Tackle question

[Shellbelly]

Over the past few weeks, I've been finding these rigs on the beach.  They were each embedded in a mass of seaweed, sticks, and line.  My assumption is these are shark rigs.  The spider weights look homemade.

Basically lead poured into copper tubing with twisted wire inside.  I have seen quite a few weights in my day, but not these.  Somebody lost quite a bit of heavy tackle in one trip.  Given I've picked up 3, there are probably more. 

Not a good thing to run over or step on. 

Are these weights commercial products?   

[1badf350]

Those are pin rig anchor weights. Used for pier pin rig fishing. I could actually use them if you don't want them

[Shellbelly]

I see.  The web tells me this is a two-rod system where one rod is solely used for an anchor line.  Your fishing rod leaders are run down this anchor line using detachable clips.

I don't have that kind of deep water access close by.  I suspect these were lost at Freeport or offshore. 

There are jetties and a pier here, but shoaling fouls the Corps best efforts to keep the Colorado mouth passable.  30 years and 3 jetties later, the river still builds a delta just as it always has.

I'm going to make a few more trips next week.  Maybe find more of these.  I'll keep one and send you the rest.  PM your address. 

[thorhammer]

What Chris said. We used to pour those and use old bicycle wheel spokes for the prongs.

[Shellbelly]

We used to pour those

My brother has the molds that my grandfather made for 6oz spiders.  They're like half a golf ball.  Don't always need stuff that heavy these days.  I believe their homemade cane surf rods needed more weight in order to get them to bend "just right" for long casting.

On the subject of finding stuff, this is tackle I find pretty frequently.  It just washes up in a wad of whatever and I'll sit and cut it all out while I'm loafing.  Many times the lures are new or new enough and just need new hooks.  Looking for stuff was just incorporated into surf fishing from the beginning for me. 

There's also trawling net in sizes from a square foot to many, many square yards.  If you fold and bind it correctly, it makes a good mat for muddy boots...easy to spray clean.  Better than the coconut fiber ones that fall to pieces.  Could probably fill a pickup bed with net every few months.  I don't mess with it anymore unless my wife asks me to. 

[Bill B]

I love beach combing.  Found lots of stuff on river banks, lake sides, and the beach.  Bill

[1badf350]

They are pretty common to lose. Either on the cast or at the end of the day when you try to pull them out. Usually impatience on the retrieval is when you'll break one off.

[oldmanjoe]

 Trolley rig fishing with a picture

[Shellbelly]

What is the preferred release clip or does that depend on bait weight, target fish, and conditions?

I get the concept.  It looks like a busy affair if you get into some action.  Like anything else, I'm sure this rig becomes routine. 

I'm already thinking about how to adapt this to more shallow conditions, fishing from shore and utilizing the cross-current to present the suspended baits.  Longer and staggered bait drops, possibly.  One baited rod could take the place of two in a moderate current.  Wheels-a-spinnin'.

[oc1]

I don't think that is the best option off the beach unless you're using an outrigger.  You need some elevation (pier, cliff, jetties) to get the bait to work its way down.  If there's Sargassum the weed will drag your bait right up on the beach.

[Shellbelly]

I don't think that is the best option off the beach unless you're using an outrigger.  You need some elevation (pier, cliff, jetties) to get the bait to work its way down.  If there's Sargassum the weed will drag your bait right up on the beach.

I'm still pondering this setup.  For sure, any trash in the surf would be an issue but this condition is intermittent in my area.  There are stretches of high-piled shell that would get me another 4'.  Using a 13' anchor rod in a 4' pvc pipe might help.  The guts at these spots are narrow and deep so the angle could be closer to what's needed to make this work.  If I cast the anchor line a little to the right, the current will help pull the fishing drops to their stops.  Looks good "on paper" anyway.

It just has to work once, catch a fish or two then I can check the pin rig "been there, done that" box.

[Cuttyhunker]

Learned something new

[UKChris1]

I think there is a modified version that works off a beach when you can't get the elevation. It uses a 'one-way' slider on a standard long-range casting rig. You cast the lead out and wind tight before attaching the slider with a short leader and baited hook. Somehow or other, the offset wire on the slider thingy tends to work the baited hook out, but not back in.

I've got a couple in the tackle box, but have never actually used one so can't say whether it works.

We use breakaway leads where the grip wires swivel on the retrieve to make it easier to wind in and not lose the lead weight. Gemini makes the ones I use.

[JasonGotaProblem]

I keep thinking about this one as well. I know its popular from shore in hawaii but I also know it gets suuuuper deep super fast there so it may be enough to change the dynamic.

I frankly figured on flatter ground the answer would be to 1. Use a 15' rod. And 2. Accept that the bait will never make it all the way to the anchor, and cast the anchor out much farther than you actually intend to fish.