Pre made Rigs or make your own?

Hey all-
I am new to the Yak fishing world. I have launched twice out of SW with good luck both times.
I am using the pre made double loop shrimp fly rigs with calamari on the hooks. I have hooked into something fairly sizable two different times and lost them both times with the fish slipping off of the hook and the rigging in tact. So, is it worth it to make your own leaders and rigs with better hooks or is this fairly common? Im dyin to hook a ling!
thanks!
Fureyous1

It will be more expensive to tie your own rigs but well worth it. RF and lings have tough mouths so sharp strong hooks and hard hook sets should help.

Those fly rigs are great, that's something you'll alwayys find in someones rockfish arsenal.

You might want to try a jig 3-10 oz depending on drift with double tail scampi soft plastics in white, root beer, blue, and purple. Also swimbaits in the same colors up to 8".

Brighter colors fade in deeper because of light penetration. I usually use white when jigging shallower than 40 ft or casting along kelp beds, 40 and deeper I stick with the darker colors, bait.

I don't have to much experience with them but I know a lot of guys use jiggings spoons and sware by them.

A lot oh guys are at GS6 six this weekend so you'll get some good tips when their all back and postin.

Joe

I usually make my own, unless I get lazy and go fishing last minute. But I usually don't lose fish on the store-bought rigs, and besides, my lings are all caught on the bottom lure- not the shrimp fly... although I caught a salmon on the shrimp fly @ GS6 last weekend.

If u got the time, make them yourself- you'll get a lot more joy and satisfaction catching fish from tackle/lures u made yourself. Some of the guys r even pouring their own swimbaits!

Peace!

I'd bet the fish just had the squid strip in their mouth. If the rig didn't brake and you really set it then that is a probable result...to your question. As long as you trust your dropper loops tie your own.

In general, I always use Owner or Gamakatsu brand hooks. Stupid sharp. I practice, and tie my own stuff. When trying to learn to tie your own rigs, YouTube is a great resource to check out.

It will be more expensive to tie your own rigs

I would only partially agree. The set-up can be spendy. Once you have the tools it is super cheep, and of better quality too. Plus you made it and don't have to rely on the outrageous prices of tackle stores.

I pour lead; weights and jigs.

I airbrush lures, made from jigs and carved wood.

I tie flies for fly fishing or rock fish.

I build fishing rods... etc

I make just about everything fishing related that I feasibly can. It may cost a little more to start, but once you break even its ohh.. so nice.

sounds like lingcod hitting the bait. They have an uncanny ability to barf out water and stuff, and can unhook themselves like no other fish. I have the best luck on a swimbait or other jig. It keeps the smaller fish off your line.

More than once I've had a ling fight all the way to the surface then literally spit out the bait when it sees me.  Sounds like that's what was going on.

The more you do for yourself, the more satisfying it is when you bring home dinner, (IMO).

When you ty your own you design it, length, knots, hooks, line type and strength, etc. Usually ends up a better fit for you and the type of fishing you do.

I like Big Game Mono and use Owner hooks whenever possible. 


 

I always tied mine but after one to many dropper loop failures I started crimping them. On top I put a bead on either side of wide gap worm hook and crimp it to another short leader so the hook stands out 90 deg from the leader. Just a swivel on the bottom for a swimbait instead of a standard dropshot weight. Put on my favorite 5-7" jerkshad on the top hook and the action is incredible. All Lings this year except one came on the swimbait. I tend to use large hooks to keep the smaller fish off and increase my chances of a solid hookup on a larger fish.

Try using a stiffer line next time for your dropper loop application.

Seems like this wasn't exactly what you were asking about but I'm still new and trying to learn as much as possible so your question got me looking around and I stumbled across this. I don't know if there's any need for something like this but I thought I'd share it and see what you guys thought.



I'm in the process (thanks to the help of brdopry/Kevin) of adding ocean-dwellers to the list of things I fish for so tips and tricks are greatly appreciated. 

I love making my own rigs, and they really aren't that hard to do.  Yeah, initial and ongoing costs can be high, I end up buying a bunch of materials and tying up a bunch of leaders in prep for a long weekend of fishing.  But since you know how to make them, you can re-build them after a weekend of fishing instead of headding to the store for more. 

Awesome Stuff. Thank you all.
Fureyous1