Cod Fishing Tips and Knot help - Tie a snelled hook to a leader

[carpedium]

Going on a Cod trip this spring, and trying to pre-tie some rigs.

 

What is the name of the knot (#1) illustrated in this picture?

Is there a particular knot you prefer to use to attach a second hook as outlined by arrow #2?

 

Thanks.

 

Edited April 16, 2014 by carpedium

[Sk8man]

Instead of the way this one s set up I've always had good luck tying in three-way swivels at the two points where your knots are on the main "rig" line (1) and use standard "clinch" knots for them. I only use singles instead of doubles on the hooks so I don't get into (2)

[skipjack]

Pm sent

[Pj Weber]

Matt- I do not know the name of knot but I like to keep the hooks closer to the bottom when bait fishing usually 6" from sinker and 12" to second drop. Closer to the bottom the less dog fish. I mostly jig fish unless the Haddock are aound then typically bait.

[Willy-C]

#1 is a dropper loop

http://www.animatedknots.com/dropperloop/index.php?Categ=fishing&LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United

[Mortigan]

Matt, # 2 is a snell, just like in the Fish Doctor "Tournament Tie" how-to video: http://www.fishdoctorcharters.com/template.tpl?selector=video

[Thun]

As a kid, I used to go cod fishing here and there and always seemed to catch a few but I noticed that some were catching a lot of fish. It wasn't until a Captain told me that people think because we're anchored, we stay over the same ground and when they hit bottom they think their jig or bait stays on the bottom. He said there's 600' of rode out and the boat not only swings around the anchor but drags it also. He said it's only a matter of minutes before your jig which you thought was on the bottom, is 15 or 20' off of it. He told me to jig 5 times, then go back to the bottom and repeat. I started catching fish like the other guys who knew this already. You'll probably catch some haddock too using bait but they have a very soft bite unlike cod. Good luck.

[carpedium]

Thanks for the responses, and for the added info. I'll take any cod fishing tips you guys can throw at me. I'll change the topic name. 

[Sk8man]

Excellent tip from Thun....many "newbies" never think about the importance of staying with the bottom as much as possible at all times when fishing for these bottom dwellers.

[Pj Weber]

Thun is correct being close to bottom is critical. I check for bottom every third time I jig the rod sometimes it is tough to hold bottom with strong currents or light tackle. I will use 20 oz sinkers for bait and I like to use 12 oz jigs but I always have some 18 and 20 oz on hand. If the Pollack are around it is not always a bad thing to come off the bottom a bit as they tend to stay a little higher up maybe 5 to 10 feet higher. Are you party boat fishing or chartering? And where are you planning to go out from? Gulf of Maine fishing tends to be a litle different then the guys that go out of RI and CT or even Jersy.

[carpedium]

Myself and 5 other guys (some from this site) are heading out of Cape Ann, MA. We are doing a three day two night trip on a party boat. 100' boat with around 30-35 guys total I am told. 

[Thun]

Nice, Those overnighters are fun and I'd be willing to bet you're going to see some monster cod. You guys may even catch a Halibut. I love Gloucester!

 

http://www.angelfire.com/home/lake/earth/gloucester.html

[rolmops]

That sounds great. You may be going to Cashes Ledge about eighty miles off shore

Every time I go fishing for cod and haddock we use only the dropper loop. This is specially important when you are on a head boat with another 50 guys. When you get tangled with other lines (it happens all the time) it is very easy to take your hook and line off and get out of the tangle. The charter boats commonly use 80 pound test and dropper loops. it helps you to have your line in the water most of the time instead of wasting time on untangling.

The charter people will tel you to drop your line to the bottom and then bring it two feet back up. This is not because the cod is 2 feet above the bottom,it is to take the stretch out of your line.

You should realize that you will be fishing to 300 feet down and with mono you will be hard pressed to feel any bite at all and the thickness of the line makes it drift. If you use 80 pound test

braid you will have no stretch and you will be able to see every nibble and you do not have to bring your line 2 feet up. You can also use less weight. Just let your weight sink to the bottom and then jig it back up until you feel your sinker resistance.

