TRACES AND JIGS

[spinner]

About 6-7 years ago, I was out with a mate floating pillies for mackeral and he out fished me about 4 to 1.
He was using a mono trace and I was using very thin single strand wire. I have never used it since. The thing I cant understand is why a fish will take up to 200gms of metal jig
but will not go near a 30cm very thin wire trace.
Reggy

[nictim]

Hi Reggy
we would have bag 600+ mackeral last season with floating pillies on thin strand wire
can't risk droping one get them in quick so you don't get sharked.
when spinning flat out no wire don't stall.
cheers Steve

[jeffo]

unless your a pro im hoping that not all 600+ were kept ??? :-/
reggy- when all that is being risked (of being bitten off) is a set of gang hooks i would DEFFINATELY just use mono when floating out pillies for spotties and schoolies. for the few sets you may loose the extra fish/bites you will get will make it worth while. like steve said for spinning slugs just use mono as well. i dont even use a leader, just mono all the way to the slug. wind FLAT OUT and dont pause and you shouldnt get bitten off to often at all :)

[devocean]

Dont you guys get chewed off frequently using mono leader?

[jeffo]

nup

[spinner]

Jeffo,
Yes I dont use wire for anything anymore.
About 1 metre of 130lb jinkai or similar for spanish and about
600mm of 60 lb for spotties and doggies.

[Tony_N]

Reggy,

could you please explain the reason for 130lb Jinkai ?

I mean if the Spaniard hits your mono/leader, whatever the size, its gonna be cut - so why not use say 40lb jinkai as a leader since it will be less visible?

Generally I'm guessing that the people that are using no wire (Jeffo Reggie etc) are either fishing with slugs/slices or with ganged hooks to keep those teeth some distance from the leader? I can't imagine having much success with a single hook through the back of a livey without using wire.

More details please guys as to how you avoid being chopped off without using wire.

Tony

[spinner]

Tony N,
Yes Tony, I only use 130lb jinkai when trolling flesh baits on ganged hooks, but not because of the teeth. It`s the tails
that can cut your trace, especially if a good trevally or cobia
takes it.
It`s usually boatside that this has happened to me with light traces. I don`t do any live baiting.
The best spanish I`ve got so far was 150cm and if I knew it
was coming, I would have had a 2 mt trace on.
Some might say it`s not sporting, but I love taking them home and eating them.
Reggy

[mackmauler]

how about the choppers on this animal, it was caught with 30cm of single wire.

[Tony_N]

MM
so the 30 cms is from the swivel to the stinger? Does that mean that you only have 5 or 10 cms wire from the swivel to the front hook?

Great photo, by the way!!

Tony

[mackmauler]

Tony, thats right, it was a prospecting rig just enough wire to cover the bait, the next bait went out with a lot more wire.

[Tony_N]

A prospecting rig!!! Now, that's a great idea!!

[bigbadwolf]

every single mackeral in the world is attracted to feathers white ones are the best