[slaydown]

Was wondering how the extreme steelheaders set up their weights. I have an old steelhead on the drift book from the 60s that gives some pretty wild set ups.

 

[marko]

Not much has changed with preference as difference as the individual. I like the sliding mainline
wieght myself but that gets hung up from time to time as well.
......the safest bet is to leave a tail after the barrel swivel is tied and just crimp a desired amount
of pencil lead to that. When you run into trouble and get hung up the not so tightly crimped weight
should slide off leaving the leader and mainline intact...

:beerchug: Marko

 

[stsfisher]

i like using split shot, more because of the confidence factor but i feel the drift is better aswell. you will get hung up alot more if you do not read the water properly so for the inexperinced i would use pencil lead rigged with surgical tubing. its been so long since i have used it this way but when you hang up the lead just pops free from the tube, simply cut a new piece and away you go.sorry cant remember how to rig the tube to your swivel.

 

[marko]

Just fold the tubing over on a tri-swivel....Marko

 

[Rib]

Tag end of the leader for me, that's the way I've always done it. Simple, easy.

 

[Thrasher]

here are some ideas for drift fishing. Using a float I set it up differently

not sure why I have never done the tag end approach. I can see the obvious benefits now after I think of it. Just never done it.

 

[HOOK]

I cut my lead so that the hole stays and just put my mainline through that then attach a snap swivel then my leader. I find this way is very effective for setting the hook and setting it hard with very little movement for a setup. not to mention that this way i can usually feel small bites before my float even moves

 

[Thrasher]

I cut my lead so that the hole stays and just put my mainline through that then attach a snap swivel then my leader. I find this way is very effective for setting the hook and setting it hard with very little movement for a setup. not to mention that this way i can usually feel small bites before my float even moves

do you find that your mainline gets abrasion marks due to the lead sliding up and down on it?

 

[Rib]

Hook, do you put any beads on your mainline below your weight to protect your knot...?

 

[Thrasher]

Ok, so I am bored at work and am using up company time to make these pics.. ;D

Here is how I set up for my float set up. I precut my weight lengths and tie up weights with stainless wire and hollow core lead. I don't like my weights dangling when under my float. For my likings, I feel that it helps things run more true. Probably a lot of extra work, but I like it.

 

[hotrod]

I cut my lead so that the hole stays and just put my mainline through that then attach a snap swivel then my leader. I find this way is very effective for setting the hook and setting it hard with very little movement for a setup. not to mention that this way i can usually feel small bites before my float even moves

do you find that your mainline gets abrasion marks due to the lead sliding up and down on it?

This is the best and easiest set up going.The sliding weight does not screw up your mainline. I've tried all of them and overall I've found this to be the easiest to set up, at home and at the river. Time is money on the river. It hasn't failed me yet.


Hotrod

 

[northriver2]

Ive found that using a small bead before your swivel saves the knot if your fishing with pencil lead on the main line. Give that a try if your breaking off at that location.

 

[HOOK]

I put a bead on it when i first starting using it this way and i found that fish struck at it :-\ I ran out of beads and dont bother anymore. I have not had one break there yet for me when it breaks its always up near the damn float !!!!!! whats up with that? I use the float stops with DNE foam floats. does anyone else have this problem?

this happens even if im fishing light leaders. ya know the odd time i do get snagged or have huge fish that snap it all running the rapids.

 

[stsfisher]

Hook ,how do you know that they where striking your bead, did you have a camara attached aswell.

 

[HOOK]

well the Chehalis is super clear and so clear in most areas you can literally watch fish strike your presentation. and I also took my leader off all together just to see and still got hits LOL it was hilarious. :happy:

 

[Crazy Drifter]

I still use the ole surgical tube on the main line with the lead fed through it. I find if the lead gets hung up on the rocks it pops and frees the rigging before breaking off. Old habit I guess. When I was browsing through a old copy of SSJ I came across a article where they used thier pliers to punch a hole in each end after flatten them. Then attached snap swivel to your main and leader, I have never tryied this, but wondered does that not create a weak link by only having a small piece of lead around the snap part holding it all together?
Crazy D

 

[stsfisher]

Hook ,you should have put a bead on a #4 hook that day sounds like you would have slayed them. sucks when fish will bite your beads not your bait.

 

[swiftwater]

I like to use split shot ,I find that i get a better drift with them and when the water is low and clear i can move them around.
cheers

 

[Lastcar]

I just started fishing gear and the pin this year. The person teaching me uses shot primarily so it is all I know...

Although I have little to compare it to, I quite like using shot. Enough so that I have no desire to try pencil lead yet.

There is a fair bit of info out there on the ways you can modify your presentation based on the placement of your shot. What is a bit tricky is finding truly round shot (as opposed to the removable kind with the wings) in various sizes.

There is site out of Ontario that has some clam shaped shot amongst others that I may have to order from.

www.centerpinangling.com

 

[Spoonman]

I use the bottom rigging for floating and bouncing