I had also been fishing but without near the success as the stranger, so I walked over to ask if he’d share the secret of his bounty.  He turned out to be a nice guy and willingly did so. 

The secret lure was a small hook with a little bit of lead molded around the shank and painted yellow that he called a goofy jig.

Since then, I’ve learned that jigs of this type were originally designed for and used by ice fisherman and have heard them referred to as goofy jigs, pompano jigs, banana jigs, wigglers and silly jigs. 

Call it what you want but I refer to it as a goofy jig and it has become one of my favorite lures when fishing the beach for pompano, whiting or flounder. 

I’ve also landed my share of trout, redfish and snook on this little piece of painted lead and jacks, ladyfish and mackerel find the lure irresistible as well.

Choosing Your Goofy Jig

These lures are durable, cast like a bullet, catch a variety of fish and are inexpensive.  They are available in a variety of versions, colors and weights and I’ve tried just about all of them over the years. 

My favorite version is a Doc’s Goofy Jig but it’s produced locally and not widely sold outside of Florida.  However, don’t despair if you don’t live near a tackle shop that sells them as there are similar jigs produced by other companies that are available at national retailers and through their websites. 

Regardless of the brand, I prefer a 3/8 oz or ½ oz jig in solid white, solid yellow, solid pink, yellow and white or pink and white in combination with a small white, yellow or pink bucktail teaser. 

The ½ oz jig allows me to reach the outside sandbars I like to target but sometimes it seems that the slightly smaller profile of the 3/8 oz version is more effective. 

Like most artificial lures, there are days when one color outperforms the others.  I usually start with a solid yellow jig and yellow teaser but will change colors until I start catching fish.

Rigging for Goofy Jigging

When fishing with goofy jigs, I typically use a 2500 or 3000 series reel filled with 10lb braid matched with a 7’ or 7’6” light or medium light fast action rod. 

I tie on three to four feet of 20lb fluorocarbon leader using a uni to uni knot and thread the teaser and jig onto a loop knot that leaves two to three inches between the knot and end of the loop. 

The large loop allows the teaser to slide up and down between the jig and the knot while retrieving the lure. It’s important that the teaser is threaded onto the loop knot first so it sits above the jig in the loop knot.  I also like to have the teaser hook and jig hook pointing in opposite directions.

How to Fish with the Goofy Jig

I believe these jigs imitate sand fleas, crabs, and shrimp as well as small baitfish or bivalves that these shoreline inhabitants feed on.  Therefore, I like to cast them to areas along the beach where both food and fish are likely to be.

That includes anywhere along the beaches edge and the inside and outside edges of any sandbars within casting distance.  However, I may catch fish anywhere in between my longest cast and the sand so I’m on alert for a strike during the entire retrieve.

I start working a beach by casting my jig slightly up tide onto the farthest sandbar I can reach, flipping my bail just before it hits the water and reeling in any slack while the lure sinks to the bottom. 

If I don’t get a hit on the initial sink, I slowly lift the rod tip to drag the jig across the sandbar towards shore until it falls off the inside of the bar into deeper water.  This is what I refer to as an edge.  It’s where I’m most likely to get hookups with pompano, whiting, trout and flounder as they run or stage along the edge looking for bait to be swept over the bar with the incoming waves. 

If I don’t hook up at the edge, I then speed up the retrieve a little bit while hopping the jig along the bottom creating little puffs of sand. 

If there’s an inside sandbar and swash, I will slow my retrieve as I drag the jig through the deeper water on the outside edge and onto the bar and again work it slowly until it reaches the inside edge and drops into the deeper water of the swash channel.  This edge is another likely spot for hookups that may include redfish and snook when water temperatures are suitable. 

If I don’t hook a fish along this edge I hop the lure all the way to the sand.  This strategy allows me to work varying depths to determine the zones where fish are feeding and then focus on those zones.

