Help On Jewfish Rigs

[Bracey]

G'day Guys

I'm looking for some advice on what sort of rig to use over reef like at Flint and Steel. I'm targeting jews and using a two hook sliding rig with 5/0 hooks. Normally run 3 lines with a livey, a butterflied yakka and squid. I had been running FC leader with a running sinker to a swivel then 1.5m FC to the two hooks but found I was getting snagged a fair bit. So I switched to a 3 way swivel with the aim to find the bottom, then a couple of turns to keep the whole rig maybe 3 to 4 foot off the bottom. This worked well a couple of weeks ago when I scored my first jew, an 85cm specimen.

Two problems I see with the 3 way though. I get line twist around the hook line from the sinker line even though I keep the sinker line short to about 30cm. Secondly, I use bait runner reels and I guess I'm defeating the purpose of the bait runner if the line can't run free of the sinker.

I was thinking of trying a sinker line to a ring above a standard swivel so the bait can be picked up and run with. Any thoughts on that sort of rig? Should the bait be right on the bottom for jew or can you have it just off to avoid snagging.

Have read the jewfish tactics thread a couple of times but any advise on rigs from the wealth of jew knowledge out there would be appreciated.

Cheers, Bart

[Gyro]

Hi bartdude i find a rig which i use has caught jew is a 6oz bean sinker on the main line to a swivel and 5 foot of leader with a 9/0 gamagatsu hook lower your rig to the bottom to the sinker hits and wind it up 6 foot try to use live bait slimeys i find the best then yellow tail the secret is to pin the the hook high and just behind the head then take a sharp knife and from the tail on one side to 40mm towards the head make a very fine slice this allows blood to flow ever so slowly from that area always found it a jew taker hope this helps Tight Lines Gyro

[rjc123]

Hi mate,

Sliding swivels sound like they'll help you a bit. Grab a snapper lead and attach it to about 40cm of leader then onto a sliding swivel. This slides up and down the line so the fish feels no weight. This is a better alternative to a normal sliding sinker. Keep it in mind!

Cheers, Tom

[Bracey]

Hi bartdude i find a rig which i use has caught jew is a 6oz bean sinker on the main line to a swivel and 5 foot of leader with a 9/0 gamagatsu hook lower your rig to the bottom to the sinker hits and wind it up 6 foot try to use live bait slimeys i find the best then yellow tail the secret is to pin the the hook high and just behind the head then take a sharp knife and from the tail on one side to 40mm towards the head make a very fine slice this allows blood to flow ever so slowly from that area always found it a jew taker hope this helps Tight Lines Gyro

Thanks Gyro. I use a very similar rig for my livies. I'll give a try the slice method.

Hi mate,

Sliding swivels sound like they'll help you a bit. Grab a snapper lead and attach it to about 40cm of leader then onto a sliding swivel. This slides up and down the line so the fish feels no weight. This is a better alternative to a normal sliding sinker. Keep it in mind!

Cheers, Tom

Thanks Tom. How long do you have the leader to the hook? Do you also let the lead sit on the bottom or wind it up a bit?

[rjc123]

Thanks Gyro. I use a very similar rig for my livies. I'll give a try the slice method.

Thanks Tom. How long do you have the leader to the hook? Do you also let the lead sit on the bottom or wind it up a bit?

Usually a leader of about 70cm to keep it away from rays, eels and other ooglies