Long line live bait rigging

[Pig Pen]

I have a couple of questions reguarding this topic.

1) How much line is recomended to put out?
2)I'm guessing weight is dependent on depth?
3) Is weight making contact with bottom or are you just trying to near the bottom in the strike zone.
4) How fast?

Thanks!

[Mattman]

>I have a couple of questions reguarding this topic.
>
>1) How much line is recomended to put out?
>2)I'm guessing weight is dependent on depth?
>3) Is weight making contact with bottom or are you just trying
>to near the bottom in the strike zone.
>4) How fast?
>
>Thanks!


1) The fish should tell you that. Optimum is just enough that your weight is right under your rod tip. However fussy fish may not like to be right under the boat.

2) Yes. Speed also. You need more weight, the faster you move.

3) I try to keep my weight off bottom, setting it down every once in a while just to make sure I'm right there near the bottom. I do know guys that swear you need to drag bottom and kick up a little sediment trail as it looks like feeding vulnerable bait.

4) The fish should tell you that. You need to find that speed that triggers them.



Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have!

[REW]

Matt is correct.
In addition, you should have a feel for the type bottom you are fishing.
If you are fishing a hard bottom, with gravel, rocks, or hard clay, you can likely run closer to the bottom than would be the case if you have a mud bottom.

When, fishing some of the very soft mud bottoms like the classic mud flats of central Mille Lacs in central MN, you need to keep the weight and bait higher. This bottom composition is a semi slurry - gooy mixture for about the bottom 2 feet. If you keep your rig imersed in the fog and gook, it is often times very difficult for the fish to see your bait.
Conversely, the fish sometimes are looking for clouds of mud to be kicked up, which could indicate active fish - digging worms from the bottom.

So, you need to let the fish tell you - distance from bottom etc.

----------
I do 2nd the comment on keeping the weight just below the boat. If you let the weight get very far behind the boat; you lose control with respect to where your bait and weight is located - with respect to the bottom.
Also, the further the weight moves from the boat, the less feel the fisherman will tend to have at the rod.

Take care

REW

[Burr]

I'll add another comment about keeping the weight under your rod, when setting the hook, you'll be more successful when your setting at a steeper angle.

If I'm on light biting fish, I will reverse direction of the boat to back up over them. It's important to do this without stopping / starting the trolling motor, or changing speed. You want to keep your trolling motor sound in the water 'consistent'.

As for on the bottom, off the bottom, you'll have to listen to the fish to tell you what they want that day. Often, similar lakes, similar conditions, similar previous weather for the last few days, and previous experience is a good place to start.

[Pig Pen]

Thanks for the comments guys. I'm not talking about live bait rigging under the boat at a 45 degree angle, I understand this type of rigging.

What I am talking about is "LONG LINE" rigging. I am talking about letting 60' to 70' of line out. I saw the technique on the In-fisherman video long line walleyes. They were fishing finiky fish after a storm. It was not like the normal rigging where you feed them line and set the hook. It was more like using a spinner rig, where you tip your rod and then set it. I was just looking for some of the details that they didn't mention on the video.

Anyone ever fish this way? If so, please explain the finer points.

Thanks!

[RANGER]

Many, many, many times I run a "Long Line" (50 to 100+ feet) out the back of the boat - just in case........... I'll run anything from an unweighted worm harness to a heavy bottom bouncer, to spoons to cranks to..........!!

Let the fish tell you and adjust, BUT, we nearly always run a long line out the back. You might be surprised how it can produce at times!

[Burr]

Yep, that's what I'm talking about. I'll have 50+ feet of line out, with a 3"-4" Redtail, and back the boat up over the top of the fish prior to setting the hook.

I do mean rigging, not bouncing.

[REW]

That arrangement can work well, if you use either a bottom bouncer, or a three way rig, to insure that you are keeping the bait up off the bottom a bit.

If you are using a plain hook that far behind the boat, depending on conditions, it is very easy to have it dragging up weeds and mud.

Take care
REW

[RANGER]

Absolutely, when bouncing we use some type of three way setup with a lesser test for the drop weight so as not to lose the whole rig if it gets hung up!

[manitobawalleye]

i do what burr says
yes for longlining say a 1/8th oz sinker way back
this is usually a technique for flats...sand...mud etc
areas that are fairly smooth....
when you feel the pick up you move back towards the fish and pick up slack in the line
usually by the time you are close to the fish you can set the hook
with alot of the line angle taken up....
this doesn't work as well in the rocks up here in canada
the longer the fish runs the more chance of it dragging the swivel into a snag or temporarily adding enough pressure at that point to make it drop the bait....
how far back depends on the weight and the speed
you can longline with a split shot or 2
longlining is usually a very slow presentation with a minimal amount of weight 1/8th max...16th even at times
so you need slow to at least feel contact with the bottom...
it is so light that you will find feeling bottom even tough at times
you want a bit of bottom and a bit off bottom not continually dragging.....this is another reason it is a presentation for flats as up and down terrain is hard and slow to track
and you will need to keep a high concentration level...
line weight is usually 4lb test.6lb can cause you to lose additional feeling of what is going on

manitoba .... a 100,000 lakes
how many walleyes ????
i will never have enough time....