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Establishing Feeding Zones

On days when I’ve established that the feeding zones are along sandbar edges, I like to wade through the swashes onto those bars. 

When I reach a sandbar, I start working my way up tide and parallel to the beach while casting my jig to the drop-offs on either side of the bar and then hopping it back with the current or tide along those drop-offs. 

This keeps my lure in the feeding zone throughout the retrieve, not the small percentage of the time as when I’m casting perpendicular to the beach from the shore.

When I do get a hit, I don’t use an overpowering hookset as the hooks on these jigs are usually needle sharp out of the package. 

A quick short flick of the wrist will usually set the hook or even just a steady pull back on the rod tip. 

Also, I often hook the fish on the teaser and have been surprised how large a fish I can land on such a light wire hook. If I don’t horse the fish in, it’s usually capable of handling any species I’m likely to hook with this setup.

When and Where to Use the Goofy Jig

These strategies and tactics can be effective year round and throughout the day. 

In the summer, I often tie on a jig and teaser during the heat of the day, when most larger game fish aren’t actively feeding. 

They work best along beaches that have defined edges within casting distance of the shoreline or irregularities like points and runouts, which are cuts in a sandbar where water runs into and out of the channels created by the bars. 

These are natural feeding areas for fish as are points or other structure that may divert the tides or currents along the beach. You can see an example of this in the graphic below: 

For beaches with a long gradually sloping shoreline, I usually prefer fishing around the lower tide as the sandbars and edges may only be within casting distance when water levels are at their lowest.

Beaches with shorter or steeper shorelines often have near shore swashes and sandbars that are only fishable on higher tides but often have at least one bar beyond the shoreline swash to target on the lower tides. You can see an example of this kind of beach in the graphic below: 

If the water isn’t clear or it’s not otherwise obvious that a swash channel or outside sandbars are present, I look for where the waves are breaking. 

When they aren’t breaking until they get to the shoreline, there may not be a swash or outer sandbar and the bottom likely slopes gradually toward deeper water. 

If waves are breaking further out than the shoreline, it’s usually evidence of a sandbar and often you will see that waves are breaking even further offshore as they hit the second bar.

However, I never pass up a beach with little or no obvious structure if that’s all I’ve got to work with as I’ve had some great fishing days from the most unlikely places.

Beaches to Avoid

I do, however, avoid beaches with rocks, oyster beds, downed trees and other hard, bottom structure.  

As the jigs sink very quickly and I’m usually dragging or hopping them along or near the bottom, snags are inevitable.  On a rocky beach, I can go through a pocketful of jigs in no time.

Goofy Jigs: More Than a Beach Lure

Goofy jigs are more than just a beach lure.  I’ve used it along the sandy edges of causeways with success for flounder and redfish and have had some epic days using the heavier lures to vertical jig for pompano around bridge pilings. 

I even have a friend who swears that these are the most effective bonefish jigs he’s ever used. 

Conclusion

It’s tough to find a lure any more versatile, durable and effective, especially at a buck apiece. 

But if you know of any other great lures for catching pompano, please leave a comment down below.

For a list of tackle shops that sell Doc’s Goofy Jigs that were mentioned in this post, go to their website at www.goofyjigsusa.com. 

Buccaneer Bait Company Wigglers are available at Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cabela’s.

Big Bob’s Jigs produces a quality jig that is available through their website at www.bigbobsjigs.com. 

Silly Willy Jigs are available online at www.captainjoefishing.com.

If you have any questions on this post, let me know in the comments below!

Tight Lines!

Related Posts:

1. Top 3 Beach Fishing Mistakes That Can Save You A Ton Of Time (VIDEO)

2. This Is What The Perfect Beach Fishing Spot Looks Like

3. Wade Fishing 101: How To Maximize Your Time & Strikes While Wading

Related Course:

Wade Fishing Mastery

The post Goofy Jigs: Are These The Best Lures For Catching Pompano On The Beach? appeared first on Salt Strong Fishing Club.

