Blog » The Balanced System - Part 2 “The Tackle”
The Balanced System - Part 2 “The Tackle”
In part 2 we will cover balancing the terminal tackle, hooks, lures, and bait you use for your balanced rod and reel. This is not a “what product” you should use or even a “how to” segment. It is directly based on the size of tackle you use in relation to your balanced rod and reel.
Terminal Tackle
When you fish the river, at times you hang up and pull in someone’s lost gear. I am usually surprised to see what I pull from the river. I see terminal tackle, such as hooks, snap swivels, barrel swivels and lures of all different sizes. Usually it is oversized.
Losing tackle is a fact of fishing. However, using the right size terminal tackle with a properly matched rod, reel, and mainline will reduce lost gear and you will enjoy your time on the water more and actually increase your odds to catch more fish.
Based on the weight difference of your mainline and leader, if you use a barrel swivel that is too big, you can get hinging and wrapping as you fish. Hinging is where your leader hinges back toward the mainline as you cast. Wrapping is where the leader now wraps itself around the mainline, keeping your bait or lure from working right.
The leader you use is a different weight line than that of the mainline because if you do snag up, you want to break off the leader and not lose your whole setup. The leader should be an extension of the mainline. So the barrel swivel should not hinder the change in weight of the leader from the mainline. It should allow it to flow, just as if the mainline reduce itself from one weight to the next without the barrel swivel. This is how leaders are made for fly anglers. The leaders are heavier in the butt, like the mainline and reduce to a lighter weight line at the tip for the fly.
Let’s talk about barrel swivels and snap swivels for a moment. Barrel swivels and snap swivels have a much higher breaking strength than you think. The size of your mainline does have some bearing on the size of swivels you will use, but for the most part, you can use much smaller swivels than you think. Let me give you an example.
I use Vision hooks and swivels, so I have some data on the Vision swivels. All barrel and snap swivels have breaking strengths.
Vision Data
Roller Barrel Swivels
#4 RBS 117 lbs
#7 RBS 80 lbs
#10 RBS 48 lbs
#12 RBS 40 lbs
Roller Interlock Snap Swivel #10 30 lbs
Roller Snap Swivel #10 20 lbs
Now keep in mind this data is based on a constant strain of a certain amount of weight until it breaks. This does not mean that if you are using a #10 roller barrel swivel you will lose a fish that weighs over 48lbs. You have to keep in mind your rod and reel and terminal tackle are functioning as a dynamic system, not static. Because the rod flexes and the drag is set to allow the fish to take line if necessary and the fish moves through the water, you can handle those big fish.
As an example, if you are fishing a drift setup and use a snap swivel on the mainline to attach your lead or slinky and a barrel swivel at the tag end of the mainline to attach a leader, they should match. So if you are using a #10 snap swivel for your weight, then use a #10 barrel swivel for the tag end and leader. If you are only using a barrel swivel, then you are always safer to go smaller than larger.
Weights
The amount of weight you use for your setup, regardless if you are plunking, back-bouncing, drift fishing, or side drifting is important. Do not use too much. You will always be fine if you start light and go up in weight. If you put too much weight on to begin with and you snag up and break off on your first cast you just wasted time in re-tying your setup, not to mention you did not finish the drift.
The water speed and depth in addition to the type of lure or bait you are fishing is a good indication of how much weight you should use.
If I am drift fishing or even side drifting, I like to use just enough weight to keep it on the bottom. I like to feel a light ticking of the weight across the bottom. Sometimes I will change the weight from one drift to the next drift on the same river. One drift might have more flow than the previous drift, or it may be deeper water. In any case if I am not getting that light ticking across the bottom, I will change out the weight.
Likewise, for plunking or back-bouncing I use just enough weight to hold the weight to the bottom of the river so my bait or lure can action the way it needs to. It is really easy to use more weight than necessary.
Hook Size
Lures usually come with the correct size hook. However, you may have to switch out a treble hook for a single hook to meet the regulations in your state or a particular body of water. Make sure you use the right size hook when doing this.
