Silly Question on Rockfish (Bass) Techniques

[fountain17]

I fish the spring run in the western long island sound. Most of the rockfishing is done via anchoring the boat and chunking bunker on a fishfinder rig with the lightest sinkers possible to hold bottom.

My boat is narrow with an 8'4" beam, so I can usually only put out 3 lines tops; 1 off of each transom corner and 1 long off the center of the helm seat.

I was thinking of a way to get more lines out. I could put down two more lines using the other two back gunwell rod holders but than I would have to use more weight to keep them staright down, which might not be good. Usually the rockfish up here pick the baits up and run with them for 5-10 seconds before we set the hook. Sometimes, I do use circles though with the reel locked up.

The foregoing has led me to think that maybey using the outriggers with light tension on the clips, might work to get more lines out, and as long as I can keep the boat and lines seperated and straight back with wind and tide, they wouldnt get tangled and would let me get 5 out.

Any input would be appreciated or things you all do. (Outside of getting a new boat with a wider beam!)

Thanks

Don

[HOLWACHAGOT]

How deep do you fish em? How strong are the currents? Is it too deep for a slip bobber with a heavy egg to take the hook bait down. We fish slip bobbers sometimes on lines that are set to stop around forty feet deep. Also don't see why you can't drop heavy lead with a three way to a bucktail and bounce it hard straight up and down. Put the bucktail on a lead about three feet off the three way swivel. Put the sinker about a foot or so below the three way. Let it to the bottom and reel your rod tip to the water. Jerk your rod tip as high as you can reach in the air and slowly feel it back down to the bottom. Very productive way to fish a hard current. The slip bobber with an eel or live bait set to the right depth is the ticket though. The bobber will put just enough tension to bring a circle hook to the corner of the fishes mouth until you can reel down on the fish and send the hook home. Hope this helps.
Holwachagot

[fountain17]

Holwachagot...Thanks

I'm fishing shallow 10-30/40 feet tops, currents .1/2 -2 knots, not too much. The slip bobber, is that like a regular bobber? just with an egg off a 3 way? That sounds like it could work.

[HOLWACHAGOT]

Holwachagot...Thanks

I'm fishing shallow 10-30/40 feet tops, currents .1/2 -2 knots, not too much. The slip bobber, is that like a regular bobber? just with an egg off a 3 way? That sounds like it could work.

The slip bobber rig consists of (in this order from rod tip) A bobber stop, a bead, A large in-line(slip) bobber, egg sinker, bead, barrel swivel, leader material of your choice about three feet long, a hook.

The first bead stops the bobber from wedging onto or riding over the bobber stop. The second bead stops the egg sinker from chafing or getting stuck on the barrel swivel. I will try to put some pics together to help you. Braided line is a must in my opinion.
You will be reeling the bobber stop onto your reel. The slip bobber makes having 15, 20, 30 feet of line under the bobber manageable. I use a bobber about 6 inches long and usually a 1-2 ounce egg.

The three way deal is a completely different rig.

Give me a couple hours to run down to the boat. I will try to post a pic of the bobbers and stoppers I am talking about.

Holwachagot

[HOLWACHAGOT]

This bobber would be my first choice in a current. Less drag in the current and it keeps your egg/hook from riding up due to the current pulling against it. Drawback is that an egg over an ounce will sink it.

Here is a rough pic of the bobber stop(uni knot cut free) and the small bead.

Here is what goes below the bobber...There is not a bead in this pic because I was lazy...Sure enough the egg has already begun chafing the knot.

This is my second choice of bobber. It will float an egg up to three ounces. It is also solid Balsa.

I will do a thread later on the set-up and actually tie the whole deal up for the camera. Many fish have fallen to this system...You can let it way back from the boat out of the way of the other lines. Let me know if anything does not make sense.
Good luck.

Holwachagot

[Miles Offshore]

Nice rig HWCGot. Eel fishing the bridge here last winter for my first time fishing eels i think i was kinda doing the same thing you were asking fountain. i used my outriggers also as my seacraft doesnt have a very wide beam. I used a pretty light clip setting, with octopus circles allowing the fish to hook themselves and just tightening the drag to pop the clip. with a decent current the short riggers worked fine. here are a couple of pics that HereWeGo Keith took for me. it was a little cold, . i was able to fish five lines easily. (but that was it.)

on the hook

[fountain17]

Holwachagot Thanks Again for the pics and the detailed description.

I understand ( I Think) the whole rig:

Question: Is The 'Bobber Stopper" actually the Uni Knot?

I'm going to make a rig like this here this weekend and will post some pics and you can let me know if it is correct. I think I recall reading about this rig set up in the Chesapeake Angler Magazine a month or so ago.

Nice set up Miles Offshore! How did that work for you with the riggers?

Thanks Again Holla!!!