can i ask what does the trace line do? how i use this? how long it should be?  does it attach from the main line straight to the sinker?

oh yeah, length should be based upon distance from your knot touching your top guide to your hook being a length comfortable for casting....generally i find about 1/2 a metre to be sweet.

you dont want your knots running through your guides as you cast  - this creates drag

nsane. A trace is there as an extra to the main line. It is almost always heavier than the main line, like Mr Pillie says about 50 pound or so is good for bigger fish.

If you were fishing a 6 kg main line with a hook tied directly to the main line and you hooked a big snapper, chances are the fish will bite through or wear the 6kg line with its gill plates or on rocks and stuff before you got it to the boat.

As you are obviously just starting out it is best to keep to a simple rig such as a sinker sliding on your main line, with the main line tied to a swivel. you then use a trace of about 50lb about half a metre long with your hook tied to the end.

Oh yeah, learn to tie knots even heavy line breaks or slips easily with a poorly tied knot.

gee you guys must catch some big fish

snapps up to 17pd have not gotten through a doubled mainline

Was thinking further about this and you guys do make a good point...

i spose is better to be safe than sorry

what knot do you guys use to tie your main to your trace if your not using a swivel ? - - I hate swivels off the rocks...less to get caught up the better

There isn't just one solution. I change my rig depending on where I'm fishing. I use a doubler-only when fishing on sand or where there are no snags.

I go to a heavier trace when fishing around rocks or places where there are likely to be really big fish. I tie the trace straight to the doubler, no swivels.

I was recently shown the "lethal"knot by bushpig and its a beauty - used to use two uni knots but lethals is a much slimmer knot. There is a description of it somewhere.

I use 2 uniknots. I dont get too many big fish but all it takes is for a fis to swallow a hook and light line can be snipped off real easy. I dont use doubles if its snaggy.

I have seen a dandy knot for tying on a leader, but I forgot how to tie it within about 10 minutes.....  all I can remember is it had an overhand knot tied as a stopper on the heavier line.

nsane,

I always use a shock leader of about 30 lb as I tend use 15 to 24 lb main line and it will snap off during a good cast from the beach with 4 oz sinker on it. I use 60 lb on my hook trace. A well trimmed double uninot between your shock leader and main line won't cause you too much drama as long as you have reasonable size tip rings on ya rod. I tie it on to my main line and then wind on the line until I have about 12 wraps on my reel this gives enough line to trim a few line sections on each outing before having to change the shockleader. The fish I usually catch don't really need such heavy line but the day you do get that wall mounter you don't want your line or trace to be found wanting.

Cheers Tobias

thanks, tobias..  so it would be main line + shock leader + trace line.  got it..  i normally use a 20lb main line and a 50 lb trace line.  Do i need to replace the trace line I use to have tie the shockleader in place?

randy, seen your section on nz fishing.. its great

Point taken little pillie ..... I should retie my leader each time I fish. Just sometimes when your heading out after work and you only have an hour of light I think ...... " bugger it, I'm sure that knot will hold" However if i got into the habit of taking it off after each session then I'd have to retie it .... mental note to self

Nsane howd you fishin on Sunday go ?

Nsane,by the way,what weight line and brand did you end up buying?,just being a tad nosy,and curious. Jim

welcome to the forum oysterman...

only tip i can give when fishing the west coast, is use the longest trace possible for your distance without it hindering your ability to cast correctly,my fave bait is pipi, you can flick it just that extra bit further, especially with a five ounce, you got a bullet!.

good luck

does it mean the heavire the sinker, the rafther you can cast?  is it 5 is the minimum size of hook I can use? bought heaps of #3 & 4 thought it would be the right size :(

Stella: main line - maxima 20lb, trace line - black magic 40lb.. do I still need to buy a shockleader?..  the guy from the tackle shop told me to use a breakout sinker 4oz.  can I still use running rig? this hobby is really getting expensive especially if you have bought the wrong hooks/traces/rod :(

nsane,

Like what randyrandell said, best if you can get a relatively experienced fisho to go out with you one day.  Size 3 or 4 hooks can catch you fish.  I've even landed a 10kg ray on a #12 sabiki bait jig before. In fact you will typically catch more fish using smaller hooks but these will tend to be small fish. The general rule is BIG HOOK allows BIG BAIT which will catch BIG FISH.

I know the benefits of a shock leader but have given up on them on my eggbeater reels cos I find that it keeps catching on the knot joining to the main line when I cast out. Anyone else had this problem or can advise how I can solve it?

doggystylie...lol...change your joining knot bro...theres a few out there that cast really well, i use a single granny knot with the mainline thru the middle of the knot and then do an improved clinch knot ontop of that, its small and strong...you could also be lowering your rod to far once youve cast, make sure you point the rod the same angle that the nylon is travelling out....

nsane...defenty use the breakaway sinker i use threes and fours but five is great if you want that little bit extra ooooomph... i also use a 7/o its the same old story, little hook lots of little fish.

Dam Good theory i think Stella,thanks for the tip

Barrell

Forgot to say folks, that the 1st swivel tied on the main line, should be big enough in size, to stop the hook trace swivel  from sliding past or over it,it has to act as a stopper. And nsane your question regarding the shockleader, abit tricky using 10kg mainline,some would say it does require a leader,as it MAY snap when casting,others will say it WILL snap,when casting,depends on how much oomph you put into the cast,and the sinker weight of course. Some softer casts will be okay,but then you may get overzealous,and snap it the next cast,it wouldn't hurt to put one on, 15kg would be the go,but a more experienced fisho may like to advise you for sure. 

thanx Barrell, go 'n' do it..

Nice rig Stella. Have you had much success on it? Is this the main rig you use? I have tried a simialar set up called a running ledger rig. Same sort of principles really. Tackle Tactics have a special slider barrel clip for such purposes. Nsane, I generally used to use 5/0 hooks. When I arrived in Nelson, I was getting very little. Started talking to the locals and they said little hooks were working this season. Sure enough, changed down to 2/0 and started catching. It's true what KFSi says about bigger hooks and bigger fish but when the bigger fish aren't around it's nice catching something. I have still caught great Gurnard and large Kahawai on the smaller hooks plus Brim and a variety of other bait fish. (Throw back or bait). Keep hold of your smaller hooks and give them a crack. If they don't work or they get bent out it's easy enough to change.

I suggest you might want to look at http://www.tackletactics.co.nz">www.tackletactics.co.nz for some great ideas about rigs and plenty of other stuff.

KIngFish Si: I leave in pakuranga.. tried fishing last wk at musick point, but no luck.. maybe I need to learn more :)  maybe used the wrong bait? or Im doing it wrong. 

Dodgysho: what size of hooks do you use?

StellaFella: been to the tackle shop. havent seen a coastlock.  Is this different from snaplock?

I would be going to south head, end of trigs road this sunday with one of my officemate whos willing to teach me.  :)

THANKS STELLA..

gone to orakei this morning..  boy, the weather was great..  hoping to hook a 2-3lb but to no luck.  I guess it would be best to try going out of auckland to find bigger fish.

looking at trying port waikato next wk..