# Rigging?



## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

I am going down to Matagorda and was wondering what type of rigs i should use? I dont wanna use hard head rigs, i wanna rig my own. So any suggestions on what i may catch and what to use for those fish will be awesome guys! THANKS!


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## matagordamudskipper (Feb 18, 2006)

Right now you can catch reds, whiting, rays, a few pomps (its better if the water is clean, like yestarday) and the sharks will be comming back soon. What kinda gear do you have and what do you want to catch?


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## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

I just wanna catch good fish man. I have a couple of ambassadur 7000's and i have 6500's and a 3/0. But they are on 8 ft rods...so i wil wade out far and then cast. I just wanna know what bait and rig? Im guessin Croakers?


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## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

When I head to the beach, I usually use three different rigs -

#1 - my whiting rig - look up "Dropper loop" & "Perfect loop" and learn to tie one (they are easy) Get some 20-40lb mono, about 5'-6' long, and tie (from one end to another) perfect loop, dropper, dropper, dropper, perfect. Space each loop about a foot apart. make your droppers about 3" around. Get some #2 circles with big eyes and loop-to-loop them in the droppers. Loop-to-loop a weight on one of the end loops, and the other loop gets attached to your mainline (I use coast-lock swivel snaps). This gets tossed into the first gut, usually, attached to a shorter rod (9') with a medium size reel (65-size spinner, or my Penn 085 or 350)

#2 - my medium-bait, casted rig is a 4'-5' 100lb mono leader, with a loop on each end, figure 8 knot in the middle. Above the 8 I have a coast lock snap for a weight. bottom loop gets my hook (I usually use either a 5/0 or 11/0 circle). if you are using a spider weight, slip the eye of the hook over one of the legs of the weight before you cast. ( I don't have REALLY big bait rig, I don't paddle baits out) I cast this our as far as I can, usually wading to the 2nd bar and shooting for the 3rd gut. Attached to my long rods, with reels being the biggest casting reels - Penn 350, 6/0 and 9500SS, (and next time I head out, my Avet LX)

#3 - old fashion Carolina rig/fish finder rig - 1oz slip egg on my mainline with a 24" leader holding a #2 or 2/0 hook... you may need a bead below the weight if you tie small knots... For live bait on a trout weight rod, or with dead shrimp for whiting/whatever when I get bored. I drag it thru the first gut, or wade gut, attached to a heavy trout rod with a Abu6600, or my Curado.


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## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

For bait, I usally just take frozen shrimp - HEB usally had 50-60 count imported frozen shrimp for cheeper than you can by stinky dead from the bait stand. If you can get some big mullet or live crabs from the bait stand, that is good, but I usally don't bother...

When you get to "your spot", first thing, peel the shrimp and put it on the whiting rig, and get it in the water (rod in a sand spike) then set up camp, rig your other rods, cast net for mullett, etc... I can "usally" catch a few whiting, croaker, hardheads - something for bait in the first 30 minuits or so. If the whiting is 6-8", it goes whole, live on a long rod. Bigger than about 8", I will usally cut them in half. (a lot of guys I talk to will use whole whiting up to about 10", but I don't usally us huge baits)

your milage may vary...


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## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

Jerry-rigged said:


> For bait, I usally just take frozen shrimp - HEB usally had 50-60 count imported frozen shrimp for cheeper than you can by stinky dead from the bait stand. If you can get some big mullet or live crabs from the bait stand, that is good, but I usally don't bother...
> 
> When you get to "your spot", first thing, peel the shrimp and put it on the whiting rig, and get it in the water (rod in a sand spike) then set up camp, rig your other rods, cast net for mullett, etc... I can "usally" catch a few whiting, croaker, hardheads - something for bait in the first 30 minuits or so. If the whiting is 6-8", it goes whole, live on a long rod. Bigger than about 8", I will usally cut them in half. (a lot of guys I talk to will use whole whiting up to about 10", but I don't usally us huge baits)
> 
> your milage may vary...


Jeez that is alot of info. I do my dropper loop with spider hitch just cuz lol. I neeed some longer rods! I have 4 Penn 350's but on 7ft boat rods. I could get a hookup with a canoe but if the weather is bad i will just wade and cast. Thanks for the help. If i do get some crab...what should i do for rigs? Just a slip and beads and 6/0 octupus(i love those hooks!) ??


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## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

Oh yeah..i got a Penn Torque 300...that thing can cast! but will it be ok with braid cuz that is what i got on it..


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## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

The 350's on boat rods will work... Just use long sandspikes to get the line up high. I have good luck casting the my 350, just be sure you don't over-power the cast & thumb the spool, not the line, and you can get good distance...

As for the crab, use a 1/4 crab on the #2 rig. Hour hooks are fine, everyone has their own favorite! 

Do you have any sand spikes? If not, head to Home Depot and get a few 10' - 2" PVC pipes, cut them in half on a 45^ angle... Take a 2lb hammer with you to drive them about 1.5' in the sand.