Hook size for fishing bait is just as important as the rest of the terminal tackle. Just as with barrel swivels and snap swivels, hooks have a greater breaking strength than you might think. Most anglers use hooks that are too big. Let’s say you are drift fishing, it does not work if you use a #10 corkie or cheater with a 1/0 hook. You are defeating the primary purpose of using a cheater or corkie. The cheater or corkie has two purposes. First and foremost, it should provide some buoyancy to keep your bait off the bottom of the river. Secondly is the attraction aspect based on color or style? The weight of a 1/0 hook is too much for a #10 corkie or cheater. Not to mention you put it in the river where you have flow, you will just be dragging the bottom.
To help with hook size choice, consider these things; where are you fishing? What species are you fishing for? Do you have the right size line, and terminal tackle to handle the hook you want to use?
Do a test yourself. Tie up several leaders with hooks of different sizes, including corkies or cheaters. Three foot leaders will be long enough for this test. After you tie your leader with your hook and cheater or corkie, tie a weight to the other end. Now use a hot tub, bathtub, or something you can drop the leader into and see what kind of buoyancy you get with various size hooks and various size cheaters. If you use yarn for your drift setup try that too. After you find the right combination, put on some eggs or sand-shrimp or whatever you might use for bait when you fish. What does it do now?
The key is to allow the bait to float freely and naturally, or in the case of a lure, to action the way it is intended to. If you change out a hook on a lure and you use something too big, it may not work the way it was designed.
Commonly my leaders are 5 to 6 feet in length in 8lb test. I use both single hook leaders and double hook leaders. I use a #4 Vision fine wire hook with a #10 cheater or corkie. I use this leader setup for fishing Steelhead to Chinook salmon and everything in between. I have very rarely had a hook straighten.
When fishing from a boat you can use lighter leaders and smaller hooks because you can move the boat with the fish. Being able to move the boat through the river to land the fish allows the fish to leave the holding water as you play them out. I have and I do fish from the bank. I do increase weight and size of my mainline, leaders and hooks. I usually stay with the #10 swivels, but I might go up to a 10 or 12 lb leader and my mainline might be 12 or 15 lbs. This depends on where I am fishing. If I am fishing areas that limit my ability to move down the bank or river with the fish as I fight it, then I will go a little heavier. I want to have more control over the fish, keeping it from running too far out of the hole. In this case, I might fish a #1 or #2 hook.
Lures
There is a wide variety and various types of lures to use for fishing Steelhead to Salmon. For each type you have many different colors to choose from. The key here is not what lure you are fishing, but are you fishing the lure the way it was designed? Are you using the correct weight lure for the rod? As it was stated in part 1 of this article, the rod is labeled telling you what weights the rod can handle. If the lure is too heavy for the rod, will you be fishing efficiently? If the lure is too light, you will have difficulty casting it.
Is the lure appropriate for the species you are fishing? Look around. What are other people fishing? Trying something new is good. But it is important to recognize when it is not effective and all you are doing is spending time working on your cast?
Lures are not limited to those which are manufactured metals and plastics. You can also use corkies and yarn, jigs, rags and more. These are all lures which will produce for you if fished properly.
If you are fishing a corkie and yarn setup, how much yarn is enough? I have seen anglers with a length of yarn past the hook bend, and quite honestly, this is too much. I never allow my yarn to extend more than halfway down the hook shank, measured from the eye to the hook bend. Often, I use even a shorter length of yarn.
Jigs are also a wonderful way to fish rivers! I really like using jigs to fish for steelhead and salmon. Too often I see anglers using jigs that are just too big. Of course color and selection abound when purchasing jigs. Buy a selection of colors, styles, and most importantly sizes. Start with 1/8 ounce and work up.
A popular and effective way to fish jigs is to float them. Floats are sized dependant on how much weight you will have under them. The size of jig you float will again depend on flow, visibility and depth. Start lighter and work up in weight. Make sure you match the jig to the right size float so it floats the drift properly.
Bait
Bait is a popular angling method in the Northwest for fishing rivers for steelhead and salmon. Cured eggs & shrimp (prawn) have been top producers for many years.
When fishing eggs, don’t over do it on the size of egg cluster you use. As with everything else, it is best to start smaller and increase size if necessary.
Cured shrimp and live sand shrimp can really put the fish on for you. Again, size is important. I like to keep my cured shrimp in the same size range I use for eggs. Live Sand shrimp comes in various sizes when available. I like to start small and increase the size if necessary.
If you have done a little research on using or curing bait, you have found many methods, theories and products. Start simple with your bait cures and build from that.
Now go get on the water!