First ever bead rig set up, how did i do

[fishing89]

great tip river55 !! I will go buy some of those pipe insulation stuff tomorrow, certianly easier than what i did, which was to spool them on my hand and tie with an elastic lol

Oh and I snell the hook as well, so it always stays in proper position, and doesnt move around.

My biggest fear is the line snapping or the fish biting it off. I have NEVER used such light leaders (5.6lbs)....how can that withstand a hit from the mouth of a steelie? Im very apprehensive lol

Before I would make my own mono leaders that were 25lb test !!!! lmao that exaplins why id only get a few finsh while the others were getting 10 or more ...but those would NEVER snap, no matter the hit or snag, i could pull all i wanted but id just break the rod....so im scared to use such a light leader, i dont want to lose expensive lures, or even bother re-tying the bead set ups

 

[Dozer]

My memory is good but its short... that 9'6" is pretty stiff no? Make sure the drag isn't set to stiff on your reel... you'll be blowing that leader like no ones business.

 

[fishing89]

the 9'6 is ML ...and uhhhh a bit more explaination on what you said about drag, stiff...and blowing leaders lol. Sorry im newb to the proper set ups. Im using a spinning reel

 

[Dozer]

Hmmm... if you are breaking off when you set the hook ( the hook breaks off, the leader breaks, your knot connecting the lines busts ), loosen the drag on your reel.

 

[m_van]

Huh?

 

[fishing89]

if i loosen the drag, wouldnt the line just run when i try to hit?

my original concern though was using such a light leader, since im not used to it. At only 5.6lbs i fear it would break if the fish bites through it when it strikes...as opposed to my 25lb mono leader lool

 

[goodentight]

5.6lb leader is completely average my man. the trout will not bite through it. I have switched from 6 to 5 now.

 

[fishing89]

great! Sorry for all the silly questions. Now all i want is this friggin snow to end

 

[wlatyn]

About holding the bead on, get some of those silicone bbq basting brushes from the dollar store and cut off the "bristles". Take a bead with you to make sure they fit. Way cheaper then Peg-its

 

[fishing89]

i used tooth picks, worked well for me so far, have yet to try it out on the water

 

[CanadianAngler87]

i used tooth picks, worked well for me so far, have yet to try it out on the water

Tooth picks is all i use..get them at the dollar store for 200 picks for a buck, cant go wrong. Plus they have other applications..

 

[goodentight]

wooden toothpicks fit perfectly. and then they swell up in the water and fit even cozier inside the bead.

 

[iamnickevans]

FISHING89

I think I can help you out with your float setup so you can catch more fish and save some money too!
I have noticed one big flaw in the way you setup. You don't want to have your float or split spots on your leader line. Your leader in general will be the weak point of your setup so you don't want to compromise it at all.

When you are setting up your rod you first want to choose the right tackle for the river you are fishing.

Here is a list of the tackle you need and the function they provide.

Mainline: attached to your reel [this is where your float and shots will be used]unless you use a shot line.

Float: match the size and type of float to the river conditions you are fishing, in general the heavier the float the faster and deep the water. 5g to 10g being standard.

Shot(weight): You will use roughly the same amount of shot as the weight of the float example; a 10g float will use roughly 10g of weight.

Swivel: This will be used to attach your Mainline to you Leader Line and reduce twist.

Leader Line: You need about 2'-3' of leader line(fluorocarbon 5-10lb)

Bead: what a 20lb trout will hopefully eat.

Hook: use a straight shank wide gap hook :example ( Raven wide gap # 8 , these hooks are usually designed for bead like applications. This way you do not need to use a Snell knot. A snell knot is to be used if you are using a hook which has an offset eyelet.


When setting up the first two questions you need to ask yourself are these. How fast is the current and how deep will you be fishing. For example if I am going to fish an average river depth of 4' with a medium current then I will setup my float about 2'-3' above my swivel and my leader will be roughly 2', which gives a total of 4'-5'. This will allow my bait to be on or near bottom which is usually the most effective area to catch fish. If you place your weights higher on the mainline the bait will tend to ride up higher in the water.

I have included a picture of what my standard float setup looks like. You can adjust and modify it as you wish.
Good luck, hopefully this helps.

 

[fishing89]

wow great help evans, but a lot of people have been telling me to use even LONGER leaders (i have about 7 -8 ft now )...I really like how u explained eveything, it makes more sense. I was always worried about putting sinkers on my leader line as it causes weak spots allllll over.

 

[m_van]

wow great help evans, but a lot of people have been telling me to use even LONGER leaders (i have about 7 -8 ft now )...I really like how u explained eveything, it makes more sense. I was always worried about putting sinkers on my leader line as it causes weak spots allllll over.

Depends on the depth of the water 7' to 8' will probably float back to the top water because of the current (fast/slow). I used 4' leader for main reason I wanted the bead to stay just off of the bottom and the current will make the bead sway. Now that will drive 'em crazy.

 

[iamnickevans]

wow great help evans, but a lot of people have been telling me to use even LONGER leaders (i have about 7 -8 ft now )...I really like how u explained eveything, it makes more sense. I was always worried about putting sinkers on my leader line as it causes weak spots allllll over.

You can use a longer leader if you would like, if you are fishing ultra clear water then you might want to add a foot or two. You can also add more leader if you are fishing in deeper water 6' or more. I use mono above the fluorocarbon leader so it is not very visible to begin with. If you use a coloured braid then an extra foot or two won't hurt. If you are using 8' of leader while only fishing in 2' of water it doesn't make sense at all, you will end up with a large bow in your line(slack) unless you throttle the line with your reel( which is tough to do with a spinnig reel). While drifting the perfect presentation is to have the bait slightly downstream of the float as much as possible. I use to use long leaders and I found my self waisting money on leader line when 90% of the time is isn't nessasary.

Feel free to play with your setup. Like I said earlier this is just a general guideline, with more experience you will be able to change and modify your setup to fit you style of fishing as you go.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[topwaterjoe]

Thanks nick! I am glad somebody actually took time to thoroughly explain a float setup. Something I have been trying to understand too.