This skill is necessary to properly release undersized and out-of-season fish.  It’s also important to ensure that we manage our reef fish populations in the best manner possible.

So what does it mean to “vent” a fish?

When bottom fish are pulled up from sizable depths around 30 feet or more, their swim bladders — which control buoyancy and help fish maintain their position in the water column — expand with gases. This can cause their stomachs and intestines to protrude from their orifices.

In this condition, the fish cannot swim back to the bottom due to their expanded swim bladder. They frequently die from stress, exposure to the elements and by being an easy meal for other predators. This is known as barotrauma.

Venting is the process used to release the gases in the fish’s swim bladder. This allows the fish to swim back to the bottom to a safer environment.

In this article, we go over how to properly vent a fish experiencing barotrauma, common fish venting mistakes and what fish species need to be vented.

How to Vent A Fish 

Once you’ve hooked your fish and gotten it to the surface, it should be fairly simple to determine whether your fish is experiencing barotrauma.

Is the fish bloated and floating on the surface? Are its’ eyes bulging? Is it’s stomach sticking out of its’ mouth? Are the intestines sticking out of the back?

Answering yes to these questions is an indication that your fish needs to be vented before being released.

Time is of the essence once you determine a fish needs to be vented.

Venting Your Fish

First, try to get the fish on board quickly with as little handling of the fish as possible.

Next, find a good spot on the boat such as a bait cutting board or cooler to rest the fish on. Some people like to put a wet towel down in the resting spot for better stability and to keep the fish wet. Hold your fish gently but firmly in place here.

Once you have done this, you are ready to vent your fish.

To vent the fish, start at the base of the pectoral fin and move about one to two inches behind the base with your finger. Lift the fish’s scale and make an insertion at a 45-degree angle through the fish’s skin using a sharp object such as a venting tool or specialized needle.

Most venting tools are large-gauge hollow needles that allow gasses to escape through their chambers. Team Marine and Ohero both make good specialized venting tools that are inexpensive and high-quality.

Tip: When using a venting tool or any sharp object intended on venting or puncturing the fish, use your thumb and forefinger as a guard to stop the venting tool or object from puncturing the fish too deeply. Until you get more experienced at venting properly, it really only takes a minimal puncture to release excess gasses.

Puncturing the fish in this spot should create a hole in the fish’s swim bladder that allows the trapped gases to escape. If done correctly, you should hear the gases releasing in a similar sound to letting air out a ball or bike tire.

Note: it’s very important not to insert your object too far into the swim bladder as too deep of a puncture could hit other vital organs causing injury to the fish and even death.

Once you have released the air from the swim bladder, the fish is ready to go back in the water and back to the bottom to its’ happy dwelling.

The Most Common Fish Venting Mistakes

Many anglers make mistakes when venting which can cause injury and death to the fish. Some of the most common problems are easily avoidable if you know the proper techniques listed above. Some of the most common fish venting mistakes include the following:

1. Puncturing the Stomach – Many anglers mistakenly identify the fish’s protruding stomach as its’ swim bladder. They puncture the stomach thinking they are properly releasing the gases keeping the fish afloat. This is not an effective means of venting the fish and will almost always result in further harm to it.
2. Pushing the Stomach Back in – Some anglers may try to push the fish’s stomach back inside the fish. This can be dangerous for the fish and may cause additional stress to its’ internal organs. Always remember that it is not necessary to alter the position of the fish’s stomach. The fish’s organs will return to a normal position in a couple of hours after being released.
3. Venting Fish that Don’t Need to be Vented – Not all bottom fish need to be vented, especially fish that are caught in depths of less than 30 feet. Venting these fish causes unnecessary injury, so always be sure the fish you’re venting has an expanded swim bladder before doing so.
4. Puncturing the Fish too Deep – We touched on it in the last section but making a puncture too deep in the swim bladder can cause damage to the fish which can result in death.
5. Taking too Long and Handling the Fish too Much – This is a general rule for all fishing. Handling fish with dry hands and keeping it out of the water for too long can doom it quickly. Always make sure to vent your fish quickly and to handle it as little as possible, always using wet hands. Proper dehooking is also critical and using a dehooker tool will speed up how long it takes to get your fish vented and back in the water with the least amount of damage possible.

