180 degree or single Semi stiff rig. One of my f

[Jo.rademeyer]

Hi Bennie, a few questions if you don't mind.

1. What are your thoughts on two hooks versus a single hook on a kona?
2. How is the leader loop attached to the main line or wind on leader?

My rig is as follows:
a) Main line 50 pound dacron, with a bimini twist making a loop of 30cm double line.
b) A loop to loop cats paw connecting the wind on leader.
c) The 300 lbs mono from wind on leader through the kona.
d) On the leader a small loop with anti chafe crimped.
e) Stainless steel D shackle connects loop to hook rig.

:f1shy

 

[benniejordaan]

Jo.rademeyer wrote:

Hi Bennie, a few questions if you don't mind.

1. What are your thoughts on two hooks versus a single hook on a kona?
2. How is the leader loop attached to the main line or wind on leader?

My rig is as follows:
a) Main line 50 pound dacron, with a bimini twist making a loop of 30cm double line.
b) A loop to loop cats paw connecting the wind on leader.
c) The 300 lbs mono from wind on leader through the kona.
d) On the leader a small loop with anti chafe crimped.
e) Stainless steel D shackle connects loop to hook rig.

:f1shy

Hi,

I like double 180 degree semi-stiff hook sets. The front hook facing up and trailing hook facing down.

Assuming we are talking about marlin tackle... For stand up gear, we use 50Lb Tiagras uprated to 80Lb.

First off, I don't fish straight braid or Dacron. There is no stretch and I am concerned about pulling hooks. So we loaded about 700m of 80Lb braid backing. Then 100m of 80Lb nylon via a bimini and cats paw configuration. To this we attach a 2mm (400Lb) wind on leader of approximately 9m also via a Bimini at the end of the main line. We end this with a no. 8 Snap swivel and thimble crimped.

There are different connections available, but this works for us.

Each lure is rigged with 2,5m of nylon also 2mm. This is then ended with a crimped loop and some chaffing material or a Thimble. They clip direct to the snap swivel on the leader making changing out lures easier. The 2,5m is also perfect for the distance behind a bird if you wanted to put a bird ahead of the lure.

As for double lines/loops, I like keeping the loops as small as possible.
 

 

[nicos]

Jo.rademeyer wrote:

Hi Bennie, a few questions if you don't mind.

1. What are your thoughts on two hooks versus a single hook on a kona?
2. How is the leader loop attached to the main line or wind on leader?

My rig is as follows:
a) Main line 50 pound dacron, with a bimini twist making a loop of 30cm double line.
b) A loop to loop cats paw connecting the wind on leader.
c) The 300 lbs mono from wind on leader through the kona.
d) On the leader a small loop with anti chafe crimped.
e) Stainless steel D shackle connects loop to hook rig.

:f1shy

If I may comment on an old post:

benniejordaan

I like double 180 degree semi-stiff hook sets. The front hook facing up and trailing hook facing down.

I've recently had a long discussion with someone about this. They reckon (and they are right) that the top part of a marlin's mouth is smaller/shorter than the bottom. Thus, if fishing 180 stiff rigs, the back hook should point up and the front hook down. This way you get the mouth and not the bills. Discuss

benniejordaan

To this we attach a 2mm (400Lb) wind on leader of approximately 9m also via a Bimini at the end of the main line.
<snip>
Each lure is rigged with 2,5m of nylon also 2mm.

I think Bennie made a typo here. If you are going to fish competitions, or claim records, the combined lenght of your double line and leader can be no more than 40 feet / 12.19m, and neither the leader nor the double may be longer than 30 feet / 9.14m. This is from the start of your double knot to the end of your trailing hook.

In short, to play it safe, I would suggest something like this:
Double: 1m
Leader, catspaw to clip: 6m
Loop to end of lure: 2.5m

This gives you about 50cm of leeway on the total. That is not a lot, and every single competition we see fish disqualified for breaking this simple rule, so if you are not going to religiously check the lure+leader combination for everyone you make it, shorten the leader to 5m.

Longer doubles can be a pain on a skiboat and therefore we keep them pretty short.

 

[benniejordaan]

nicos wrote:

Jo.rademeyer wrote:

Hi Bennie, a few questions if you don't mind.

1. What are your thoughts on two hooks versus a single hook on a kona?
2. How is the leader loop attached to the main line or wind on leader?

My rig is as follows:
a) Main line 50 pound dacron, with a bimini twist making a loop of 30cm double line.
b) A loop to loop cats paw connecting the wind on leader.
c) The 300 lbs mono from wind on leader through the kona.
d) On the leader a small loop with anti chafe crimped.
e) Stainless steel D shackle connects loop to hook rig.

:f1shy

If I may comment on an old post:

benniejordaan

I like double 180 degree semi-stiff hook sets. The front hook facing up and trailing hook facing down.

I've recently had a long discussion with someone about this. They reckon (and they are right) that the top part of a marlin's mouth is smaller/shorter than the bottom. Thus, if fishing 180 stiff rigs, the back hook should point up and the front hook down. This way you get the mouth and not the bills. Discuss

benniejordaan

To this we attach a 2mm (400Lb) wind on leader of approximately 9m also via a Bimini at the end of the main line.
<snip>
Each lure is rigged with 2,5m of nylon also 2mm.

I think Bennie made a typo here. If you are going to fish competitions, or claim records, the combined lenght of your double line and leader can be no more than 40 feet / 12.19m, and neither the leader nor the double may be longer than 30 feet / 9.14m. This is from the start of your double knot to the end of your trailing hook.

In short, to play it safe, I would suggest something like this:
Double: 1m
Leader, catspaw to clip: 6m
Loop to end of lure: 2.5m

This gives you about 50cm of leeway on the total. That is not a lot, and every single competition we see fish disqualified for breaking this simple rule, so if you are not going to religiously check the lure+leader combination for everyone you make it, shorten the leader to 5m.

Longer doubles can be a pain on a skiboat and therefore we keep them pretty short.

I will look at my rigging and swim my lure to test how they perform if I turn the rigging 180 degrees.

 

[nicos]

benniejordaan wrote:

I will look at my rigging and swim my lure to test how they perform if I turn the rigging 180 degrees.

Please don't take what I said as law LOL.

I am really keen, next time I have a live marlin at hand, to examine it's mouth for soft and bony bits. I *think* the top turns into bony bill fairly quickly, but hey, I've never tried to do any orthodontics on a billfish other than to remove hooks.

 

[benniejordaan]

nicos wrote:

benniejordaan wrote:

I will look at my rigging and swim my lure to test how they perform if I turn the rigging 180 degrees.

Please don't take what I said as law LOL.

I am really keen, next time I have a live marlin at hand, to examine it's mouth for soft and bony bits. I *think* the top turns into bony bill fairly quickly, but hey, I've never tried to do any orthodontics on a billfish other than to remove hooks.

The bottom jaw has a hard boney ridge around the outer edge with soft tissue in the middle. The top jaw is basically boney from very deep inside. Kind of like your own mouth... Hard pallet at the top, soft tissue at the bottom.

I've had a hood sit nicely around that bottom jaw bone.