Paul Brown's jointed fatboys and sink rates

[Nwilkins]

All that info hurts my brain Jim,

sneekypete, thanks for your wealth of knowledge, what od copper wire? do you just ram it thru the bait?

[Sneekypete]

All that info hurts my brain Jim,

sneekypete, thanks for your wealth of knowledge, what od copper wire? do you just ram it thru the bait?

Neil I'm using a size like on a 6 or 8oz surf weight The heavier wire size and about a 1/2 to upwards of sometimes 2 inches inserted just under the wire where you tie your line running just under the cork.Another nice thing about using a copper wire is that you can bend it up when it's in the bait and it will hold the shape and keep the nose of the bait turned up. Then when your letting it sink keep your line taught and quickly throw a little slack in your line maybe 2-3 inches with your rod tip and give it a short jerk and the bait will jump up in the water column. Most people will try to bend the tail of the bait up, but that makes the bait want to roll which is an un-natural motion for a suspending baitfish.With this up and down motinon I can hold a bait right in a fishes kitchen without reeling the bait in towards me I'm zig-zaging the bait up and down 3-5 times in an 3 foot area instead of reeling it in past the fish.most of these fish are structure related or on sand pockets in grass so I don't want to move it off the sand pocket or shell I'm trying to have the bait just hover in the area till she wants to kill it.Also keeping your rod tip up will help pull the bent nose up in the water that way when you throw a little slack to let the bait glide back down the slightest twitch will get that bait jumping up about 5 or 6 inches.Hope this help. I surely don't mind showing you on the water sometime.

[Curmudgeon]

Great info, guys! I need to put in more time with my Corky! Sneeky, have you ever thought of putting on a class?

[Sneekypete]

Great info, guys! I need to put in more time with my Corky! Sneeky, have you ever thought of putting on a class?

Yes, I have been putting on Corky lessons for over 20 years on the water.
Lurefisher,Dbarham,Corndog, Flatnatural born as well as my old Troutmasters partner Capt Stan Sloan who owns Fintastic coastal charters and many others off this board.Most people get frustrated because their hung up and losing 8 dollar baits. Like Hobie said he lost 3 in one day thats almost 30 dollars of tackle,but if you walk up and retrieve your lure your trouphy fishing is over for that spot because you just spooked all the fish in the area by walking.It can take years to work a sinking corky over shell in a foot of water.

[sfef84]

One VERY important factor I haven't heard mentioned: BRAID OR MONO???
I have been a braid guy since I moved down here but have just recently switched to mono and I am kicking myself as to why I didnt switch earlier!! Heres the reason: Braid floats, mono sinks. I couldt get a fatboy to sink on braid if my life depended on it (natural weighted) when the wind was blowing one direction and the current going in the other. The braid acts almost as a buoy floating on the surface, and when you twitch your rod-tip, the braid comes off the water and gets blown like mad by the wind.
Now, I can actually focus on where I want to cast, not "where can I cast that will allow my lures to sink and be worked properly, without having to put a 1/4 oz jig head (which sinks like a rock and cant really be worked slowly)

A caveat, I have been using the PowerPro braid, not sure if its the only braid that floats.

[SUPER SPOOK]

Good info sneeky!

[Sneekypete]

SFEF84, I have been an Ande guy for over 35 years 12 lb most of the time. I like the little streach you get with mono so a big trout can't shake the bait out as easily. I look at it like this if i hooked a lure in your shirt and gave you a little slack you couldn't shake the lure out because you don't have anything solid to pull against. On the other hand if I pulled the line tight and held it that way with a quick snap you could tear it free very easily.So I think a little streach in the line helps once I get the hook set. I don't throw my lures off when I get an professional overrun either.I have't had many folks out fish me enough to change.I'm sure some of the guides like Capt. Mickey use braid and their good with it, but these guys were great with mono in the day and their on the water 35-40 hours a week as well.Once someone keeps kicking my *** with braid I might switch...but, if it ain't broke don't break it....Offshore on my big rods Braid all the way .....

[sfef84]

Agree 100%

Also, with braid, there is little room for error when it comes to working the lure, no stretch. I do like how you can feel little nibbles on braid, but patience is a must as a quick 3 inch excitement reaction can result in a lost fish.

[FlatoutFishin]

Braid...mono...it's all what you get used to, but your right about that shake thing Sneeky, that's why I keep the drag pretty damn loose with braid.
Hogie...I didn't see you in Live Oak yesteday, but I didn't get over there until well after 10:30. Slow bite yesterday, now plase don't tell me you whacked em!
Baffin next Wednesday and Thursday...got a few different jointed wonders I want to learn about first hand. And Sneeky, thanks for that tip on copper wire. Hardware store here I come! : )

[dbarham]

amen I use braid also and my drag stays way loooose i use a floro leader for a little stretch