Oh - and canoe in the surf = bad news lol... Been there, done that, got the knock on the head. :tongue:


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## matagordamudskipper (Feb 18, 2006)

For whiting, and other smaller fish i use my curado with a simple single drop rig I make, I can usually get them with my curado but if there holding farther out ill use my breakway, with the same rig. Bait wiht shrimp and fishbites
Bull reds and Bull black drum: Use surf rods, and reels that a capable of holding a few hunrded yards of 20-30# line. Yes you can catch them with smaller tackle, but I usually use 20-30#, the longer hte fight the more stressful it is on the fish. Leaders are 5+ft, made out of 500# mono, and 14/0-16/0 circle hooks. Bull reds will hit lots of things mullet, crabs, whiting, croaker, and the list goes on and on, but best bet is mullet. For bull black drum use cracked crab.


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## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

matagordamudskipper said:


> For whiting, and other smaller fish i use my curado with a simple single drop rig I make, I can usually get them with my curado but if there holding farther out ill use my breakway, with the same rig. Bait wiht shrimp and fishbites
> Bull reds and Bull black drum: Use surf rods, and reels that a capable of holding a few hunrded yards of 20-30# line. Yes you can catch them with smaller tackle, but I usually use 20-30#, the longer hte fight the more stressful it is on the fish. Leaders are 5+ft, made out of 500# mono, and 14/0-16/0 circle hooks. Bull reds will hit lots of things mullet, crabs, whiting, croaker, and the list goes on and on, but best bet is mullet. For bull black drum use cracked crab.


Alright man thanks. THat sounds good. I will post a report for yall. TIGHT LINES!


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## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

Hey guys, just got back. Horrible waves! I just went on the protected side of the jetty and waded and casted towards it with shrimp and fish bites. Nothin. About 5 others doin it with me...nothing for them either.


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## JD761 (Jun 7, 2006)

Don't get discouraged, try again! This weekend looks really freaking nice!


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## Wayner (Jan 5, 2006)

*Question for Jerry-Rigged*

In your number 2 setup, are you tying your line off to the figure 8 knot? 
Why do you slide the eye of your hook through the leg on the spider wieght?
I'm having a hard time picturing the rig in my mind.
Thanks for you help. Good info you've taken time with here.
Wayner
Cleburne, TX.


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## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

the figure 8 knot is in the middle of the leader, it is not connected to anything, really. the only reason it is there is a stop for the sliding weight (to keep it from sliding all the way down to your bait), which is above the 8. Most folks that I have seen use this rig will put a crimp there, but I don't do crimps, so the 8 knot works for me...

As for casting, this leader will leave about 2-4' between your bait and weight. when you cast, you will be throwing 2 weights (bait and weight) and they will be accelerating in two diffrent arcs, at two diffrent speeds... they will fight each other and rob you of casting power. If you drop the hook loop over one of the weight legs, you make the two weights one, and you can cast the rig a lot better. Watch when you cast, they should fly apart in the air, not stay ties together.

If this is still not clear, let me know, I will make a sketch, or take a pic. It is really a simple rig - almost an over-grown Carolina rig/fishfinder rig.


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## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

Wakerider1424 said:


> Hey guys, just got back. Horrible waves! I just went on the protected side of the jetty and waded and casted towards it with shrimp and fish bites. Nothin. About 5 others doin it with me...nothing for them either.


Sounds about like 2/3's of my trips out... a whole lot of nuthing, with a dash of should've-been-here-yesterday :lol:

keep at it, you'll get there.


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## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

Jerry-rigged said:


> Sounds about like 2/3's of my trips out... a whole lot of nuthing, with a dash of should've-been-here-yesterday :lol:
> 
> keep at it, you'll get there.


Well i usually fish offshore i was just down there with some girls on spring break and they got annoying so i just ran out to the jetty and fished


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## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Wakerider1424 said:


> Hey guys, just got back. Horrible waves! I just went on the protected side of the jetty and waded and casted towards it with shrimp and fish bites. Nothin. About 5 others doin it with me...nothing for them either.


Hey, I'm thinking the rigging wasn't the reason you caught no fish. You obviously picked the wrong day of the week to go fishing. I know this first-hand as everytime I drive down the coast and catch no fish, someone always tells me ... "Should have been here yesterday, we were killing them."

I think I finally got the rigging down right, now I just need to perfect the time machine so I can join the rest of they guys who get to fish "yesterday!"

Thanks for taking the time to post.


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## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

ZenDaddy said:


> Hey, I'm thinking the rigging wasn't the reason you caught no fish. You obviously picked the wrong day of the week to go fishing. I know this first-hand as everytime I drive down the coast and catch no fish, someone always tells me ... "Should have been here yesterday, we were killing them."
> 
> I think I finally got the rigging down right, now I just need to perfect the time machine so I can join the rest of they guys who get to fish "yesterday!"
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to post.


I agree with you man.


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