Surf perch rig

[montym]

First few times I fished for perch, I tried a heavy pyramid sinker with a couple of hooks above the weight. I got into a fair amount of fish, but honestly I really do not like to use a whale rod to catch a perch. Then I heard that the carolina rig works as well, and last time I went to the beach I tried it. And being the smart chap that I am, didn't even take any back-up of the tried and tested thing. The casting and retrieving part was much more pleasant with the carolina rig, but almost every time the leader came back tangled around the main line. Shot my confidence to pieces really, I had to stop fishing to get some pyramid sinkers, pre-tied rigs and all that.

Quite a few folks here use the carolina rig successfully, how do you avoid those tangles? Heading to seaside this weekend, I reckon I'll have a better time if I can solve this puzzle in time for some perch.

Cheers
Monty

 

[plumbertom]

a few tangles are almost unavoidable considering that if you're doing it right you are fishing in the breakers.
try adding a small bright bead or two to your leader to add a little more drag to the leader and pull your bait away from the weight.
also the bit of color and noise of those beads clicking together helps attract the attention of the fish.

 

[montym]

Thanks Tom, didn't know about the beads. I'm thinking maybe another chance to see how useful my full Monty rig is, the bobber at the end might help to both attract the fish and reduce tangles... I'll report on my research..

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[Casting Call]

Hey Monty! Try this one, use a crappie wire stand OFF rig with the beads near the hook,short hook leader,twice the length of the stand-OFF. you will see two things happen, your hook leader with the stand-OFF will spin around the main line and when you reel in. The short hook leader may tangle but as you raise your rod tip the beaded hook will spin OFF the main line all by itself. GL Tony

 

[montym]

Thanks Tony, bought them!

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[pinstriper]

I was about to suggest crappie rig as a lighter bottom rig, Tony.

Fisherman's has crappie rigs for $.89 right now, normally like $1.99.

I use them for Rockfish out of my kayak but no reason you couldn't do the same from the jetties or the beach.

 

[Shaun Solomon]

They don't seem line shy at all, and eat right off the bottom a great deal of the time. Try a shorter leader, like 12", of a stiff mono like 12-17 pound snelled to a baitholder. I think that would resolve the issue. Crappie rigs are a good fix, but they have to be sourced and purchased. Also, if you break them off they are a tangle hazard for critters and other anglers. Simple clean rigs are cheaper, easier, faster, and greener.

A lot of the time, they also work better.

 

[montym]

...try adding a small bright bead or two to your leader to....

... use a crappie wire stand OFF rig with the beads near the hook,.....

I hit the beach opposite Worldmark Seaside with my rig decorated in beads and braids, and and had a real frustrating time. There were a lot of strange nibbles that I knew were fish but just didn't seem like perch. I had a few of perch in a bag touching my leg, if I have to explain what these bites felt like I'd say they felt like what the fish did in the bag then they moved. A couple of times they actually stripped my hook of the gulp sand worm. I wonder if those were crabs, I did snag a nice crab actually.

I tried both the crappie rig and the regular two hook rig, both produced pretty well. There were some good bites too, and those produced well. They were really small sized though, and a lot of pregnant ones.

Those beads somehow triggered this song in my head, and it seems to be in kind of an auto rewind now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXW-C1VvlBw.

...Try a shorter leader, like 12", of a stiff mono like 12-17 pound snelled to a baitholder...etter.

Shaun, thanks, I think that will be it. I am getting bit on similar sized pre-tied rigs, so no reason why the should not bite it. Actually, if I were a fish probably I'd be scared of the crappie rig; and they got me a few. Next perch trip will be a long time coming, but I'd have this info filed away for that.

And this happened. My first cast on Friday, I got a nice fish. A little girl may be 5 or so, was standing next to me asking if I was getting any, and when she saw the fish she asked if she can keep it in her bucket. Can't say not to a request like that, a bucket was handily produced and the whole group of kids and moms had fun looking at the fish. A few minutes later, another fish. As soon as I got it out of the water, there were four buckets in front of me almost magically.

Cheers
Monty

 

[Shaun Solomon]

I tie up my own surf perch rigs ahead of time and keep them in little ziplock poly-bags I get from craft stores.

I use P-Line CXX 15lb and tie oversized dropper loops that I clip one side of. I then add an orange plastic bead (perch are very responsive to orange and red) and snell on a bronze fly tying nymph hook (Tiemco 3769) in like a size 8 or 10 so it sticks out about 4" from the main body of the line. I put two or sometimes three droppers on the line, and either crimp a swivel or tie a perfection loop on the end. One end goes to a snap on my main line, and the sinker goes on the other end. Pretty simple rigs, cheap, tangle-free and effective.

The small bronze hook will rust away quickly if I break off a rig, so it is safer for critters, and it works great with a piece of Gulp! sandworm, which is all I ever bother to use. Keeping them in poly-bags prevents them from rusting prematurely. The fish get it in their small mouth pretty good.

 

[nikita_pdx]

Triple t-knot rig is very nice. It’s a dropper loop but with an extended part that prevents tangles. I tie three that are each 15” apart, with a single tag end that is 5” long. Top two hooks size 6 gamakatsu bait holders (Gulp sand worms). Bottom hook size 2 octopus gamakatsu (sand/mole crab).

Tie using unit knot to mainline and use a loop knot (overhand/perfection) to attach weight. The entire rig consists of one piece of 20lb fluorocarbon (Seaguar blue label) at about arms length. Very minimalistic, no hardware, super effective to catch fish.

 

[DonF]

Seems to be a lot of ways to do it. For myself I'd simply do a Carolina rig with a leader to the hook about 12" at most. If you go with the heavier leader, you'll need to set the drag to the main line. Then if you get a fish that breaks the line you loose the lead and all the beads and the hook and swivel.. What I think I'd do is change the sinker to one that will hold the bottom well. I use no roll sinkers I cast myself, 2 oz usually! Run the maain line through the sinker and then through a bead and then tie on a swivel. Add the hook and leader to the swivel. I don';t have trouble with the leader winding itself around the main line.

If you do go with say 12# leader, I'd go to a min 20# main line. Save's the swivel a bead and the weight if the line breaks. Swivels and beads aren't bad but lead get's expensive!