Wind on Leaders

[ifish42na]

I was curious about going from topshot to wind on by a catspaw.

Check out this thread on the subject.

[arthurj]

Thanks guys,
How's it going Basil? That thread is actually what sparked this post from me. I would love to wind a fish right to the boat but my whole thing is the swivel 8 feet in front of the lure instead of 20-25 feet. I fish in the Gulf of Mexico and unless we go to the rigs for tuna, we never know if a bite in open water will be a tuna, wahoo, dolphin, white marlin, blue marlin. We are at that stage where we kind of take a shotgun approach and I'm just trying to figure out the best leader system. I guess I'm just kind of worried about eliminating those leader shy fish from the menu by placing that snap swivel right in front of the lure.

[rarhomes]

What do you exactly use that set up for.. just want to pick your brain.. i like the idea and have used it in the past just have not implemented it anytime in the near past..

I use it exclusively for sword fishing but it is also a preferred system when trolling for blue marlin. I don't remember the issue but 6 out of 6 captains use the system that were interview in "IN THE BITE" mag.

The main reason is on long fish like marlin and swords, its the long heavy leaders help protect from tail beat. The only reason I use a top shot is just in case we hook a slob and need more line (we are only using 50w). But I believe a lot of the marlin tournaments have gone to 50# class so top shots can not be used. Either way a "light" top shot on heavy backing or a "heavy" top shot on light backing your CLASS is determined by the heaviest line on the reel. Top shots and backing screw up their CLASS.

Hope this makes sense.

[offshore]

Anyone that has fished with me knows that all we use are windons. I made the switch about 6 years ago for a few reasons. First I fish a relitively small boat with only three on the boat. During multiple hookups they make it so much easier to bring the fish to gaff. The other reason I like them is sometime I have a inexperienced crew and I dont have to worry about them binding a large swivel in the tip guide or roller tip. I also like long leaders and the windons I use are 20ft to 50ft depending on the conditions and fish I am fishing that day.
We use two setups with windons. The first I like when trolling plastics with no meat. I just use a double catspaw from the mainline to the windon. The second which we use most of the time. When using a skirted ballyhoo I like doing a double catspaw from the main line to a 100lb XXstrong barrell swivel and then a double catspaw to the windon. In both cases we rig the lure right on the windon with no additional leader. Both allow you to wind the fish as close to the boat as you need too....Mark

[vfr800]

hey i just wanted to let anybody who was interested in using hollow core spectra, basil of bhp tackle is a great guy, me and my buddy went up to his place to have some reels spooled.
basil took his time to talk to us and also showed and explain how to use spectra.
i highly recommend basil of bhp tackle
also would like to say thanks to the guys of the canyon runner for having basil at your seminars.

[bisquit]

From a dumb novice--what is a double catspaw? I Googled it and am still unsure. Can someone point me in tha right direction?

[tunatamer4]

Seems to me that offshore is the only one who has replied to this thread has the grasp of a wind-on. It's called a wind-on leader for that reason. It attatches the mainline to the hook/lure. There are no swivels in the equation. Even if you use the inline "wind-on" spro swivels, the wind-on leader becomes a top-shot technically because there is a "break" before the lure. Just my thoughts. I could be wrong.