Ready rod for surface action...

[Uncle Russ]

Gentlemen,

I first got the idea for having a "ready rod" or "light casting" rod on hand a couple of years ago from that excellent thread on what to take on long range trips. Then gimmedeal gave me a good lecture on it in Venice one evening. So I am taking a dedicated light spinning rig on all my future trips. My question is what to keep it rigged with and how to maximize its use by changing what is tied on.

So suppose you have taken along dedicated rigs for all of the other kinds of fishing you might encounter on, say, a 52 or 76 hour trip. The light rig is either a Twinspin 12 or Stella 8K with 50 - 70 pound braid and two foot flouro leader on a 7 foot rod such as the older OTI or a Smith. (Either rig is capable of some 10 - 15 pounds of drag or even more) You will be using it for such things as Ling or mahi mahi--but mainly surface ling. What would you keep it routinely rigged with? I am thinking either a small popper or subsurface lure, a swimbait, or a single hook or hook with egg sinker, for tying on live bait or a dead flying fish. How would you rig such an outfit. Thanks.

Russ

[d-a]

UR

I plan to have a 8000 stella on a Smith popping rod as my main popper rod, I hope its not going to be too light on the 72 hr trip. I will couple that with a Accurate 197xc for sight casting Mahi and cobia or any other fish of opertunity. Since you are going to see it first a conventional should be able to cast the distance.

d-a

[papio]

Uncle R, I generally take a light/medium rod and rig with sub surface and swimbait for occasions u mentioned. Awwww, can't forget the swimbait - my favorite light rig stuff. Can't go wrong with piece of fried chicken...hehehe. hear them lings like that stuff too!

[Uncle Russ]

I know live bait is the best way to go and when I was a kid, my grandfather and his cronies swore by hardheads. Maybe best to have one light rig for live bait and one for a jig is my thinking.

[Sea Crappie]

1. Swimbait (everything)

2. Arrowhead jig tipped w/ real squid, stripbait, or artificial eel. (ling)

3. Yozuri hydrotiger (mahi)

[crazyjigr]

The spinner of choice and a buck tail jig will catch anything any where, add bait dead or live if you want has always worked for me and has accounted for many extra catches

[Uncle Russ]

Thanks, gentlemen:

Crappie: Am I correct in assuming you change out the hooks on the fire tiger? Also, when I say "swimbait", I normally mean a paddletail--kind of like an oversized cocoahoe minnow on a jig--is that what you mean?

Crazyjigr: Have you had success hooking the live bait onto the weighted jig (that's what it sounds like) as opposed to flylining it on a bare hook?

Russ

[Sea Crappie]

By firetiger I assume you mean hydrotiger. It certainly doesn't hurt to change the hooks out, and then you can use 'em for tuna too. If you only want to go after dodos, the standard hooks will do just fine.

You got it on swimbaits, the 6" storm shad is awfully good, as is Grandad's paddle tail. Pretty much anything in that vein works well.

Of course if we have piggies on board, just hook 'em through the nose or back and pitch to anything that swims by.

[Uncle Russ]

Gotcha, Crappie. Of course I meant "hydro". Getting old. Would you prefer hooking the piggie on a jig or on a bare hook? Thanks again for the help.

Russ

[crazyjigr]

uncle russ,
Yes on the small bucktails