My windfall of rods/reels has kept me busy with re-rigging. Our fishing is pretty uniform. Light trolling targeting Mahi and Sailfish primarily, with Kingfish, Bonita, Cobia in the mix. Typical set up is tld 25 or equivalent with about 500 yds of yellow 30# mono. I keep it simple. Make a approx 4ft loop at the end with a surgeons knot and then attach 75-100lb snap swivel with an offshore swivel knot. 6ft of 60-80 lb mono leader.
Wondering what others do and as always looking for suggestions to improve.
Most of the fishing on my boat is in Florida in the winter. Primarly sailfishing outside the reef.
I have TLD15's on Connley Blue/Gold Kingfish 20-50# rods. The reels are backed with 500 yards of 50lb PowerPro and 100 yards of Suffix yellow mono top shot. Braid gives me the line capacity and the top shot saves me from replacing all the line when things get busted up. I don't use hollow core for the light stuff. Back-to-back nail knots - 10-turn on braid side 5-turn on mono side. Uni knots can be used too. Uni knots are a trick way of tying a nail knot. But they don't pull down as neatly especially braid. Never had a knot failure. Finish with short 2' Bimini tied on the rod (easy to do) and finished with 3-turns and loop puller to get tag end to lay flat.
When live baiting I skip the windon. Bead and snap swivel. The trace to the hook is fluorocarbon 60 lb about 9' to a VMC 6/0 circle hook. Usually crimped with 0.8mm crimps to allow hook to swing. Sometimes use a snell to repair a leader. I have some traces rigged with 12" of wire as well.
When kite fishing for sailfish I skip the windon. Rods re-rigged with high-vis floats, stainless ring, weight, bead and snap swivel. The trace to the hook is fluorocarbon 60 lb about 15' to a VMC 6/0 circle hook. Usually crimped with 0.8mm crimps to allow hook to swing. Sometimes use a snell to repair a leader.
During the Summer I fish the tournaments up North on another boat. Mostly white marlin. A couple of heavy rods for blue marlin but mostly large pitch baits to switch them off to. Big 3-tier dredges and squid daisy chains.
When white marlin fishing we use hollow core backing and loop to loop connection to top shot, a loop to loop 20' fluorocarbon 80 lb windon to a bead and snap swivel. The trace to the hook is fluorocarbon 80 lb about 9' to a VMC 7/0 circle hook. Usually crimped with 0.8mm crimps to allow hook to swing. Trace leaders are thrown away at the end of the day. Everything is a little heavier because it's a money tournament and only the big fish matter.
All blue marlin gear is the same way just heavier line. The loop to loop connections work well with heavier line. No-knot connection pass through the guides.
www.BHPTackle.com for all loop to loop stuff.
I use back-to-back nail knots for kite rod clip spacers too. Use a fly tying loop puller (wire) for braid or mono or hollow needle for mono.