Braid will help you catch 3 times as much as the others around you. Just be prepared to have to cut your line in case of tangles.

Get a spot on the bow or the rear ,there are less tangles .

Edited April 17, 2014 by rolmops

[Thun]

Now that you mention it, I remember a seminar where a Captain talked about switching from mono and glass rods to spectra and graphite. He said he was amazed at the sensitivity and wondered how many haddock he had not even noticed with mono and glass. He spoke about how haddock kind of nibble as opposed to cod which hit hard. He also spoke about that stretch with mono that rolmops mentioned and said when you lift your rod as in a jigging motion, the rod tip moves feet but because of that stretch, a 16 oz jig may only move inches. Some good advice there rolmops.

[carpedium]

All great info. I have three reels spooled up with 1000 ft of 60lb braid and 60 ft. mono leaders. Best of both worlds i am thinking.

[Mortigan]

My wife and I met in Gloucester - great town. I'll have to get the details next time I see you!

[rolmops]

I just looked at the picture again and it made me feel a little proud.

It was in 2001 while fishing with Kayman Charters (6 person boat) That I pulled out some green  1 inch long glowsticks, the type you tie to your rod tip when still fishing at night, and tied them next to the hook.

The captain schratched his head and made some fun of me. After 18 cod within the hour ,he no longer laughed. Now I see it has become part of the standard setup.

Edited April 17, 2014 by rolmops

[TileMan Dan]

I never realized there was halibut in the North Atlantic. Do they get as big as their pacific species?

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Pj Weber]

I did the an overnighter last fall and we went to the fippinees which is 60 miles out the 2-day was heading to cashes. We caught a ton of pollock and some haddock. Had a good time on the Yankee Freedom. Have a great time I am heading over to NH on the 23rd to do some party boat fishing myself. $85.00 for a 12 hour marathon pretty good price. Have a great time and let us know how you did. PJ

[rolmops]

I never realized there was halibut in the North Atlantic. Do they get as big as their pacific species?

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

There used to be a lot,but unlike cod they do not migrate. In the eighties when the cod population  was fished into near extinction the halibut population was almost completely destroyed. A small amount survived higher up north in the canadian waters.Later  the State of Maine started a repopulation program which, although slowly, is beginning to have some effect. Yes,they are as big as the pacific ones.

There used to be a student at RIT whose screen name was "Deaf Fisherman" who wrote a report about catching one a few years ago

[Mortigan]

There used to be a student at RIT whose screen name was "Deaf Fisherman" who wrote a report about catching one a few years ago

 

Funny you should mention him. He posted last week that he was going to be in town, I think just until tomorrow, and was hoping to catch a lift to catch a laker. He keeps a journal on species caught and hoped to scratch them off. I hope he found a ride - he's a good guy.

[carpedium]

Instead of the way this one s set up I've always had good luck tying in three-way swivels at the two points where your knots are on the main "rig" line (1) and use standard "clinch" knots for them. I only use singles instead of doubles on the hooks so I don't get into (2)

 

I was thinking of doing that with the 3-way swivels, but at this point I am tired of going to find and buy more tackle!

 

Pm sent

 

Thank you, will be in contact.

 

Matt- I do not know the name of knot but I like to keep the hooks closer to the bottom when bait fishing usually 6" from sinker and 12" to second drop. Closer to the bottom the less dog fish. I mostly jig fish unless the Haddock are aound then typically bait.

 

I'm asking because I don't know - So, a couple inches really does matter when fishing cod?

 

#1 is a dropper loop

http://www.animatedknots.com/dropperloop/index.php?Categ=fishing&LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United

 

THANK YOU.... What do you guys think of an improved blood loop as a superior alternative to the dropper loop? 

