Been using swivels the past few months with no adverse affects on catch or landing fish. Bonus being I can fish a lighter leader tied onto the braid then about 500mm of heavier bite leader from the swivel to jighead. Using spinning reels its great it kills line twist dead no more running out line trying to get rid of it.

what would be the average head weight for fishing the gulf?going to give s/b a real go this year and take no bait, with out getting to carried away with different colours,what would be the normal colour range and which brand would you recommend?

I started with using lefties, then those stainless clips, then went to the mustards curly ones.
 Never had issues with braid twisting..
 But if put on a stray line, even with swivel, and bait not tidy, would twist up the braid..
Found lefties knot generally got best results.
 Lost a couple good fish (and not so good) using the stainless clips.  Couple issues, the trace eye not fully closed, and or aligned, either trace slipped off or cut on the sharp end bit on the eye.
 The mustard, good but found lefties easier to handle.
 Then a few months back in smart marine they had the stainless clips with swivels on, good eyes, better made (with swivel IF a sharp edge doesn't matter)
These work very well.

As to go to weight...rod pre setup with a 5/8 3/0 ...Z man similar in size to what sort of bait fish should be out there,  while travelling from the ramp, be it 5m or 25m  or casting into a boil up, or drag out the back.. its ready to go at an instant.
over 25/30m tend to go lure...
 In most cases have pre set up jigs 3/8 and 1/2 that can change to if not in a hurry to get line over, set up on a drift etc.

Always used 3/0.. some reason never even thought about going smaller...
 Now run 30lb trace, starts rod 1/2 length... lot of out fishing is in reefs.. lost few too many fish and gear ...

ppl say soft baiting no smelly bait.. damn that gulp and pastes in tubes  stink.. we fish both..

One issue with a swivel is it can tangle up, it's also an extra knot

Paul, and if you try the gulp series the best are; new penny, lime tiger, orange tiger and nuclear chicken.

And sapphire shine. Just not necessary really, it makes sense with Muppets bite leader idea but still think simple is the key.

Not trying to teach you how to suck eggs Muppet but if I had line twist problems, I'd be looking carefully at the bail arm roller bearing to be sure it was turning.

Been skull dragging Muppet? 😂

Nothing to get knickers in a twist about! Swivels are fine if you want to use them. Personally, I don't think they are necessary for soft baiting if the soft bait is mounted correctly and doesn't spin. Also, a swivel is another two knots in the system, unless it is incorporated in to some sort of quick clip at the end of the leader. As for bite leader, I use 15 or 20lb fluorocarbon which is fine for the mighty Northland. If and when the odd fish bites me off, I can live wth that. Each to their own though. 

MightyBoosh wrote: Nothing to get knickers in a twist about! Swivels are fine if you want to use them. Personally, I don't think they are necessary for soft baiting if the soft bait is mounted correctly and doesn't spin. Also, a swivel is another two knots in the system, unless it is incorporated in to some sort of quick clip at the end of the leader. As for bite leader, I use 15 or 20lb fluorocarbon which is fine for the mighty Northland. If and when the odd fish bites me off, I can live wth that. Each to their own though.