Back Trolling- Swivel vs Knot

[brichards44]

I'm just getting started back trolling for steelies. Should I use a swivel or (blood/double uni) knot to attach my leader to the main line? I will be using 30lb power pro main line or (suggestions).

[wildmanoutdoors]

Use a blood knot, don't do the swivel thing. It makes your plugs act weird. I also wouldn't use braid on my plug rods. Lay your rods almost flat in the holders, use the Mono to ease the initial strike. don't grab the rod until the line is peeling! Let em turn and burn.

[fishcrazy]

I run a bead chain on the end of my braided line with about 8-10' of mono leader then one of them snaps with no swivel. gotta match the snap with the size of the plug or with small plugs tie the leader to what comes on the plug. braided line is the cats meow for plugs. just don't have the drag to tight. run it loose and if needed snug it up a little when the fish is hooked.
With zero stretch the braid helps get them hooks buried fast! running mono is like running a rubber band for main line. IMO


Kris

[7mmfan]

I also use #30 Power Pro for plugging and love it. The plugs swim/dive better because of less line resistance and you can also read your rod tip better than you can with mono. When the fish hits the hook is buried instantly. Fishcrazy is right though keep your drag just a little looser. As for the leader, i rarely run a leader and have honestly not noticed a difference in the number of hits that i've gotten. The few times that I have I ran a #20 Fluorocarbon leader tied on with a Double Uni-Knot.

[lazydrifter]

Absolutely use 30# power pro braid and a #7 barrel swivel.  Also switch all your factory plug hooks over to gami's.

[tlbradford]

I agree with everyone else on the braid, swivels, leaders if needed, and changing out the hooks.  I like to run plugs on older fiberglass rods to get a little more action.  A lot of the carbons are too fast.

[7mm Bob]

been pulling plugs for steelies for years and heres my take. My rods- GLoomis 941, for steelhead sized plugs hard to beat, been using them for more than 10yrs. Reel- Ambassador 5500, bullet proof drag system and lotsa line capacity, just what is needed here. Line- 30lb green power pro- with the small diameter you get all the dive you need in the deeper holes, plus now I usually get those snagged plugs back that I used to lose with mono. Tied to a Luhr Jensen Duo Lock Snap- NO Mono leader- less knots to worry about when Ike comes calling. I also believe if seeing the line is gonna spook him off the bite then the action of the plug is gonna send him into the next county! Some other tips- I keep my drags a tad looser with the power pro than I used to with mono, I use bobber stops on my line to keep them all the same distance behind the boat, I do not swing my boat side to side in a hole/ I prefer to travel thru in a straight line, I plug very slowwwwww, I use 1/0 siwash hooks on all my steelie plugs- on Tadpollies double split rings on the back hook pointed up, on Hot shots split ring/#7 barrel swivel/hook, Warts split ring/short bead chain/hook. I prefer non rattling plugs (hard to find now). And my golden rule is always,always,always run at least 1 metallic pink tadpolly no matter the water conditions

[lazydrifter]

My rule of thumb is always run at leat one gold tadpolly.  My boat has caught a lot of fish on plugs but never have I caught one on the metallic pink. 

[tlbradford]

Lol, mine is a black and silver wiggle wart.

[Rainstorm Hunter]

We always run at least one orange herring bone tadpolly with silver body.  Caught more on that than anything else

[brichards44]

Thanks guys. All this helps. Got all my reels switched over to 30# power pro.