Braid and Spros

[fnsmag]

I recently started using braid (30# Power Pro) and love the feel of it when dragging bait or bouncing fluke balls and was thinking about trying spros but my question is how light of a bucktail can I use with this line and still be able to keep it on the bottom?

[IrishAyes]

Hi fnsmag. 
The size of the spro or any other type jig/weight will all depend on the current, wind, etc.  At times you can get away with an ounce or two.  When the current is running fast and you are in deeper water, you will have the need to use a heavier jig/weight.  The thing to do is, use the lightest weight possible to keep in touch with the bottom.

[Hotrod]

Joe.  How do you setting up your spo's.  With leader or tied directly to it?

[Skolmann]

You want to use the lightest Spro (bucktail) possible that keeps you on the bottom. Best is if you can fish 'straight up & down'.

I'll use a uni-uni knot to attach the braid to my 6' leader (usually do this the night before) and hope that when I get hung up all I break off is the Spro and/or teaser. Then I'll re-tie on the leader. Once the leader gets too short or frayed, I'll use a Spro #4 swivel to make the connection

[Luna Sea 5]

this questions depends on a bunch of factors.  The main rule is, use the lightest weight that holds bottom. 

[IrishAyes]

Joe.  How do you setting up your spo's.  With leader or tied directly to it?
[/quote

Hi Rod, I almost always use a leader.  This is because when I fish a jig I will use a teaser above it.

[hareball]

I hear fluke have some of the best eyesight among fish.

[ped579]

Yeah, and they see in stereo just like us because of where their eyes are situated on top and  looking forward.

HAppy Catching

Paul

[The Broken One]

this questions depends on a bunch of factors.  The main rule is, use the lightest weight that holds bottom. 

Absolutly not true, I can hold bottom at times with a 3oz but have way to much line out to do so.........

Use the lightest weight that will keep you as close to vertical as possible.....

remember the more scope/line you let out the better the chance of getting snags you won't get out of.... I have used 4 oz when others have used 2, 6 oz when others use 3 and have gone to 8 when needed, And have caught just as many and in most cases more and bigger fish because I am almost straight up and down.. Don't get me wrong if I can use a 3 oz and be straight up and down or within a foot or 2 of that then its great, but I usually start with a 4oz right off the bat and go from there....

I know of one charter guy who won't use anything lighter than a 6oz no matter what the conditons are and he catches big stuff.....

Also the size of the braid makes a huge difference.... most of my bucktail rods have 15lb stealth and 1 or 2 of them have 20 lb -- Tops..... I have caught a lot of mats and never had one break off the braid... as a matter of fact a good friend of mine who is a big time puller, uses 10lb test braid and swears by it....

[Flukedood]

I use 10 lb braid and can hold verticle with a 2 0z spro most times and the heaviest I have had to go with the 10 lb braid is a 3 oz spro.. A friend recomened switching over to fire Line Crystal from Power pro. He said he did tests and the breaking point of the fire line is over 25 lbs with a 3 lb diameter.. That really cuts down the drag in the water colum ..

[Capt. Ed]

Hi All,

As everyone knows that speaks with me, the biggest problem most fisherman have is that they do not use enough weight!

I have written about this extensively and demonstrated to many folks on this board.

One of the best days I had recently was in the Fisherman's SUpply when I found out Mai Tai makes 8 oz. bucktails. I can finally use a bucktail again.

I start with 8 oz. and adjust from there. My rod/reels are dialed in to work best in the "heavy" range and still be "sensitive."

The Broken One is correct ... that is why he catches!

Go vertical and you will become a better catcher,

Capt. Ed

[The Broken One]

One of the best days I had recently was in the Fisherman's SUpply when I found out Mai Tai makes 8 oz. bucktails. I can finally use a bucktail again.

BINGO 

A lot of guys i talk to are afraid of the hook size which is why they don't go to the bigger B-tails.... Crazy.... some guys have never seen just how big a flukes mouth can flare open... Yea I use stingers but every big fish i have landed ALWAYS had the whole BT in its mouth or throat...

[hareball]

glad to hear the weight thing...I always start with 6oz and go heavier but never lighter than 6oz.  i'll have to try this vertical jigging as my method has always been to let alot of line out. this method has worked for me but the idea of having less line out sounds alot better

[gottog]

I try to keep it fairly light and use 10#, 14#, and 20# test braid and Fireline for my fluking.  ALWAYS have a mono/fluro leader onto which the bucktail gets tied via a no-slip loop knot.  Teaser can be added above via a dropper loop if I'm feeling it'll help.

Personally, I prefer light bucktails but that's depends on conditions.  I have used a 3/4oz Spro while others dragged 6-8ozs and bait.  It turns into "work" though and sometimes have a very small window of time that you can actually work the bt correctly.

Last time out on a crowded party boat that was drifting for seabass I threw on a 4oz Spro.  Casted ahead of the drift and got crushed as soon as it went vertical.  Nice fight on light tackle too.  Ended up being my personal best fluke at 8.5#.

I too thought the bigger Spro BTs had a big hook.  Knew it would work but always felt a little too big even when unhooking shorts.  After that fish and a few other 5-6# fish took it...my mind has been eased.  Still prefer light tackle flukin especially when it comes to bucktailin' but gotta use what you need to keep the offering in the strike zone.

[AviD]

I've been using Fireline Crystal on 3#/8# all year on a Tierra 2500...I can fish pretty light and rarely go over 2oz...never over 3oz.

I haven't been focusing on vertical fishing when the drift is fast though...certainly not fishing vert when it's ripping with 2oz or 3oz...but when it's a "reasonable" drift, no problem fishing that way vertically.

And what I'm seeing with the FC 3#/8# is it seems to break between 20# and 25#...although I haven't scaled it yet.