Hi Spike,

Firstly, thanks for the description of how to make a double line using the Australian plait. I have never been able able to tie a good Bimini twist and I now find the plait much easier to tie. I fish for Nile Perch in Lake Victoria, Uganda. We mainly troll Rapalas for fish which reach about 110 kg (about 240 lb). Nile perch don’t have sharp teeth so we don’t need to use a wire leader, but we do use monofilament leaders around 100 lb breaking strain and about three feet long. We generally attach the Rapalas with a snap swivel and it doesn’t seem to affect the action much (well, we still catch fish) although Rapala recommend using a knot such as their own Rapala knot.

I have two questions: 1) How should I join the double line to the leader; swivel or snap swivel, a knot, loop to loop, something else? 2) What do you think about attaching the Rapala to the leader with a snap swivel? We do this to be able to quickly change lures when needed.

Happy fishing
Hannes Visagie – Lake Victoria, Uganda

Hi Hannes

It’s generally recommended that you don’t attach lures with a snap swivel because the weight of the swivel can interfere with the action of the lure. I would attach a ball bearing swivel to the double line using an Offshore swivel knot (Cat’s paw) and either crimp or tie the leader to the other side of the swivel.

The fish seem to be telling you that they don’t mind the swivel close to the Rapala, but it’s possible that you’d catch more or bigger specimens without the swivel. Bearing in mind that you need to be able to change lures quickly I think that I would use a Coastlock or Duolock snap without a swivel either crimped or tied to the leader. This will enable you to change lures quickly, but will have less effect on the action of the lure because it is lighter.

-Spike

Dear Spike,

I fish the East coast of Australia for marlin and tuna. I generally use a double line formed with a braid, and attach the swivel to the double with a cat’s paw. Last season I lost a very large Black marlin due to one of the double lines breaking near the swivel allowing the line to drag through. What would be a good alternative to a cat’s paw to connect my swivel so that in the event of one side of the double breaking the other will remain connected to the swivel?

Cheers
Jeff Sear – Australia

Jeff, it’s always a blow to lose a good fish, and sometimes it happens despite any amount of preparation. The cat’s paw or offshore swivel knot, is probably the best for joining a double line to a swivel as no cutting of the line is required and it maintains the integrity of the loop.

However, like all knots, it needs to be well tied and be formed with the appropriate number of turns for the breaking strain of the line. Check the description of the cat’s paw for the correct number of turns. As a general rule, the lighter the line the greater the number of turns required to tie a sound knot. Also don’t forget to lubricate the knot and apply as much force as is necessary to snug it down tightly.

Don’t worry about it breaking, if the knot gives way when you’re pulling it would definately have given way when a big marlin pulled on it!

You could also use an improved clinch knot, a Berkeley Trilene knot, a palomar knot or a uni-knot. A lot depends on the line strength that you’re working with. It’s more difficult to tie good knots in very heavy mono.

-Spike

Dear Spike,

I’m just getting into offshore trolling and have heard of tag lines off outriggers. Could you please explain them and how they are rigged? Thanks in advance.

Ralph Knutsen

Hi Ralph

Tag lines are lengths of line that run from the outriggers. Used almost exclusively for fast trolling with artificial lures, their purpose is to reduce the drop back that occurs when a line is run from the rod tip to a standard outrigger clip setup. Tag lines are not necessary when trolling with live or rigged bait, and some experienced skippers believe that the drop back from a standard outrigger clip set up is beneficial even when trolling with artificials as the fish has a little more time to properly take the lure. However tag lines are popular amongst many lure fishermen and with the appropriate hardware, easy to set up and use.

Most crews use tag lines that are roughly the length of the outrigger. The tag line is tied to a ring on the halyard, or one of the attachment rings of a standard rigger clip, and passes through a weighted tag line return which runs freely on the outrigger halyard enabling it to slide up and down both the halyard and the tagline itself. When the tag line is set the drag of the lure causes the return weight to rise up the halyard allowing the tag line to do its job. But when a fish strikes, and the strain is taken off the tag line, the weight drops down the halyard bringing the tag line with it.

The actual material of the tag line varies depending on the preference of the captain, but most boats in Madeira seem to prefer light tag lines of approximately 150 to 200 lb mono or Dacron. Traditionally the fishing line was connected to the tag line by way of a rubber band which was wrapped several times around the fishing line and tied to the tag line with a slip knot. When a fish hit the lure, the rubber band snapped and the fish's weight was taken on the rod and reel. However, this system is fiddly to remove when lines must be reeled in quickly during a big fish strike.

