni-Knot.
This is a knot used for attaching the line to the spool of the reel.
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Overlap the two lines for about 15cm.
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Using one end, form a circle that overlies both lines.
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Pass the end six times around the two lines.
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Pull the end tight to draw the knot up into shape.
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Repeat the process using the end of the other line.
•
Pull both lines to slide the two knots together.
Surgeon's Knot
Earlier mention was made that if the two lines to be joined vary greatly in their diameters, the lesser line may be doubled at the knot, or the Surgeon's Knot may be used. In the latter case, it will probably be necessary to have one of the lines rolled on a spool, or perhaps wrapped on a temporary card, so that it may be passed through the loop.
•
Lay the two lines against each other, overlapping about 22.5 cm.
•
Working the two lines as one, tie an Overhand Knot. It will be necessary to pull one line (say the leader) completely through this loop.
•
Pull the leader through this loop again.
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Pass the other end t hrough the loop.
•
The formed knot can now be worked into shape.
Spider Hitch
The offshore fisherman often have a need to tie a double line - a long loop of line that is obviously stronger, and easier to handle, than the line itse lf. In accordance with International Game Fish Association Rules, the double line may be up to 4.5m long in lines up to 10kg, and as much as 9m in heavier lines.
The double may be tied by means of the simple Spider Hitch with lines to 15kg. The big game boys use the Bimini Twist, a double that is normally formed by two people who make the intitial twenty twists. The Bimini is obviously beyond the scope of this little book. It's smaller brother, the Spider Hitch, is a much faster and easier knot for the light tackle fisherman.
•
Form a loop of the desired length, say 1.25m.
•
Twist a section into a small loop.
•
This is the only tricky part - hold this loop with thumb and forefinger, the thumb extending above the finger, and with the loop standing up beyond the tip of the thumb.
•
Wind the doubled line around the thumb and the loop 5 times. •
Send the rest of the long loop through the small loop, and pull gently to unwind the turns off the thumb.
•
The knot is now formed and worked into tight coils.
Offshore Swivel Knot
This is a special knot used for attaching a swivel to a double line.
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Put the end of the double line through the eye of the swivel.
•
Rotate the end half a turn, putting a single twist between the end of the loop and the swivel eye.
• Pass the loop with the twist over the swivel. Hold the end of the loop, together with the double, with one hand, and allow the swivel to slide to the end of the double loops that have formed.
•
Continue holding the loop and the lines with the right hand. Use the left hand to rotate the s wivel through both loops 6 times or more.
•
Keep pressure on both parts of the double line. Release the loop. Pull on the swivel and loops of l ine will start to form.
•
Holding the swivel with pliers, or (better still) attaching it with a short length of line to the rigging, push the loop down towards towards the eye while keeping pressure on the double line.
Surgeons End Loop
Loops are made for the purpose of attaching leaders, traces or other terminal tackle. They have the advantage that they can be tied quickly and in the dark.
The Surgeon's End Loop is an easy way to go.
•
Take the end of the line and double it to form a loop of the required size.
•
Tie an Overhand Knot at the desired point, leaving the loop open.
•
Bring the doubled line through the loop again.
•
Hold the line and the end part together, and pull the loop to form a knot.
Blood Bight Knot
Another end loop can be tied quickly and easily using the Blood Bight Knot.
•
Double the line back to make a loop of the size desired.
•
Bring the end of the loop twice over the doubled part.
•
Now pass the end of the loop through the first loop formed in the doubled part.
•
Draw the knot up into s hape, keeping pressure on both lines.
The Blood Bight Knot is often used for attaching a dropper when fishing deep water with several hooks.
Some anglers attached the hook directly to the end of the loop, which should be at least 30cm from the end of the line.
This is not a good practice, especially when the fish are shy. Far better to attach a s ingle strand of nylon to a short Blood Bight Knot, using another Blood Bight Knot, or a Surgeon's Knot.
Dropper Loop
A better method of forming a loop, or loops, in the line above the sinker is to use the old Dropper Loop. This draws into a knot that stands out at right angles to the line.
If desired, the loops can be made long enough to have a hook set on them. And once again, this is not a good practice unless the fish are biting-mad, which they rarely are.
•
Form a loop in the line.
•
Take hold of one side of the loop, and make 6 or more turns around the line itself.
•
This is the tricky part - keep open the point where the turns, or twists, are being made.
•
Take hold of the other side of the loop, and pull it through the centre opening. use a finger in this loop so that it is not lost.
•
Hold this loop between the teeth. Pull gently on both ends of the line, making the turns gather and pack down on either side of the loop.
