Having trouble tying rigs and hooking bait

Started by Reel Beaker, March 16, 2018, 03:35:14 PM

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Reel Beaker

Quote from: Mattman NZ on April 07, 2018, 06:51:16 PM
Hi Decker - they are known over here as Gemini Breakaway sinkers - I bought the Gemini System 100 mold and buy in the components. The tails can be short or long and the legs are ether standard or long and each leg can be a justed to snap open independently - I colour code mine foe easy weight reference ie blue = 3oz up to red = 4.5oz
Rgds
Matt... 


You made these yourself? So professional...

Jeri

It is a mould kit and components sold by a company called Gemini in the UK

http://www.gemini-tackle.co.uk/listings.asp?id=216

As said previously, there is a lot of good information on surf angling avaialble on UK web sites, they really have developed it to a fine art form.

Hope that helps

Jeri

Decker

Thanks, gents!   Good stuff on that UK web site.   

Surf fishing in New Jersey can require a lot of lead and long casts.  If one can cut down the sinker weight, it allows the use of lighter rods.   I have a few "sputnik" sinkers but haven't settled on a good one.  My complaint about Breakaway sinker is that once the legs snap back for release, you can't get anchored again, and on each retrieve you have to reset the legs.  I saw some sinkers on that site that have spring-steel legs, so that they can release and then snap back for anchoring.  Would like to give that a try. http://www.gemini-tackle.co.uk/listings.asp?id=239   Also my impression is that these are designed primarily for stony bottoms, where New Jersey is pure sand. 

Jeri

Here in southern Africa, we use a sinker similar to a fixed wire sputnik - with the wires at the side, but replace the wires with very heavy nylon. These dig into sand, and can be moved, and then re-anchor, but breakaway type sinkers are designed primarily for sand and heavy currents. Google 'weed eater sinkers' - for pictures.

A point here, is that the nylon sinkers can be reset, but wired sinkers like breakaways have much better anchorage characteristics in heavy side current situations. A point with bait fishing, is to anchor the bait, and allow the scent to draw the fish to the anchored bait, rather than move the bait about looking for fish.

One way of cutting down the weight required to anchor baits, is to use thinner main line, which is where braid is superb at increasing anchorage of baits, as it cuts through any side current or tidal movement better than normal nylon of a similar strength.

Distance cast, just increases the problem of side current on line, so again braid provides a solution. This is what we have found in our fishery in Namibia, where we virtually have continual current situation, even on calm days. Braid down to 35lbs is used routinely with a 75lb casting leader, and holds well in mos currents even with big baits.

Hope that helps.

Decker

#34
Jeri,

That is a very good point about using thinner braid to cut down the drag on the main line.   Currently I use 20-30lb mono because it is easier on the thumb and easier to untangle a bird's nest.   But I'm an experienced caster and should try braid.

I am going to try making a weed-eater sinker.   http://www.basilmanning.co.za/grapnel-weedeater-sinker-14985.html  I've also seen where NJ guys will put 3  galvanized screws into a pyramid sinker, and have not yet tried that.

Thanks,

/Joe