You can keep fish healthy and release them to grow bigger, spawn and be caught again in the future by avoiding these mistakes!

Fish Species that Require Venting

Many bottom-dwelling fish do not have swim bladders and do not require venting when pulled up from the bottom. Fish such as cobia, sharks, kingfish, swordfish and many other species can move about different depths with no adverse effects whatsoever.

Many popular bottom fishing species do have swim bladders and will require venting when caught from certain depths. These species include:

• Grouper
• Snapper
• Black Sea Bass
• Amberjack
• Triggerfish
• Snook

You can prepare for a day of fishing by knowing that you will need to vent fish caught in certain depths. If you know you’re going to be fishing in depths greater than 30 feet, it is important to be ready with the equipment you need to vent any out-of-season or undersized fish you catch experiencing barotrauma.

How to Catch and Vent a Fish Video Tutorial

In the video below, I show you how to catch a red snapper off the bottom and how to properly vent and release it.

See the tutorial here:

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Conclusion

Many reef species such as grouper and snapper require venting to relieve symptoms of barotrauma.

You can do your part in conserving these vital reef fish populations by keeping the necessary tools on your boat to vent fish.

Remember to look for signs that indicate barotrauma and to avoid the mistakes we identified.

If you have any comments or questions about barotrauma or venting fish, let us know in the comments below:

Tight Lines!

Related Posts:

1. Bottom Fishing For Grouper – Tips & Lessons (Podcast)

2. How To Make A Grouper Rig That Saves Money, Time, & Marine Life

3. The Best Way To Cook Grouper [10 Amazing Grouper Recipes]

Related Course:

Grouper Mastery Course

The post How to Vent Snapper, Grouper and Bottom Fish [With Capt. Dylan Hubbard] appeared first on Salt Strong Fishing Club.

And yes, this post is really is about the fish that we have continued to bash and avoid catching here at Salt Strong… the catfish.

But it is inevitable that if you spend enough time inshore fishing, you will catch some unwanted catfish.

Here is why catfish are among my least favorite fish in the entire ocean to catch:

1. They have very sharp spines dorsal (top) and pectoral (sides) that can cause a lot of pain
2. They are prone to slime up your line, your hands, and your boat/kayak
3. If you do NOT have a DeHooker on board the boat or in your tackle box, these slimeballs can be a real pain to unhook sometimes.

The reason we decided to put this article and video together was to help ensure that anglers don’t make a costly mistake while unhooking one of these slimy fish.

I also wanted to share a cool catfish release tip I have been using to avoid touching these slimeballs (where you do not need a catfish DeHooker).

Because one brief mistake can lead to a lot of pain since their 3 core spines are not only very sharp, but they’re also poisonous.

So if you’re not 100% comfortable in unhooking catfish, then be sure to continue reading this article and watch the video at the bottom.

Best of all, one of the unhooking tactics explained below allows you to get them off without even touching them.

How To Unhook A Catfish Without Touching It

There are many ways to unhook a catfish.

Some catfish release methods require lots of slime on the hands, some require lots of slime on your pliers, and some require no slime at all…

That’s right, there is a tried and true way to take a hook out of a catfish without touching it… just so happens that it is my favorite method to release these pesky catfish (especially if you don’t have a dehooker).

Although this method requires a piece of rope or line, that usually isn’t that tough to find while fishing (if not, another method is explained below).

