Twisting the purse string holder,seen a couple of trailer boats on T/M that would suit  her and I.

Oh and might get a new kayak wagon to rust out.

Yeah same did. some before too

Muppet wrote: So who is spending up on TAS when we open up? Straight to Gofish for me for my first softbait rod over 7ft and some micro jig hooks. Get Greg turning over some money again. Medium term goal a trip to the Kings support local tourism. So what is your plan?

If your after a long softbait rod try this, got one myself love it.

https://www.smartmarine.co.nz/product/10905/extrasense-nano-79-spin-rod-4-8kg?clearance=true

pjc wrote: Flasher rigs are we being ripped off??And no interested in making my own. Brought a couple of black magic 3/0 gurnard rigs,think $14 each?? now happened to be in the red shad and saw maxi something 3/0 flashers for $4.95 so brought a couple. Laid both side by side.Same colour same bead same hook. Got talking to a small tackle guy(kkb container at ramp)he had same as shops and $1 dearer than red shed.He claimed there is only a handful of hook manufacturers etc and most produce for varies brands. Stick a label of a well known brand and charge gold.[DIV] [/DIV][DIV]Any thoughts? anyone else looked closely at what they are actually buying[/DIV]

The cheap ones are **** hooks, **** mono, **** knots.

While the hook might be the same shape, try flexing it with your fingers. The hooks on the cheap ones are terrible.

But yes... even at retail, 2x $1 hooks, 50c of mono, a bit of flash and some beads (5c?) plus a couple of minutes of labour for someone to tie it all together.... there's a lot of margin in a flasher rig. But that's why I tie my own.

Uncle wrote: Can you tie a flasher rig in two minutes Rozboon? I've made a few in my time & am still way beyond the two minute mark. Reckon I should come for some lessons

If I use pre-tied traces it would be pretty close to that. Mine are just 4x Surgeons knots though, one for a loop at the top and the bottom, 2 in the middle for the droppers. They don't approach the fine artistry of yours though ;)

All of that said, I saw a video somewhere (may have been Black Magic?) showing them being tied and I would say 2 minutes per rig would be slow!

I don't do a lot fishing that requires "rigs" these day, but I've always tied my own. Not to take the moral high ground, but because I have more faith in components I have selected and my own knots than something prepared in a factory. The exception being hapuka rigs because I don't do that much of this kind of fishing and there isn't cost effectiveness on doing it yourself.  

Maybe you're right, when I added up the cost of the components from Hooker, there didn't seem much in it. Could go with cheaper components, but the Hooker stuff is A1. I'll have another think about it. Cheers. 

The surgeons knot is good knot and I cut loop in half and tie recurve on to that for gurnards .. heavier tackle 20 to 30 lb, and 40lb trace mind you on lighter sensitive rod more suited to 3 to  4 kg - alvey. Highly effective.

My dropper ledgers, have a jig with nails in to.. tie the top loop, small for the mainline clip, 1st nail,  lay out around nails with large loop (both 3X surgens), and hook onto elastic tension at the end.
 Twist up the drooper loops.
 Slide up and lumo tube, or  whatever.
 Then dont cut off.
 Tie next small mainline loop, do again..
 Do maybe 1/2 doz.
So now you have a 1/2 doz pre tied droppers with lumo all joined together  and wind onto a old mono spool ...
 sinker end 1st.
 The last to wind on I add any plastic squid stuff and hooks.

So need a new trace.. cut off the old one, clip on the new off the spool, unwind and the snip off between the sinker loop and the next on the reel, main line loop.
  bait up drop over board... and if have time may lie to put the next hooks / plastic squid. stuff on so ready to go.

Stray line traces, pre tie with non knot on hooks .. hold and flasher or feathers whatever against the hook shaft, wind the knot on over..  The knot I wind down 6 or 7 times then back up 3 then thru the hook eye...knot holds far more secure.
 This I put on old  brought flasher foam thingyies , most are cut from a warehouse yoga pad (which also use to sharpen my knives.)  Then go into a zip lock.

Cost..
30m Fluro is what ? $25 thats approx 75c per trace.
 owner or gamaski hooks  about $1 each , 2 per trace  $2
Lumo tube bits  guess ? 30c each   60c per trace ??
Flasher  .. or use $2 shop feathers  20c if that.
 Couple plastic squid   $2 per trace? 

So very rough traces with quality hooks.. that more often than not get reused with flashers /squids etc, about $5 each...
 And since use quailty hooks, recon drop less fish, plus get re used so over all maybe $3 to $ per trace over all ???

I have no idea how much to buy similar in shops.. last looked was about $7 some yrs back...

 ends of stray line rigs/ feathers etc



 Thought had a pic of the ledger rig jig setup.
 Really need to be able to delete pics uploaded, get rid of duplicates and crap stuff...takes to long to go thru and find what want now..dont want to add more yet.