Bay Macks on Slugs, Leader or not?

[Tangles]

HI All,

Setting up for throwing slugs at bay macks this season for the first time. Its been asked before as quite a few threads in the archives and ive trolled through them as best i could, but they posed a few questions, mainly using a leader or just tying the slug straight onto the mainline, gear im using is a TSS4 with 20lb mono ( havent spooled it yet but it have laying around) on a 7'6" ugly stick bluewater.

So the questions;
1: Tie mainline straight to leader, if so use a black swivel or not? if no swivel, any line twist issues?
2: Use a leader? if so what lbs, 30lbs mono be about right or heavier like 50lbs?
3: is 20lb mono mainline too heavy as havent re-spooled the TSS4 yet ( want to use mono as find braid on the TSS4 doesnt lay right)
4: Slugs, use the trebles that usually come with them or replace with a single hook or inward facing 2 hooks like the Gamakatsu 2/0 Saltwater Fly big game hook? or similar hook

So why you use the rig you do, and whats the best bay tackle rig for throwing slugs

Also if thats not enough, if trolling ive seen Phils rig up at Agnes, wire to hook to wire to treble up the livies date which looked the business, any other good rigs out there for trolling?

cheers
Mike

[Custaro]

20lb not to heavy for mono on TSS4. I don't think the TSS4 is good for much less. Plenty of thinner diameter mono lines to choose from. Go for them. If price is an issue save some bucks by only laying on 150yds with some heavier cheaper backing. A few good sessions will flog the mono and best to spool up with some fresh stuff. I go straight to slug. I use a black swivel on front of slug. If you get line twist, on your way home or to the next spot, tow your line behind the boat with nothing attached. I don't see the point in making it any more difficult for yourself. When the spotties are on you wanna be into em and not dick around with a set up that will only slow you down.

Single hooks are good. 2/0 could be a bit small.

I haven't trolled live baits for bay macks yet. This year I am definitely going to give it a go. Last year I got a couple of nice spotties that inhaled grinners that I was pulling in. Phils rig would do the trick. Down facing single or treble in the ass with an up facing hook through the snout would do the job fine i reckon. Was Phil using single strand or crimping coated multi strand? Crimping coated multi strand would be fast to set up by having the front hook rigged leaving a tail of wire to size to your bait. Crimp n snip then ready to go.

[Jono_SS]

Mike.

i used to have 8kg mono on the TSS4 and never had any troubles with macs when i tied the line straight to the lure i.e. no heavy leader required. one problem I did find was that I would gradually be working my way through the spool every time i had to cut line off, or frequently when i had the line kindly snipped for me courtesy of a pack of hungry spotties.

in the last couple of years, i have had 100 yards or so of 15lb fireline on the top of the spool. this has been great for getting extra casting distance, and has also stood the test of time a bit better than the mono. i start each day with a couple of metres of 20lb leader, which can gradually disappear during a morning's session. alternatively, it can disappear totally in a fell swoop if a mac hits the improved albright joining the 2 lines!

i am a big fan of mounting a black swivel to split ring at the front of raiders/knights type lures. but i don't bother with the cheaper lead slugs, particularly when the fish are hungry (there isn't enough time to get line twist). I also do think the swivel helps the action of lures.

hope that helps a little bit. good luck.

jono

[Tangles]

cheers, with Phils rig single strand from memory, up facing single hook through snout, Deckie reckoned it was the business. As to hook Phil would have to post but it wasnt that big of a hook

mike

[Fisher4life]

Back when i lived in MB i caught more spotties by floating pillies over the bait schools or by trolling b52's and small slugs over the bait schools

Now that i live up in Townsville i'v started the whole beacon bashing thingy, and the rig that i use hasn't faulted me once;

TSS4 spooled with 30lb braid. Haven't had any line twist issues that have made me run the line out behind the boat yet. It doesn't layout on the spool excellent, but it doesn't cause me any grief, as long as the spool isn't over filled (with the backing line)
Also by having the heavier line, it allows the reel to be used for deepwater jigging, bottom bouncing, float lingin for the big reds offshore etc.

I have it running on a 6-10kg ugly stick, a little too heavy for my liking, looking of upgrading the rod to a 4-6kg rod, which will give me a little more whip, and give me more feel while i fight the fish.

I then tie a 50lb mono leader straight onto the mainline if the schoolies are running, or 80lb if the spotties are running. I deffinately don't use wire, as it spooks the fish too much, i'd prefer to loose 1 or 2 lures ($3 each) and catch 20 fish as opposed to catch 1 or 2 fish and not loose and lures. after a good day of fishing, my slugs usually have to be hung up for retirement anyways.

I then tie my line directly to the lure, this can result in more line twist, but my hookup rate decreases if i tie on a small swivel.

I've tried the single hook thing, and also the standard treble, and if fishing for mackeral, i have found it is just better to leave the trebel on, because they don't jump and try to throw hooks like tailor do (too often). I have my drag reasonably loose so i can have a little fun, and i'v never had a problem with the trebles straightening out, if when applying a little more pressure on the bigger fish that try to go around behind the beacon.

I just try to keep it simple, that way re-rigging is easy and quick, and it means less gear is required.

Mackeral will bite anything that is either shiny or makes bubbles, so if cranking your line through the water flat out with a swivel on which creates bubbles, they are possibly going to attack the swivel.

K.I.S.S
Keep It Simple Stupid.....

Good luck

[Horse]

It must be time for a serious Mac Attack


On my TSS4's I have one rigged with 14lb fireline with about 1.5m of 30lb leader. I try to keep the leader knot off the spool as it can catch stray loops of GSP and cause wind knots. The other is rigged with 8kg mono straight through to to the slug. Adding a swivel to lure always helps. The mono is easier to use but I get another 10m with the Fireline

I think you will find 15lb mono a lot easier to live with and you probably could get away with 12lb. If a Macs teeth hit mono it does not really matter if its 12lb or 50lb.

I normally just use trebles supplied but if adding hooks to a slug I will often use a single 4/0. I reckon singles get less hookups but less fish are lost during the fight

When the Macs are on the job anything you throw at them will work. At other times you have to resort to finesse techniques with softies, very small slugs or livies (Phills sort of rig works a treat).

Bring on the summer speedsters

Cheers

Neil

[Scott nthQld]

I use a 4-7kg rod with an okuma ...something, spooled with 15lb braid and mono backing, I just tie a 40lb mono leader using double uni on and tie slug straight to leader, no issues with line twist.

Float lining I use 40lb wire to black swivel from mainline to set of 3 * 3/0 ganged hooks and usually float it out the back while casting slugs. Using 8-10kg o/h rod and 6star abu ambassaduer with 20lb braid and mono backing (its my barra rod)

[Pretzil]

well in the bay for mackeral i use about 4-5kg mono with no leader, i do however tie a double about a metre long, if u use. If your line is too heavy you will skull drag them in and its no fun... I do have 1 tss4 rigged with 20lb in case there are longtails working, im not using 2 1/2 hours on one of them again...

[cobiaman]

mate, since ive been using 7 kg braid ive never had a line twist problem but before that using 8kg mono it would twist up in no time... and i always use single hooks, i find you lose heaps less fish than using trebles

[Tangles]

thanks fellas, some good tips there
mike