This method uses a strand of line or rope to hold the bend of the hook up so that gravity can step in and do the dirty work for you…

Note: There is a video below with all of the steps.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Loop the rope around your fishing line that is attached to the catfish

The purpose of this is to ensure that the rope will slide down your line and onto the shank of the hook as you’ll see in the next step.

Step 2: Slide the rope to the shank of the hook

This is done by lifting the rope up while pulling your fishing line off to the side… the rope will slide down the line and finally end up on the hook as shown in the above picture.

Step 3: Rotate hook until it’s point is pointing downward

This position is achieved by pulling the rope up while moving the line down. The purpose is to get the hook point facing downward so that gravity pulls the fish off of the hook.

The purpose is to get the hook point facing downward so that gravity pulls the fish off of the hook.

Important Note: Be sure to never pull the fishing line all the way below the catfish because it then will fall onto your hand once it falls off of the hook.

Final Step: Shake rope until the fish falls off of the hook

Once the hook point is facing down, the only thing holding the fish on the hook is the hook’s barb, so some slight shakes are typically all that is needed to have the fish fall of off the hook.

Note: Hold fish over the water during this last step so that it falls straight in the water once freed from the hook unless you’ll be using it for bait.

See video below to see exactly how this unhooking method works.

How To Grab A Catfish Like A “Real Fisherman”

Although the “hands-free” catfish method is highly effective, unfortunately, it does not work 100% of the time (catfish hooked too deep, tougher with circle hooks, etc.)…

So it’s important to know how to grab ahold of a catfish with your hand because that will be required.

There is no reason you should have to cut your line, re-tie your line, or lose a nice hook or lure due to being afraid of grabbing a catfish.

Grabbing a catfish isn’t very difficult because there are only three barbs on the fish that will hurt you.

So you just need to be mindful of those three points when going in for the grab… here are the steps:

Step 1: Position your hand for the grab

Since the top and both sides of a catfish each have a spine, the safest side to grab a catfish from is the bottom/back.

And since the spines can only get you from the point, it’s best to slide your fingers under the side spines and while hugging the side of the fish so that your hand is safe even if the fish starts shaking.

Step 2: Grab and hold onto the fish

Once you get your fingers under the spines, just slide up your hand up the side of the fish and grab onto it so that it won’t slip if it starts thrashing.

As you can see, the two pectoral fins are kept at an outward position away from your hand since you’re fingers are below them.

And the top fin is completely out of harm’s way because it’s on the complete other side and further down the fish.

Best of all, even if the catfish thrashes, it is very tough to lose hold of the fish because its side fins are very strong and they will support it’s body, so a vertical hold will almost ensure it doesn’t get dropped.

Once in this safe position, you then can unhook the fish using your other hand or any type of pliers or hook remover you like to use.

Step 3: Release the fish

The final step in unhooking a catfish with your hand is to release the fish once the hook is out.

To do so, simply move it in a forward motion away from you right before loosening your grip and pulling your hand back.

This will ensure that your hand gets away while moving in the opposite direction of the catfish spines.

Unhooking Catfish [VIDEO]

Conclusion

Although saltwater catfish aren’t typically a desired catch, it’s very important to know how to handle them so that your fun day out on the water isn’t interrupted by a very painful injury.

Because even a small prick from a catfish can be extremely painful.

But the great news is that they really aren’t too difficult to safely take off of the hook… it’s all about being aware of their three sharp spines.

My personal recommendation is to get used to grabbing them right away because the hand’s free approach doesn’t always work, and it is slightly more dangerous if you accidentally move your bottom hand too far down below the fish when it comes off.

Related Post: Saltwater Catfish: The Worst Fish Ever OR Amazing Tarpon & Cobia Bait?

P.S. – Please share this with any of your friends who enjoy saltwater fishing because they’ll likely be faced with having to take a catfish off their hook and this post could very well save them some pain.

The post How To Unhook A Saltwater Catfish With Or Without Touching It [VIDEO] appeared first on Salt Strong Fishing Club.

