Best Rig for Sinker Rig BFT; Shogun May 18-23; And More Quiver Questions

[2Rotten]

My quiver, Light to Heavy:
UC Tilefish Jr + Torque 25 nld2 - 30#
UC Terminator + Torque 30/2 - 40#
UC Predator + Fathom 30/2 - 50#
UC GP Terminator + Fathom 40 nld2 - 60#
UC Centaur + Mak 16 SEa - 80#
UC Viper + Mak 20 SEa - 100#
UC Zeus 3 + Fathom 40 nld2 - 60# (Knife Jigs)

Questions:
(1) Is 7 sticks too many for a 4-day?

(2) Which of these rigs is the best one for Sinker Rig? Too light and you can't handle a big BFT. Too heavy, do you have to worry about not getting bit? The candidates in my mind are the 60# or 80# rigs.

(3) Is there a mission on a 4-day for the 50# stick? Have always heard that they will eat 60 if they will eat 50. Should I leave the Predator/Fathom 30 behind? Would this rig be more capable/useful if I upgraded the Fathom 30/2 to a Fathom 40 nld2?

(4) I am planning to use the Viper + Mak 20 for night time flat falls (first trip for this rig; gotta bring it!). Is there value in bringing the Centaur + Mak 16 also, or are these essentially duplicates for a trip like this?

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[BluefinCurly]

When they bit the sinker rig last year, I used both 80 early, late, and when they bit good, I dropped to 60 when they were hanging but not biting as well.

My 80# rig was a custom wrapped 2x4 with a 16VISX, and my 60# rig was a US Predator with a 12VISX.

My Terminator is a prime 40# rig (IMO) with a Torque 25NLD2.

7 rigs is not too much for a 4 day. I usually take 8.

 

[2Rotten]

Thanks for the reply BFCurly. Gonna bring all 7, move the Fathom 40 nld2 from the GP Terminator to the Predator, give it a little better chance on a big'un than the Fathom 30/2. Ordered a Mak 15T SEa for the GP Terminator, this will be my #1 60# rig. Use the Centaur/Mak 16 w/80# leader for sinker rig if the bite is good, drop down to the GP Terminator/Mak 15T w/60# leader if the bite becomes more scratchy. Can't wait to hook a Flat Fall fish on the Viper/Mak 20 w/100#!

 

[Pitchinwedge]

Have always heard that they will eat 60 if they will eat 50

Similar sayings seem to keep floating around. "Friends don't let friends fish 80" and "if they'll eat 80, they'll eat 100".

So be logical about this: If they eat 50, they will eat 60. If they eat 60, they will eat 80. And so on. Makes sense, right?

 

[hucklongfin]

Go big or go home?

 

[Invictus]

7 is definitely not too many.

As to size, heaviest you can get bit. Be realistic, hanging fish on 50 that you’ll go 1/6 on for four hours, or hanging 2 on 80 that you’ll get a gaff in.

Definitely NOT too many set ups.

 

[Chucker o’ Jigs]

I see a trend of people favoring small heavy duty reels for jig work here... I’m having wet dreams over a VISX 10 idea that’s a narrow 12. Would be the perfect 60lb reel.

 

[2Rotten]

I see a trend of people favoring small heavy duty reels for jig work here...

I used to run a Penn Fathom 25 nld2 on my Zeus 3 jigging stick... Last fall the deck hand on New Lo-An shook his head and said I should upgrade it to the 40 nld2 (which I did). Of course the BFT were running big and mean but not hungry that day. Of the 3 big fish we hooked, only 1 ended well...

 

[Chucker o’ Jigs]

I used to run a Penn Fathom 25 nld2 on my Zeus 3 jigging stick... Last fall the deck hand on New Lo-An shook his head and said I should upgrade it to the 40 nld2 (which I did). Of course the BFT were running big and mean but not hungry that day. Of the 3 big fish we hooked, only 1 ended well...

Yeah I’ve going to the VISX 12 for 60lb and mainly 80lb work. Just better gearing and more capacity, all there is to it. I wish Penn would recognize that there isn’t just a small number of people who’d want a reel like that.

 

[pukahd]

During a pick bite last summer I got 2 BF 80&135 # on 60 lb / 10oz torpedo / MAK15T / CX76 Raptor

 

[Mr. DRE]

You can never have too many! I took six on my 2day trip and actually used 5 of them.