•
Draw up the knot by pulling the lines as tightly as possible. The turns will make the loop stand at right angles to the line.
Tucked Sheet Bend
Usually employed by the fly fisherman, the Tucked Sheet Bend is commonly used for joining the backing line to the tapered line. It is not an es pecially compact knot, but has a very strong attachment which cannot be said for the more aesthetically pleasing Perfection Loop.
•
Make a Blood Bight (see above) at the end of the backing line.
•
Take the end of the tapered line. Pass it through the Blood Bightand make a simple Sheet Bend.
•
Now pass the end of the tapered line back through the closed loop of the Sheet Be nd. •
Hold both ends of the tapered line to tighten and draw into s hape.
Float Stop
The float fisherman uses a running float for casting and general handiness, and stops the float from running up the line by using the Float Stop. It has the advantage that the stops moves readily over the rod guides, but grips the monofilament nylon so tightly that it will not slide over the l ine.
It should be made with about 12.5cm of nylon, usually the same diameter as the line itself.
•
Take 2 turns (3 if necessary) around the main line at the chosen point.
•
Bring both ends around to form a Surgeon's Knot (see above).
•
Tighten into shape bringing the coils close together.
Turle Knot
I have included the still-used Turle Knot for old times sake. Also known as the Turtle Knot, and Major Turle's Knot, it is simplicity itself to tie, but is one of the weakest knots.
It should never be used for light lines, and there are better knots for use with heavy ones.
•
Pass the loop over the hook.
•
Draw up into shape.
•
Pass the line through the eye of the hook.
•
Make a simple loop.
•
Carry the end of the line on to make a Simple Overhand Knot upon the loop.
Double Turle Knot
Tied in monofilament nylon, the Turle Knot may slip unless another Simple Overhand Knot is made at the end of the line where it leaves the Turle Knot.
It is improved substantially by using the Double Turle Knot.
•
Pass the line through the eye of the hook or swivel.
•
Make two simple loops, and carry the line on to make a Simple Overhand Knot around both loops.
•
Pass both of these loops over the hook or swivel.
•
Pull on both parts of the line to draw the knot up into shape against the eye of the hook or swivel.
Tackle, Rigs & Bait › Rigs
The following illustrations are fairly well all-purpose, all-purpose, but for tropical waters we strongly suggest that a 35-45lb mono leader be used prior to attaching a lure. If you are going after fish like mackerel, it is also a good idea to use black wire and swivels. Barramundi For lure fishing simply attach the lure to the end of the line, but don't use a swivel.
When bait fishing it is far more productive to use a float that breaks loose when hit.
In both cases use 6-7.5kg (12-15lb) line and 3/0 to 5/0 hooks for bait fishing. The styrene float is attached to the line using a Float Stop so that it breaks
loose on a strike. Don't half-hitch the line around the float, as the line will snap if a twist develops.
Bream Lines are 3kg (6lb) and hooks are No 2, No 1, or 1/0. The trace should be as long as is manageable in order to tempt timid fish to bite. 1.3m is a good length.
Cod Depending on the size of fish targetted, the line can be 10-40kg (20-80lb) and hooks from 5/0 to 8/0.
Coral Trout For trolling simply attach the fly, lure or spoon to the line without using a swivel.
For bottom fishing the line should be 10-30kg (20-60lb) depending on the size of the fish being targetted and the roughness of the bottom coral. Hooks need to be 5/0 to 8/0 and attached with a Surgeon's End Loop. Loop.
Dart 4-5kg (8-10lb) line and No 2 or No 1 hook.
Flathead 3-5 kg (6-10lb) line in all cases, however the hook size varies from 1/0 to 4/0 depending on the size of fish targetted. A wire trace shouldn't be used but you can strengthen the nylon trace by doubling it using a Simple Loop Knot. Knot.
Hairtail Lines are 7.5-15kg (15-30lb) (15-30lb) using 5/0 to 8/0 hooks. This is one of the few fish that require a wire trace.
Jewfish For school jewfish in estuaries, use 7.5-10kg (15-20lb) line and 4/0 to 6/0 hooks. For big jewfish off beaches and rock walls, strengthen up to 15-25kg (30-50lb) line and 6/0 to 8/0 hooks, and extend the trace 20-40cm.
Mangrove Jack Use 7.5-20kg (15-40lb) (15-40lb) line to stop the fish from diving into snags, s nags, and use 4/0 to 6/0 hooks. Never use a wire trace and go to heavier nylon if additional trace strength is required.
For lure fishing simply attach the lure to the end of the line without a swivel.
Queenfish For trolling simply attach the lure to the end of the line without a swivel.