The fact that these predators:

1. Are tough as heck fighters
2. Can be found in most regions/depths
3. Grouper provide some of the most popular fish-eating meat in America…

Makes them a very popular fish to both offshore and inshore anglers (and tourists looking for a good Grouper sandwich).

Looking back, I remember grouper being the fish I got most excited about catching back when my dad took my and my brothers out from Ponce Inlet when I was very young…

And bottom fishing was my absolute favorite because the action was often constant since there are some many fish of all sizes to be caught off of the reefs and wrecks we’d target.

Best of all, you don’t need a huge and expensive boat to catch them…

But a problem with grouper fishing (and targeting other species when bottom fishing) is that many anglers don’t put much thought into making their leaders…

They simply get a weight, a hook, some line, and perhaps a swivel or two and start tying their favorite knot for all of the connections.

Trust me I know, I was doing it the WRONG way for many years myself…

And a majority of the time, that lack of thinking about all aspects of what they’re targeting leaves the following two problems:

1. The weight gets fixed onto the line with no way to slide off.
2. The weakest point in the overall system (most often at the knot that connects the lighter main line to the top of the heavier leader assembly) is up above the weight.

Here’s an example of a leader system that Does NOT allow the weight to slide off (not recommended):

Knowing that grouper are a structure oriented fish that quickly hide under rocks when they feel threatened, we know that some are going to end up winning the tug of war battle by getting up under a sharp rock that cuts through the line above the weight…

Or the anglers’ battle trying to pull the grouper up before it gets to the structure puts more pressure on the line than the weakest point can handle (typically the very top knot), leaving the anglers with just a bare end of the main line and the grouper with an entire leader stuck to them…

So the problem with having a leader system that has a fixed weight on it becomes pretty clear because that can lead to the grouper having to drag that weight around until the hook rusts out (and it’s less likely to fall out when under the pressure of the weight).

And since grouper are structure oriented, the odds of them getting stuck to the bottom due to the weight getting snagged are high which will make them easy targets to the next shark that cruises by.

How To Make A Better Grouper Rig

Knowing that grouper and most other bottom fish seek comfort in structure when the feel threatened, we need to account for the fact that there will be break-offs in our decision for how we make our leader assemblies.

Here are the two most important things to consider… we need design the leader so that:

1. The weight can slide off of the line in the event that a fish breaks the line above the leader
2. The weakest point in the system is right above the hook

#1 Sliding Weight

This factor is important because it saves the fish from becoming an easy meal to the next shark that comes along after the weight gets stuck to the bottom and pins the fish down.

Solutions:

There are several ways to address this…

Simply sliding the weight onto the main line and then tying that to a swivel (or direct line-to-leader knot) that stops the weight from sliding all the way to the hook without blocking the weight from sliding up the line can be a great choice.

However, this method can significantly weaken the main line because the lighter main line will have direct contact with the bottom when dropping the baits down until the line stops going out… you don’t have control of what type of structure your line will hit before lifting it up off the bottom so a rough patch of bottom can easily damage your line.

So my preference is to tie on a couple feet of line that is much stronger than both my main line and the final leader section that goes to the hook so that even a lot of rough landings on the drops will not cause that section of the line to be weaker than the final section of leader… [see video below for details].

#2 Controlling The Weak Point

When targeting strong fish that live in and around heavy cover, the likelihood of getting snagged on the bottom is high.

And we of course know that it’s not good to have fishing lines hanging from our local wrecks…

So it’s on us to be smart and plan for what we know will likely happen… and that of course means to get as much tackle as possible up from the bottom when you get snagged onto the bottom.

Solutions

One idea is to beef up everything to muscle through whatever the hook got snagged on…

But that of course won’t always win because a it still won’t pull up an entire ship.

Another method is to use a hook that has a breaking or bending point that is less then the strength of the knots you’re using…

This certainly works, but it’s hard to control because different hooks have different breaking/bending points, and those breaking/bending points are not listed by manufacturers.