 

[afraser]

Not too many rigs at all. I feel empty handed with less than 10. That said I think your mix is light on heavy rigs. You need at least 2 100lb rigs, especially if it’s a night bite. Personally, I have 2 100lb flat fall rigs, a 100lb bait rig, and a “stealth” 100lb rig that I put a long 80lb leader on. 2 flat fall rigs is key as the bite may only last 5 minutes and if you get cut off or have some other failure, you miss it. Also, 1-2 under 50lb rigs are plenty, you don’t need separate 25 and 40lb rigs unless it’s for a different type of fishing (eg surface iron or yoyo). You can always adjust your leader if you have to drop down.

 

[MikeKilo]

Hello, I just got back from the excel 2.5 day on Sunday 16May. You don't have too many rigs. I took 7 with me and I used them all. We rarely used anything under 40# test because it was too risky. Many casualties happened to those who went under 40#. Hook size is more important and finding the right bait that swims. Hook sizes used were 2, 1/0, 2/0 Circle or J. Keep top shot flouro knot outside of your top guide. Loop the rubber band just above the knot and it will help keep the sinker in place. As for jigs the daiwa sk (blue yellow silver, no glow) around 180g was HOT for me. I was out catching everyone until someone didn't follow their fly line and got us in a 4 way tangle while I was on a BFT. They snapped my 80# braid from the pull of my fish. I switched to a 200g glow flat fall as it was my only SK jig and later at night it was HOT again. I managed to land 13 BFT in the 60 pound grade and helped the boat catch limits. Another angler was using purple/pink flat fall in the 180-200g size and was killing it too. Jigs were on 80# braid with 80# flouro with sk and went up to 150# crimped mono for the flat fall at night time. I managed to land some of these 60# bft in under 8mins because I was able to straight grind and muscle them in with that heavy mono. Line eventually got frayed and I just kept on fishing it because the bite was so hot. Never broke off.

 

[Mr. DRE]

Thanks for the info heading out on the Intrepid in the morning.

 

[2Rotten]

Bad news Shogun just called, due to heavy wind forecast they are changing our 4-Day to a 2-Day. Now fishing May 20 - 23... Rats! But, better than fishing in 30+ knot winds...

 

[Senko888]

Bad news Shogun just called, due to heavy wind forecast they are changing our 4-Day to a 2-Day. Now fishing May 20 - 23... Rats! But, better than fishing in 30+ knot winds...

Sorry to hear about that. On my 5/14 trip, flatfalls at night produced the highest quantity/quality fish. Katy perry being the hottest color, glow and black anchovy worked as well. Would absolutely capitalize on this window. Saturday had 5-7 ft swells and 15kt winds but 150-250g still got down and bit.

Sinker rig caught a few fish as well, mainly during the daytime where we had to downsize and would pick up a couple here and there out of a school. Most bites were on 40lb and 4 oz sinker from what i observed.

Coltsnipers produced as much fish as the sinker rigs, maybe with a few less casualties.

I would have a few heavy flatfall permutations ready to go for a hot night bite. Got a long day to figure out what works on the finesse side.

 

[2Rotten]

There was a Happy Ending to this story I jumped on an extended 1.5 Day trip on Tomahawk, Captain Mike Slayed It! Trip report posted/won't go into more detail again here; it was Epic!

 

[Sailing La Reina]

I’m going on the Royal Star next week on a 1.5 day trip. since I can only keep two, the plan is to go big or go home. I’m bringing two 100 lb. rigs and two 80 lb. rigs. During the night they will all be set up for jigging flat falls and during the day the two 100 lb. rigs will be set up for sinker fishing - big sinkers, big hooks, big sardines and long soaks.

 

[2Rotten]

I’m going on the Royal Star next week on a 1.5 day trip. since I can only keep two, the plan is to go big or go home. I’m bringing two 100 lb. rigs and two 80 lb. rigs. During the night they will all be set up for jigging flat falls and during the day the two 100 lb. rigs will be set up for sinker fishing - big sinkers, big hooks, big sardines and long soaks.

Bring some 60# leader just in case... Some of the BFT have been picky lately during the day. For daytime jigs and sinker rigs.

I Hope you get as lucky as me 120#, 125#, and 185#!