I have had some fun with various three-way trolling/bottom bouncing rigs when fishing for rockfish over fairly flat bottom where some searching for the fish is required, (like in santa cruz). you could also use this on a fast drift in deep water I'm pretty sure.

I use an 8 to 16 ounce ball on an ~18" dropper where the lower part of the dropper is something like 80lb mono for abrasion resistance, and the upper part is 15lb mono so if I snag the 10oz ball, I only lose the weight.

the lure is on a 3 foot leader or so, like 25lb test.

The big question is what lure works the best. cause there are issues of it not snagging or tangling but also catching fish, like how well it hooks the fish, holds them, etc as often the rod is in a holder.

I'm interested in some discussion on this one, mostly just for fun.

I have used an apex equivalent (pro-troll string-king?) and a minnow-shaped floating plug as well as a grub and a swimbait with a light head as well as bait, either a sardine or anchovy on a two or one hook harness with an extra spinner, as well as a whole squid.

strangely, the things that have worked the best were the pro-troll e-chip equipped apex-equivalent, the minnow-shaped floating plug (only two hooks) and the sardine or anchovy.

haven't caught anything on the whole squid or the grub for whatever reasons but the others have caught fish.

Nobody designs lures for use with a three-way rig like this so i do have to wonder what people have tried and what works well.

Sure seems like a grub with a hook through it would be best choice cause it is cheap and has action plus doesn't really have an up or a down, but I don't have a ton of confidence in that one right now.

John

never had to pump mine up before, but finally they need some air.

my bike pump won't work, but I don't want to overinflate anyways.

what do you guys use to inflate your wheels?

John

Launched solo around 8:15, nobody else around that I knew of. (Later, I would find out that scott and gary were crabbing and fishing just south of me). water was a little angrier than I would like, but launched and landed uneventfully. no wind.
swell definitely coming up this afternoon I think.

I fished for about 3 1/2 hours, it was a scratchy bite, with a LOT of small blues wasting my time, not to mention a few gophers that got a free elevator trip to the surface. I did catch and release a C**ary, a big one, in 60 feet, while trooching. very cool.

I kept a number of fish (verm, china, 5 blacks) today since it might be the last time out this year although I have a santa cruz rental for a month starting next week so might fish if I don't surf.

my ling streak is over, well I can't complain, I had a number of lings in the 24-27 inch range this year.

If I'm super fat, I weight 160. I'm no muscle man. I also know the meaning of leverage.

So it seems like a fighting belt makes a lot of sense, but I get the distinct feeling they are not politically correct amongst the fisherman.

what's the low down on these things. ever used one? at what lb test? did anyone laugh? 

John

I got a newell 533 (wahoo casting reel) to play with a while back and first i did the whole tani-treatment myself, replaced drags, lubed every screw hole, popped bearing shields off and filled with corrosion-X. just this weekend, spooled some 60lb spectra backing and a 50lb mono topshot to test it out a bit.

Then  I grabbed my 9' long cabelas dispsey diver trolling rod, tied on a skateboard wheel (62mm 95 durometer BDS  ) and went out in the street to try casting it. Wow, that skateboard wheel went a long way! so cool! and no birdsnest, a true miracle. That rod might not be a true wahoo casting rod, but it felt pretty darn good and I'm sure would do in a pinch.

Then I was wondering how strong that 50lb mono is and tied off to my truck. I tried to break it off but damned if I could not hold the spool stationary and break it off. I cranked the drag down but that would be an insane amount of drag lockdown pressure to be able break off 50lb that way.

I guess I'd have to wrap it around something like the reel itself or a gaff handle or something, to be able to break it off.

Now I have to figure out some way to actually use this reel someday...

These things seem to be an increasingly important part of equipment for Nor Cal fishing after July 4th!

I got there late cause it's so great to sleep in AND fish! Plus I can park in the main lot.

Met a bunch of guys fishing in the same zone as scwafish cabby from yesterday.

I fished deeper and found a school of blacks. I ended up with 5 on my stringer, but they were not big. they liked a black saltwater fly with a 2" glow hoochie over it. no squid needed.

Then I found feathers and scales on the water and massive schools of bait. messing around with that did not get me much but it was very interesting.  Clearly the scene of a sardine massacre! I put a yellow and black on my stringer cause I had a china last week and I thought I'd compare. Probably not as good, but we'll see.

Btw, that was a LOT of bait. I have never seen schools like that before on my sonar. I figure the only fish that would bite after I saw the size of the bait balls out there were small blacks that are not big enough to eat sardines, and ling cod that are always hungry (and not very smart).

After a lot of hits and no hookups near the bait schools, I pull up a couple kingfish. yikes! better move!

I was trolling along like I often do while moving from spot to spot and I saw some good structure, so I stopped and started bouncing my swimbait to the yak. BAM! A very thick and chunky ling hits my swimbait and I have a fantastic battle. Up and down 4 times and with some zip, so I figured it was a monster, but it was just a very buff and angry ling that was only 3 or 4 inches into legal. It fought like an underling, but it had the power of an overling. Best fight all year. I have had a ling on all of my last 5 go-outs. malpaso, LK, DP, BH, BH. nothing above 30" tho.

I had paddled out without my hat so I decided to head in as the sun was starting to show and I had a ling in my tankwell.

Fun meeting a few new people out there and listening to the radio with reports of lings and cabbies.

John

On the water. with a ling on it. and the tie rope slipped off. I noticed it and dealt with it, but sometimes I really despair of getting anything of quality these days.

I mean it's a hunk of metal, nothing should go wrong with it, ever.

the spring of the clip pulls directly against the spot weld. I think they are all like this. seems like the weld should go all the way a round it, or the steel should bent in a loop around it and then welded.

something! sheesh. 

J