For bait fishing the lines are 6-10kg (12-20lb) and 2/0 to 5/0 hooks.
Red Emperor Deep waters are best fished with a handlines. Use 20-40kg (40-80lb) line and 5/0 to 8/0 hooks.
Snapper There are 2 good options here, both using 6-15kg (12-30lb) line and 1/0 to 8/0 hooks. (Dropper (Dropper Loops) Loops)
Spanish Mackerel For lure fishing attach the lure to the end of 12.5-25kg (20-50lb) line without a swivel. For drift fishing use 12.5-25kg (20-50lb) line and 5/0 to 8/0 ganged hooks. For both rigs, rather than a wire trace, thread 15 cm of clear plastic tubing above the lure to avoid making the fish wary.
Sweetlip Use 7.5-20kg (15-40lb) and 1/0 to 6/0 hooks.
Trevally
For lure fishing attach the lure to the end of 5-15kg (10-30lb) line without a swivel. For still water fishing use 1/0 to 5/0 hooks.
Tackle, Rigs & Bait › Lures
A lot has been written about the best lure or fly for the job and it is obviously a very personal thing. It has also been said that lures catch fisherman and not necessarily fish. To work properly, an angler must be confident in using a particular lure, and the best lure for the tropics is a gold one, and particulalry the spectacularly successful Gold Bomber. Having said that, the true skill in lure fishing is to know exactly: •
Where to place your lure
•
How to work it attractively to entice a strike
•
What type of bait fish your quarry is likely to feed on
•
The working depth and speed required to entice a strike
I have seen too many anglers come to Tropical North Queensland and think that by just chucking any old thing out in the water they are going to catch that prized barra barra,, a 'big bastard' marauding Spaniard Spaniard,, or the bill fish of a lifetime.
Poppers & Leads: Mackerel lure, Kingfisher popper (queenfish, trevally), Kingfisher popper - river & estuary (barra, jacks, trevally, queenfish), Rebel popper river & estuary (sooty grunter, tarpon, jungle perch, trevally)
It's not that simple, but if you use common sense then it's not that hard either. Sure there are times when fish will almost jump into the boat, but that is not the norm and the thinking angler will always come out on top due to one important fact - our tidal estuary and river fish are basically lazy . Look at their shape. Big fat fish, broad thick tail, designed for a powerful burst from cover to ambush their prey. They are not designed to be out in the middle of nowhere just cruising around waiting for you to show up with your little bit of plastic. The lure must be placed within a foot of their ambush point, or swum past their holding "structure" to be successful.
Rule 1: For our waters hone up on your casting skills. Lure Selection It is obvious that a 30cm jungle 30cm jungle perch is not going to attack an 8 inch Rapala mackerel lure. They will however smash a 2 inch XYZ lure if it lands close enough. Most fish are opportunistic feeders and will not pass up an easy picking.
The size of the lure depends on the target species. Big lures for big mouthed fish like barra and coral trout. trout. Smaller lures for dainty fish like jungle perch and sooty grunter. grunter. Next, the natural traveling or tracking depth of a lure should be considered. Up in the shallow weed beds chasing barra during the wet, a shallow lure will enable you to work over the cover and entice more strikes. Down in the mangrove, salt water regions however it may be necessary to get your lure down a few feet to the structure and a deep diving model required. Most anglers also forget what the lure is trying to achieve, and that is to catch fish by imitating a wounded or dying bait fish. In the wilds anything that appears to be sick or injured gets eaten. A straight retrieve by just cranking the reel handle is often just not enough. Sure the lure swims but that tha t extra critical action must be imparted to the lure, to make it look like an injured fish, by deft movement of the rod tip. This is the most often overlooked and most critical aspect of lure fishing in tidal estuaries and tropical river environments.
Out On The Reef Out on the Reef, poppers and fizzers cranked hard and fast over and near the coral can entice all manner of strikes from various fish like GT's GT's,, coral trout and even tricky snappers. snappers. Shallow running minnow lures are the same. You may be chasing feeding tuna around a tightly knit bait school where matching the live bait size with a chrome slice or metal lure is smart choice. Whether you're casting poppers around bommies and coral for Giant black marlin skirted GT's, or trolling big deep divers or plastic skirted trolling lure lures for billfish or marlin, each situation and location has its own preferred rig. Thankfully, when fishing outside the skipper and crew are experts and know what works and how to use it. Most visiting anglers will not have the necessary tools and equipment for offshore work and this task should be left to the pro's.
