How to Tie a Fish Finder Rig for Surf Fishing

Out of many rigs available, we find the fish finder rig that goes quite easier than its complex look.

And how to tie a fish finder rig for surf fishing is an extremely simple task. The swiveling part reacts greatly to attract the fish.

The curiosity level makes it a highly result-oriented surf rig because the receding waves containing a lot of activities around make it hard for the fish to catch the fishing lure attached to a hook set on the extreme edge of the fishing line.

Table of Contents

What is the Fish Finder Rig?

For surf fishing, we find fish finder rig increasingly famous around the U.S.A. and the whole wide world.

The novice to expert recreational fishermen prefers to use this rig because it is uncomplicated to tie as all it takes is the hook, making the leader line, attaching the pyramid sinker, and then swirling into the sea and it would hardly return ashore under normal ocean surface waves.

That is the best way to catch the fish orbiting around the shore. The little motion of the fish finder rig will snag the fish’s attention and you would notice almost every casting becomes successful.

Components of Fish Finder Rig

Hook (preferably in circle form)
Leader line
Barrel Swivel
Bead
Sinker Slider
Pyramid Sinker (weighing around 3 to 6 oz.)

How to Tie a Fish Finder Rig for Surf Fishing

Not complex but the setup requires a little bit of explanation to get the fish finder rig tied for surf fishing.

And, let’s start from the very bottom.

Hook!

For surf fishing, the preferable hook is Circle on with size 5/0. As the fish goes down with the receding waves, any other hook than Circle may lead the fish to clip out of it. So, Circle one will keep the fish intact, leaving the chances of unhooking due to any reasons, and the fish would not get any further damage.

And make sure to tie a shell knot around the hook for strong attachment.

Leader Line

Many anglers take this part totally wrong — they use the same line to add as the leader.

They simply cut a length from the current line and find it appropriate to do.

However, it is wrong becasue the current line may only withstand the normal conditions but not the extreme ones where the fish may bite the leader, and we cannot predict the jaw and teeth might of the catch.

So, it is highly recommended to use the steel wire as a leader with having over 40 lb of test strength to comply with the extreme conditions.

And always use the leader line length from 2 to 3 feet for better results. Adding inadequate length can worsen the pulling under extreme waves.

We also recommend tying a knot where the leader line ends at the top.

Barrel Swivel

Now comes the barrel swivel which allows tying separate sections to the line on both ends.

And after tying the sections on both ends, each section will then be rotated independently.

Plastic Bead!

The plastic orange-colored bead is the smallest part up on the fish finder rig but is a crucial one for the safety of other equipment.

It separates the leader while protecting the barrel swivel from the sinker slider’s weight as the constant impact can break the barrel swivel.

Sinker Slider

The sinker slider hangs the different sinkers to add weight to the line; the upper plastic housing goes through the line and provides the natural movement to the sinker to better absorb the impacts.

But do not go with the cheap options. Pick one that can hold the heavy-weighted sinker to save yourself from the ordeal.

Sinker

The last but crucial part of the fish finder rig; is weight in the form of a sinker!

For real fishing, we always tend to use dedicated fishing gears, and a pyramid sinker seems a nice option to add to the rig. However, the anglers also add other forms of weight and car plugs to make the job done.

Get the pyramid sinker and add it to the detachable sinker slider. Your fish finder rig is now ready to cast!

Get to catch your favorite fish including snook, flounder, red drum, bluefish, and striped bass, and enjoy the salty and yummilicious meal!

Conclusion!

So, how to tie a fish finder rig for surf fishing takes about 8 tasks to complete the successful tie. If all are kept under recommended marks and without adding another other than specified ones, you are surely not gonna face any hassle.

Enjoy this simplest yet effective and highly-appealing rig to the fish. Give it a try if it is your first time, and you would learn to tie it up like a real pro angler!

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Wade Johnson

Wade Johnson is an expert fisherman, who goes fishing as a hobby since childhood. He just loves fishing and never missed fishing on weekends. He also traveled to different countries and experienced fishing almost everywhere. He decided to change the way of fishing, by introducing some really cool gadgets and equipment through this blog, that he used and found helpful, now trying to guide you!