 

http://www.fishing.sh/htmfiles/knots/platloop.html

 

Matt, # 2 is a snell, just like in the Fish Doctor "Tournament Tie" how-to video: http://www.fishdoctorcharters.com/template.tpl?selector=video

 

Thanks. I can't get his version of the snell to work. He does this thing where he puts the tag end through the eye halfway through the knot. I'm only working with a short piece here, since on a fly the whole rig is 36" finished and mine is 6 with two shells. His video also cuts out after the first snell. I ended up tying standard snells, two in a row and it seems to be very strong. 

 

That sounds great. You may be going to Cashes Ledge about eighty miles off shore

Every time I go fishing for cod and haddock we use only the dropper loop. This is specially important when you are on a head boat with another 50 guys. When you get tangled with other lines (it happens all the time) it is very easy to take your hook and line off and get out of the tangle. The charter boats commonly use 80 pound test and dropper loops. it helps you to have your line in the water most of the time instead of wasting time on untangling.

The charter people will tel you to drop your line to the bottom and then bring it two feet back up. This is not because the cod is 2 feet above the bottom,it is to take the stretch out of your line.

You should realize that you will be fishing to 300 feet down and with mono you will be hard pressed to feel any bite at all and the thickness of the line makes it drift. If you use 80 pound test

braid you will have no stretch and you will be able to see every nibble and you do not have to bring your line 2 feet up. You can also use less weight. Just let your weight sink to the bottom and then jig it back up until you feel your sinker resistance.

Braid will help you catch 3 times as much as the others around you. Just be prepared to have to cut your line in case of tangles.

Get a spot on the bow or the rear ,there are less tangles .

 

Great point on the benefit of being able to remove a whole hook assembly with the dropper loop. Like I said above, I'll be using 60lb braid with a 50lb mono leader. 

 

I just looked at the picture again and it made me feel a little proud.

It was in 2001 while fishing with Kayman Charters (6 person boat) That I pulled out some green  1 inch long glowsticks, the type you tie to your rod tip when still fishing at night, and tied them next to the hook.

The captain schratched his head and made some fun of me. After 18 cod within the hour ,he no longer laughed. Now I see it has become part of the standard setup.

 

Nice! How did you tie these to the hook? I'm thinking a small zip tie would work, what do you think?

 

I did the an overnighter last fall and we went to the fippinees which is 60 miles out the 2-day was heading to cashes. We caught a ton of pollock and some haddock. Had a good time on the Yankee Freedom. Have a great time I am heading over to NH on the 23rd to do some party boat fishing myself. $85.00 for a 12 hour marathon pretty good price. Have a great time and let us know how you did. PJ

 

Thank you for the input. Nice! yeah I am really looking forward to this. I will def. update with pictures when we get back. 

[Thun]

rolmops

 

Kayman Charters website has mentioned stories about some guys having 1000 lb days. Perhaps your glow stick method was a factor and I wouldn't hesitate to use them cod fishing. We tape them to the tip of our surfcasters so we can see them fishing stripers at night from the surf.

 

The last time I went out, I noticed the haddock were being caught with a 1/2 turn of the reel off the bottom and cod with a couple of turns off the bottom. Does a couple of inches matter? I can't say for sure but that's what we were doing that day.

 

You guys have me drooling...cod fish cakes, cod fish chowder and fish and chips, mmm.

[Mortigan]

"Thanks. I can't get his version of the snell to work. He does this thing where he puts the tag end through the eye halfway through the knot. I'm only working with a short piece here, since on a fly the whole rig is 36" finished and mine is 6 with two shells. His video also cuts out after the first snell. I ended up tying standard snells, two in a row and it seems to be very strong."

 

They must have had a conversion problem when they did the Flash video. If you run it in Quicktime you'll get the whole thing but it sounds like the way you did it is solid.

[BAITNH]

I tie  my  own cod rig  with 30lb big game  3 hook set up   so the lower hook   is right on the bottom. Also   try  hitting  the bait  with pure   oil of anise    I have seen times at Platts  where it turns the fish right on