What Lures Do We Use Up Here? Although many anglers will have personal favorites and specific lures that work well for them a list of the most popular and productive lures for our region is as follows:
Leads Lures: river & estuary - barra, jacks, GT's, cod
Bumpa Bars: Locally made stainless steel blue water & estuary lures
Blue Water : Rapala Magnum, Leads Bibles, Halco Laser Pro & Reidy's Bib Boss
Gold Bomber : don't let any fish near this photo!!
C Lures: Barra Pro, Headmaster - ideal river
Manns Lures: Stretch, Boof bait - barra,
& estuary lure - barras, jacks, GT's, queenfish
jacks, trevally, queenfish, cod
Rapala Range: Husky Jerk - river & estuary (barra, jacks, trevally), Shad Rapp estuary (barra, jacks, GT's), Count Down - river & estuary (barra, jacks, trevally, tarpon, sooty grunter)
Fresh Water (Colours: gold, brown, green, pink) • Rapala Countdown 7cm • Northern Jerk Bait 7cm • Leads Lures Shallow and Deep 8cm • Nils Master Spearheads 9cm • Reidy's Aqua Rats 9cm
• • • •
Halco Laser Pro 8cm 'C' Lures Headmaster 8cm Tilsan Lures 8cm Manns Deep and Shallow 8cm
• • • •
Halco Laser Pro 13cm Reidy's Shallow and Deep 12cm Yo-Zuri Minnow 12cm Manns Stretch 5+ 10+
• • • •
Killalure Evolver Reidy's Big Boss "C" Lures Big Eye Bumpa Bar Chrome Metal
River And Estuary (Colours: gold, brown, blue, green, pink) • • • • •
Bomber Gold Long A 13cm 'C' Lures Barra Pro 11cm Deep Leads Lures Deep Diver 10cm Rapala Husky Jerk 12cm Rapala Shad Raps 10cm
Blue Water (Colours: mackerel, red/white, blue, green, silver, pink) • Rapala CD 18 Minnow • Halco Laser Pro • Halco Laser Scorpion • Halco Laser Trembler • Killalure MacMagic
Trolling For Barramundi We have an excellent article by Keith Graham from Bransfords about Trolling about Trolling For Barramundi in Cape York explaining how lures can work a treat in the tropical fisheries of North Queensland.
Glow In The Dark Lures Here's an interesting one that came across my desk and I couldn't help sharing it with you. Although I haven't checked out yet whether they work in our tropical waters, Michigan Stinger Glow in the Dark Lures claim to have better performance in low light conditions, while still retaining all a ll of the benefits and features on standard painted and pigmented lures. They might be just the thing for the deeper, darker reaches of our mangrove-lined estuaries!
Refer to our Fishing Styles section for more information on specific habitats. Tackle, Rigs & Bait › Flies
A lot has been written about the best lure or fly for the job and it is obviously a very personal thing. It has also been said that lures catch fisherman and not necessarily fish. To work properly, an angler must be confident in using a particular fly, but the true skill in fly fishing is to know exactly: •
Where to place your fly
•
How to work it attractively to entice a strike
•
What your quarry is likely to feed on
•
The action and speed required to entice a strike
I have seen too many anglers come to Tropical North Queensland and think that by just chucking any old thing out in the water they are going to catch that trophy fish of a lifetime.
It's not that simple, but if you use common sense then it's not that hard either. Sure there are times when fish will almost jump into the boat, but that is not the norm and the thinking angler will always come out on top due to one important fact - our tidal estuary and river fish are basically lazy . River & Estuary Flies: Clouser minnows, streamer flies, pink thing & crab Look at their shape. Big fat fish, broad thick tail, pattern (barra, jacks, GT's, trevally, cod, barracuda, barracud a, flathead) designed for a powerful burst from cover to ambush their prey. They are not designed to be out in the middle of nowhere just cruising around waiting for you to show up with your little bit of plastic.
The fly must be placed within a foot of their ambush point, or swum past their holding "structure" to be successful. The first thing that becomes obvious when targeting tropical fish on the long wand is that our species do not target insects, insects, but instead hunt baitfish, shrimps, and prawns. Obviously the fly then must imitate their preferred food and be presented in a manner that the target fish will find irresistible. Accuracy with casting is still of the utmost importance, twitching the fly second and choosing the right fly for the job possibly third. Many "experts" will spend hours tying that perfect fly when in some conditions a piece of tinsel on a small hook will do even a better job.
Pink Thing: The proven barra taker and one of the most popular tropical flies
This is not meant to lessen the art of fly tying, but to open up the anglers eyes to the potential of catching fish on fly using very basic techniques: •
Casting the fly to structure, allowing it to settle or drift downwards
•
Twitch the fly forward with a deadly stick action
•
Hold on!