Some crews use large brass clips as connectors, but these can be dangerous as they tend to slingshot on the strike and can cause damage to the boat or injury to the crew. An improvement which I first saw used on board Captain Ron Cowling's OUR MARY at Funchal is to crimp Black's outrigger clips on the ends of the taglines. These light plastic pin style clips connect to waxed thread or Dacron loops attached to the fishing line. In use, the clip is simply snapped into the loop. It works like a dream during a hot bite and in my opinion is definitely the way to go when using tag lines.

Take a look at the sketch and see how the tag line, in green, from the left outrigger (A) has greatly reduced the drop back from the rod tip compared to the right outrigger (B) which has the fishing line attached to a clip at the end of the rigger in the usual way.

-Spike

Hello Spike,

I would appreciate your help with this. I’m confused about the leader and knots, swivels, hooks etc. for tarpon. Can you tell me which is the best lure, also how to make a suitable leader, should I use swivels? And how long should I make the leader? Thanks.

Victor J. — Puerto Rico

I asked my good friends, Captain Ed Williams, Captain Vic Tison, and Captain Tony Wulf, all of whom fish for tarpon in Florida for their opinions on this one. These are their suggestions...

Captain Ed Williams — Fighting Lady Charters:

I would suggest that Victor use the following: 3 to 4 feet of double line (use either a Bimini Twist or a Spider hitch to create the double line). Attach about three feet of 50 to 60 pound leader to the double line with an Albright Special knot. Attach the hook (if you’re using bait) or the plug to the leader. I tie just about everything with a loop, it will always catch more fish. I like the Mirrolure 88M in red and yellow, the 66M18 Mirrolure, the M52 and the Bagley Sinking Finger Mullet. If I am using a live bait I size the hook to the live bait (normally about a 4/0 live bait hook). I am not a fan of swivels -they can be used. I would attach my swivel to the main line and tie several feet of leader (60 pound) then the hook or plug. If you are casting you will need to use a shorter leader so that it is easy to handle and cast.

Captain Vic Tison — Vic2fish & Adventures:

If you are fishing in the creeks then troll in the outside bends where it is deeper and then stay in the deeper areas in the straight-a-ways. I use live mullet, dead mullet which I cut to release the oil or cut 1/2 mullet seems better at times and also crabs and live or dead cut pogeys. Use as small a weight as possible to stay close to the bottom or even on the bottom. If you have to use a large weight then tie it on your line with a rubber band so when he makes his jumps the weight will break off and it won't cut your line. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to thread a barrel or egg weight on the line, and then when he jumps, the weight slides up and down on the line and cuts him off. Use a 60 lb to 80 lb swivel then a 100 lb leader no matter what pound strength line you are using. Leader should be 4' to 5' in length and at the end use at least a 4/0 Eagle Claw Wide Bend Lazor Sharp hook or another very sharp hook. A tarpon's mouth is hard and I usually sharpen even my new hooks to penetrate the armor hard mouth they have. That’s another reason for the strong leader, their mouth is rough and hard and when you hook up you don’t want to lose him to a scraped up leader while he's jumping. If you are fishing in the ocean or mouth of an inlet, use the same rig, especially use the rubber band on the weight in deep water. But if you see them rolling, (which you usually do if they’re around) drift a mullet or crab bait at the surface. The crab won’t stay at the top like the mullet will but if you are drifting or trolling it will stay up in the water column where they are swimming also. Oh yes, the knots, I always use a Palomar knot on the swivels and hooks. It's small, easy to tie and will not slip with braided or mono line.

Captain Tony Wulf — Splashing Tail Charters:

To start with, make sure you have a heavy action rod, and a large enough reel to hold about 200-250 yards of 60 lb line. This is what I use to catch tarpon up to 80 lbs with, that’s about as big as they grow in my area. Tie about 3 ft of 80 lb leader to the end of the 60 lb main line. I currently use PowerPro line. This line has a small diameter which allows farther casting and stronger line in less line diameter. The leader line and the main line should both be tied to a barrel swivel rated to 80 lbs to prevent breakage when using most artificial baits to prevent line twist and unwanted wind knots. As far as lures and baits to use, I would recommend checking with your local bait & tackle store to get recommendations for what is best to use in your particular area you plan on fishing. Their are so many different bait fish in the waters around the world, what I use here may not work as well where you are. Check with the locals. As for knots, I use a Loop knot when using most artifical lures that need to move more freely, when they don’t need as much action I use a Uni-knot. When using live bait I like to Snell the hook to the line. When tying a leader directly to the main line without a swivel, I like to use a Double Uni-knot.

