# Best pre-made leaders for Bluefish & Spanish/ am vs pm



## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

I've decided that I am not going to tie my own Blues/Spanish leaders and bottom rigs in the future. I admit, I'm lazy and don't like tying a lot of knots. I usually fish about 2 weeks out of the year
since I live in western KS and can't make it back to the east coast very often. I would like to see some recommendations on leaders for Blues and Spanish as well as the best bottom rigs for Sea Mullet (Whiting) for bottom fishing at night. I have seen the Sea Striker Mono leaders online but that's about it.

I have always fished the late afternoon through dusk for Blues and Spanish, because again, I'm lazy and I don't like waking up when it's dark outside to go fishing. Is the morning really any better? 
The only thing I can think of that would make the morning better is if the winds tend to be lighter overnight on average compared to the day, so that the wave action could be a little less by sunrise. But that's just speculation.

Oh and while I'm at it, what do you'all use to help pull up bigger fish or skates? Are there are special gloves that can help so I don't have to cut my hands? Or do you'all use Gaffs or nets? 

finch


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

I would recommend tying your own Spanish leaders, bottom rigs anything that's not wire works. As for big fish nets, and gaffs, sometimes gloves for handlining


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

Well, I usually go just before the Spanish start running in the spring. So I anticipate catching a lot more blues and only 1 or 2 spanish.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Just get a 4 dollar spool of 50 at Walmart and uni to mainline then a little then tie on a lure. Easy as pie and a lot cheaper. No mead to pretie, you could precut some lengths if you wanted


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

Precut and pre tie all your plugs with 30 to 50 lb with clear mono using an improved clinch knot
Then you can tie on to your main line with an Albright or uni to uni


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

If I could fish but one hour in any given day it would be Dawn even in clear calm water conditions fish like Drum will often bite in the early morning up until 8:00 AM or so, when I fished for King Mackerel back in the day more than half of all the fish I ever caught were in the very early morning hours

Dusk is second best but it is Dawn that for me anyway is a more magical time, less crowded, the fish are not spooked, and on the East Coast you watch the Sun come up

Spanish Mackerel are pretty skittish in the surf zone and hit mostly fast moving lures and are quite leader shy I just use twenty five or thirty pound fluorocarbon without a swivel, I usually tie on a three foot length of shock leader and clip off the lure every time I get done fishing or the fish nick it up, when it gets down to less than 18 inches I cut it off and retie in a new three foot section and attach with a double uni to my running line

Spanish will hit live bait like finger mullet but if wire is used it should be very very light as in 20 pound test brown stainless tied with a haywire twist to a small live bait or #8 treble, live baiting Spanish is easier if you are off a pier, you can free line the Mullet on the down current side of the pier and as long as you do not give them too long a leash and it is not real crowded they pretty much stay out there swimming until something comes along that wants to eat them..

Live Baiting for Spanish on the up current side of the Pier you have to cast out heavy sinker and use a slide rig, the current keeps the finger Mullet on top swimming around like he was on a Pin Rig

If I ever get too lazy to tie decent knots and make proper leader presentations, I guess I will no longer be fishing, in fact if I get too lazy to make the effort to do any activity correctly in life, then its time to do something else.....


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## Reelturner (Dec 24, 2003)

What Garbo said.....X's 4


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Garbo's nailed it on Spanish - and even though Blues are not to leader shy, a short section of fluoro helps on them to - add a glass minnow lure then crank fast for Spanish, slow down a little to catch Blues. Now as far as Sea Mullet, whether it's night, day, dirty water or clear - I (naturally) use the RR (RiverRig) - it's available in many different styles at OBX tackle shops and on E bay - all the styles are hand tied with pure fluorocarbon -- again, just my opinion --- River


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