So my preference is to set up the overall line system to have the weakest point be the knot that goes directly to the hook while also beefing up the line most exposed to getting weakened from bumping rough patches on the bottom (directly above the weight).

This grouper leader setup explained in the video below requires the following:

1. Braided line for the main line to get optimal feel of the bottom with the least amount drag on the water from current
2. FG knot – extremely strong and slim knot that a standard egg weight can simply slide over
3. 2 levels of leader… the strongest is for the weight, and the lightest is for the hook
4. Good snug knot like the Uni, Cinch, Palomar to connect the top of the light leader to the weight section.
5. Loop knot at the final connection from the leader to the hook (it allows for maximum action of bait in the water while being slightly weaker than the top snug knots like the Uni, Cinch, Palomar, etc.)

Watch this video to see how this grouper rig looks once complete:

How To Tie A Grouper Rig (Step-by-Step)

How To Tie The Leader Knots

Here are the knots that I use for this leader assembly:

#1. FG Knot

This is the knot used to connect the main line (must be braid) to a much thicker mono/fluoro leader. It is the strongest knot that we’ve tested for this connection, and it happens to also be the thinnest which is great because it allows for the weight to slide right over it to save a fish if it happens to somehow break off above the leader.

There are several different ways to tie the FG knot, and the one shown in this video is the quickest and easiest that I’ve been able to find so far:

#2: Perfection Loop and Orvis Knot Combo

These two knots allow an easy and strong connection of the two mono/fluoro leader lines…

The Perfection loop serves two purposes:

1. Keeps the weight from sliding down to the hook allowing the bait to move around more natually
2. Provides a loop which we then can tie the lighter leader onto as if it were an eye of a hook

The Orvis knot is my preferred choice to tie to the Perfection loop because it’s extremely fast to tie and is very strong (not quite as strong as the Palomar, but it’s stronger than any Loop knot I’ve tested so it’ll not be the weakest link).

Here’s a video that shows both knots and how they relate to one another:

#3: Kreh Loop Knot (aka. Non-Slip Loop knot)

The loop knot at the end serves two important purposes:

1. In allows the bait to swim around more naturally due to less resistance from the line
2. It’s slightly weaker than the snug knot on the other end of the leader making this the weakest point in the system
   1. Note: This assumes that your braid main line’s rated strength is at least within 40% of the final leader touching the hook… for example, I often use 30 lb braid main line to an 80 lb top leader to a 50 lb final leader… and the loop knot is what fails when having to break off almost every time (but it’s a 50/50 shot when I bump up to a 60 lb final leader on the 30 lb braid.

Note: Different line brands/types of course have different breaking points, so these values are just to serve as a rough estimate.

Here’s a video that shows how to tie the Kreh Loop Knot:

Conclusion

Grouper fishing is a fantastic way for a group of friends or a family to get out on the water and enjoy nature together…

And given their popularity, we need to pay extra attention to take the best possible care of them so our future generations can continue to enjoy this great game fish as well as other structure oriented species that also be harmed by poorly designed leader rigs.

But the good news is that there are multiple solutions to the leader problem, and the one described above ends up saving money on tackle and allows for less time re-rigging while out on the water… it only requires a few unique knots and basic tackle.

If you know of any better grouper rigs that help grouper conservation and help you save money, let us know in the comments.

P.S. – If you think your angler friends would like to see this post, please Share this with them or Send them a link to this post. It would mean a lot to me.

P.P.S. – If you’re a serious angler looking for the Strongest fishing shirts, then be sure to check out our new “Performance Microfiber” line because we’re so confident that you’re going to love them that we offer a 30-Day Challenge so you can put them to the test to make sure you’re 100% satisfied… click here to see the latest options.

The post How To Make A Grouper Rig That Saves Money, Time, & Marine Life appeared first on Salt Strong Fishing Club.