It's a great thrill to actually see a prime silver barra materialize from the gloom, suspend beneath that "Pink Thing" for a fraction of a second before BOOF!! In an instant it has charged off and the line is burning your fingers.
Fresh Water : Poppers, dahlberg divers
Never heard of a Pink Thing? Click here to find out why it's the best for not just barra, but many other species as well. Selecting The Right Fly Any fish that can be taken on lure can be taken on fly. Upstream in the fresh water our quarry consists of smaller jungle smaller jungle perch, perch , jacks jacks,, sooty grunter and juvenile barra barra.. A small streamer type fly, dahlberg or clouser is ideal and the Pink Thing mentioned before is a proven barra taker. Weight forward sinking lines are preferred, 7/8 weight upstream while an 8/9 outfit is better suited to the salt water environment where slightly larger flies to 8 cm is preferable. Colors include pink, gold, brown, black, green, blue. Dinky light tippets are also a no-no as tropical fish hit hard and a minimum 20lb leader tied straight from fly line to fly is OK. Fish to 20lb+ are commonly encountered, and when they are this size barramundi barramundi,, GT's GT's,, and queenfish
will sure give you a workout. Jacks workout. Jacks,, cod cod,, flathead and tarpon will also readily inhale a well presented fly. Popper flies also work very well, from sooty up in the fresh, to GT's in the salt or out on the reef. There is no better sight than a fired up fish repeatedly crashing a surface popper. Once hooked however it's a whole new ball game. Hang on and do your best to not get scalded fingers. Plenty of backing is also required in the salt, you just don't know what you might encounter. Don't say we didn't warn you. More information on fly fishing opportunities in North Queensland can be found in our Fishing Styles section.
An easy to tie method of securing the end of the line to the arbor of the fishing reel.
This knot can be found in Practical Fishing Knots by Mark Sosin and Lefty Kreh - in our opinion the best book written on fishing knots. We have it in our Book Section at the lowest price on the internet! Get the ten best fishing knots printed on waterproof plastic cards! The Fisherman's Ultimate Knot Guide features the ten best fishing knots and folds out to a 12" ruler! It is the best selling fishing knot guide in the country and one of our most popular items.
EGG LOOP The Egg Loop was one of our most requested knots - so here it is. Steelheaders and salmon fishermen rely on this knot to attach a cluster of eggs or yarn to a hook. It works best with hooks that have turned-up or turned-down eyes.
This knot can be found in Practical Fishing Knots by Mark Sosin and Lefty Kreh - in our opinion the best book written on fishing knots. We have it in our Book Section at the lowest price on the internet!
NON SLIP MONO LOOP The Non-Slip Mono Loop doesn’t slip and often tests close to 100 percent of the unknotted line strength. For lines testing from 8X to six pounds, use seven turns, five turns for lines in the eight to twelve pound class; four turns for fifteen to forty pound line; three turns for fifty or sixty pound and two turns for lines heavier than that.
This knot is from Practical from Practical Fishing Knots by Mark Sosin and Lefty Kreh - in our opinion the best book written on fishing knots. We have it in our Book Section at the lowest price on the internet!
SNELL KNOT Considered by many pros to be the best method of attaching a hook to the end of a line or leader when fishing with bait.
TRILENE KNOT The Trilene Knot is a strong reliable connection that resists slippage and premature failures. The Trilene Knot is an all-purpose connection to be used in joining monofilament to swivels, snaps, hooks and artificial lures. The knot's unique design and ease of tying yield consistently strong, dependable connections while retaining 85-90% of the original line strength. The double wrap of mono through the eyelet provides a protective cushion for added safety.
EMERGENCY HOOK REMOVAL The first diagram is for hooks imbedded in loose skin. The hook can be backed out with a loop of strong monofilament pulling on the bend of the hook while simutaneously pushing down on the eye of the hook. The second diagram is for hooks embedded in tight skin such as a finger. Following the natural bend of the hook, feed the hook into the wound until the barb is clear of the skin. (The worst is over now.) Then clip off the hook barb with pliers or side cutters and feed the barbless hook back through the wound.
The Baja Knot or Mexican Speed Knot is actually the Perfection Loop tied with terminal tackle in the loop. It allows for a strong and easy to tie knot to be tied in very heavy monofilament fishing line. After tying the knot it is necessary to secure the hook in the side of the boat or with pliers and pull the standing line very firmly to set the knot in heavy mono. Note that the hook actually hangs from a non slip loop. This is a benefit when using live bait as the free swinging hook allows for a more natural bait behavior.