-Well Victor, you’ve heard it from the experts. Although they all have personal preferences their basic rigs are similar, and there’s plenty of good advice to get you started tarpon fishing. Be sure to let me know how you get on, and send me a picture of your catch. If you want to find out more about fishing with any of our expert captains check them out in our International directory pages.

-Spike

I'd like to keep a record of all my fishing trips on my computer. Can you recommend any good fishing database software?

Gary Tanner - London, England

The best fishing database that I've found, and which I use myself, is called Fishbase by Terrafin Software in California. You can keep logs of fishing trips, catches, fishing spots, tackle maintenance and fishing buddies. The enhanced version, Fishbase Deluxe, also features a boat maintenance schedule which is a great feature. Jeff Gammon who owns the company is a keen fisherman and a great guy. Check out their website www.terrafin.com

-Spike

What is the best knot for tying new line to a reel spool?

J.Sevell – USA

The best and easiest knot for tying new line to a spool would be the Uni knot. Take the line around the spool, then take the tag end around the main line and tie the uni. Click on the image for some simple instructions.

-Spike

Here in Portugal we catch good numbers of white marlin between June and September. I need to know where I can find details of all the European records, can you help me?

Luis Nabais – Olhao, Portugal

European all tackle and line class records are kept by the European Federation of Sea Anglers (E.F.S.A.). You will find full details on their web site at www.efsa.co.uk Their line class records are maintained by the British Light Tackle Club who can be contacted at 78 Beech Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4TX, England.

-Spike

I'm thinking of booking a vacation to try for Blue Marlin off Madeira. What's the best time of year and what else can I expect to catch? 

Harry C. – Miami, Florida

Madeira in the Atlantic ocean has built a reputation as the hotspot for Atlantic Blue marlin. The season starts around June, building up through August and September and finishing in October. You could also hope to see White marlin, Spearfish, Big eye tuna and several species of sharks.If your budget won't stretch to Madeira you could consider the fishing off mainland Portugal. The season is much the same, with good numbers of White marlin and the occasional big Blue.

-Spike

Hey Spike, I bought myself some circle hooks because I heard that they were better for the fish. But I find that whenever I try to set the hook I miss the fish. I guess they are better for the fish because I can't catch one. What am I doing wrong?

Martin B. – Texas

With all the excitement about circle hooks you'd think they caught the fish for you, and in a way they do. Commercial fishermen use circle hooks because they allow the fish to hook itself as it takes the bait and turns away. You have to do much the same. When you try to set the hook all you're doing is pulling the hook out of the fish's mouth. Just allow the fish to take the bait and reel in any slack pulling the hook into the corner of the fish's jaw where it will turn and penetrate.

-Spike

I'd like to try one of the new superbraid lines that I keep reading about, but I've heard that my regular knots won't work with braid and I'll have to learn a bunch of new ones. What do you think?

Mark A. – Southampton, England

Superbraids aren't the universal best line for all fishing, but they certainly have their place in every serious anglers tackle box. Since you will always be fishing with a leader of nylon or fluorocarbon all you really need to know is how to join them to the braid.I always start by doubling 3 or 4 feet of the braid using either a twenty turn Spider hitch or a thirty turn Bimini twist. Then either attach a swivel to the braid using a Palomar knot and tie the leader to the swivel as usual, or if you want to attach the leader directly to the braid join them with a Yucatan knot. You'll find full instructions for tying all these knots on the 'Tips & techniques' page.

-Spike

I recently tried some bottom fishing with a sinker stopped about 4 feet from the hook, but every time I retrieved my gear the leader was wrapped around the mainline. What was I doing wrong?

Vince H. – Gibraltar

Well it could be a couple of things. It's usually caused by dropping the sinker to the bottom too quickly causing the bait to hang back and wrap around the mainline. The problem is made worse if there's not much tide is running, as the current helps to hold the bait away from the mainline.Try thumbing the spool lightly as you let out line, to slow the descent of the sinker, allowing the bait to stay away from the mainline. Also check that the bait doesn't spin in the current, if it does it will spin when you lower it to the bottom and cause a tangle.You could also try using a slightly stiffer leader material. Soft, limp nylon does allow a very natural bait presentation but it can also cause some bad tangles. You may have to compromise here.

-Spike

Email your question to Captainspike@Leadertec.com