So far in our pursuit of transforming the average mug into a finely-tuned fishing machine, this column has looked at the basics of correct and balanced tackle for specific fishing tasks, the basic fishing lines and knots required, and the concept of thinking like a fish in order to better fool our quarry. Without this basic tackle and fish knowledge embedded firmly in our grey matter, we would simply remain common fishing mugs forever. However, with the aforementioned behind us, we are well on our journey of piscatorial success and discovery.

The rigs that we need to employ for basic fishing applications is our next port of call. Rigs, of course, vary dramatically due to the wide and varied fishing circumstances we find ourselves in. For instance, there is no point in using 10kg line and a massive snapper sinker for targeting finicky whiting in your local estuary. You might be lucky enough to knock a whiting out cold as the sinker plummets to the bottom, but basically you’ll just succeed in sending every whiting in the immediate area high-tailing it out of there.

The big secret to fishing is based around using the lightest line and smallest sinker (or preferably none at all) in order to present your lure or bait in the most natural manner possible.

FINICKY FISHES

By nature, fish in general are quite finicky creatures — always wary, though, because there is always something nearby hell-bent on eating them. So keep in mind that most fish live their lives under constant guard and suspicion.
Heavy lines, large sinkers, oversized hooks and baits can act as warning signs. They might be fine in 60m of water out in the wide blue ocean, but heavy tackle and beefy rigs have no place in a quiet estuary, river, or creek.

The KISS (keep it simple, stupid) principle works an absolute treat from a fishing perspective. So for the majority of fishing applications, there is a basic rig that will prove outstandingly successful. Certainly the simplest fishing rig known to man is as basic as a hook tied directly to the fishing line. And trust me when I tell you that a great many of the best fish ever caught were taken on a hook or lure tied directly to the main line.

For many estuary fish, other than those such as flathead, tailor and the like that have teeth capable of wearing or cutting through line, tying the lure or hook to the main line is a highly effective rig. A baited hook attached to light line with no sinker is the perfect presentation for still water. One might only introduce a sinker in certain conditions, such as water movement or the need to cast the bait a significant distance.

In a previous column we discussed the benefits of thinking like a fish. Well, when contemplating fishing rigs, think like your bait. Unweighted bait will present quite naturally, while poorly presented, weighted bait will shoot to the bottom like a brick. Not so subtle, huh!

There are, however, rigs and methods that employ sinkers but still allow baits to be presented quite naturally.

RUNNING SINKER

Take for instance, a simple ball sinker that has a hole through the centre of it. By adding one to our basic no-sinker rig, without going overboard size-wise, we can cast our bait a good distance and anchor it to the bottom if current or tidal movement is present. Once the bait is in place, the sinker should anchor the bait while allowing the line to freely run if a fish takes the bait. We call this a running sinker rig and it works very well in many situations. Always remember though, it is best to keep the sinker weights to the absolute minimum required for the situation.

You could advance the running sinker rig by employing a stopper, such as a ring or swivel, attached to the main line well up from the bait. For more finicky fish, this stops the sinker from coming anywhere near the bait and hindering its movement or potentially putting fish off.

“Unweighted bait will present quite naturally, while poorly presented,
weighted bait will shoot to the bottom like a brick”

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER

Much of our fishing knowledge has been passed down through the generations. This valuable knowledge has been a culmination of more than 200 years (in Australia anyway) of constant trial and error, and many hours spent on the water. In essence, we’ve gathered a tremendous database of how best to target our many and varied species of fish.

Many of the old tried and tested methods could be set in stone, and should still apply in another 200 years. However, along with this fact often comes a little misunderstanding. As a result there are a few long-extolled angling approaches that are not quite correct. And, in some cases, these practices could reduce an angler’s potential catch. The use of wire traces for certain fish species is a good example of such errors.

The myth surrounding the use of wire traces when targeting flathead and barramundi is a classic case in point. Understandably, when methods of manufacturing fishing line were in infancy, the abrasive resistance of those early lines was probably minimal. Some fish were possibly lost due to this in the early days. Thankfully, we now have the benefits of a number of incredibly abrasive-resistant monofilament fishing lines and the fact has been proven time and time again that you will catch far more fish if you can present baits on the lightest practical tackle.

Fish are quite wary, and wire is far more obvious in bait or lure presentation than translucent monofilament fishing line.

DENTAL WORK

One look at a fish’s dentistry is generally enough to correctly decide whether or not a wire trace is needed.
Fish teeth can be (very generally) split into two types: cutting teeth, and holding teeth. It has nothing to do with how sharp the tips of the teeth are, but all to do with the style and layout of the teeth.

Fish with (either large or small) pointy, conical teeth have holding teeth. They are designed to grab and hold their prey. Holding teeth often have a reasonable space between each tooth. Triangular teeth that mesh together and have sharp edges are cutting teeth.

Mackerel, wahoo and tailor, for instance, have cutting teeth. They employ a rather gruesome method of feeding. They generally strike their prey at lightning speed and use the razor-sharp scissor-like action of their teeth to incapacitate the victim by cleanly snipping off the rear portion of its body. The hunter then returns for the remainder of the meal.

Fish with this style of cutting teeth do require wire traces to avoid cut-offs of monofilament line. Most other species don’t require wire traces, but rather short leaders of abrasive-resistant monofilament line. For flathead and the like we usually attach a length of six to 10kg breaking strain monofilament line.

To protect against the sharp gill rakers of the mighty barramundi, a 20 to 30kg leader is necessary, and for big hoodlum kingfish, we like to use 30 to 40kg monofilament traces due to their habit of running you around sharp reefs.

Monofilament leaders and wire traces are your insurance policy against fish dentistry, possible obstructions that the fish might rub your line against, and general wear and tear. Look at the species that you are targeting and rig accordingly. Keep in mind that wire traces are only required on a small group of species.

The moral to the story is: avoid the use of wire unless it is absolutely necessary, keep monofilament leaders to minimal strengths required, and those nutritious fish meals will increase!


By Scott Amon, as featured in Trailerboat issue 231.