Surf fishing comes with a lot of challenges, especially on the seashore with long and intensified oncoming waves.
And amongst those challenges, the first thing is what should we cast the line with?
Since the seashore is not always in the good mood, the line should lose its stability, or better say it would not be able to withhold it.
Make use of a fish finder rig, that might give you a headache to set it up but that is worth doing it. After all, the fishes flowing close to the seashore would find it appealing because of the flexibility the fish finder rig offers.
Despite the problematic setup (of course, you would learn trussing it up pretty soon), it is in no way complicated how to use a fish finder rig.
Table of Contents
What is a Fish Finder Rig?
Famous among surf fishermen, the fish finder rig has no competition when it comes to its immense flexibility.
With the extreme waves going backward, the flexibility part of the fish finder rig would attain the focus of the fishes — the up and down, and swirling left and right as the waves come and recede.
Why is it Called a Fish Finder Rig?
See why it was named fish finder rig? For the same reason, it attracts the fish towards it minimizing the hassle and wait time to bear minimum.
Add more line as needed depending on the strong current making the bait find it more easily.
What Fish Finder Rig Consists Upon?
- Main Line
- Sinker Slider
- Pyramid sinker attached to the Sinker Slider (and you can also go with spark plugs, bolts, and other forms of weightage units)
- Bead
- Swivel
- Leader Line
- Shell Knot
- Hook
Two beads where one ties at the end of the Sinker Slider (to let the weight move upward on the mainline but not towards the leader line.)
And another bead after Swivel not to let it pass on the Leader Line and back to Sinker Slider which may eventually break it.
How to Use a Fish Finder Rig
The whole thing primarily depends on the Sinker Slider and attaching the weight to it. If you ask us what is the core of the fish finder rig; they both are.
Weight: Take it either a pyramid slider, a spark plug, nut bolt, or whatever you can snap on the Sinker Slider.
But the weightage part also depends on where you are fishing.
Fishing on the sandy beach may go with a lightweight sinker weighing around ¼ oz or ⅜ oz.
On the deeper water (sitting on the cliff going into the sea), it is viable to use 2 oz. to 3 oz. And fishing from the top of a floating boat with really deep water, it is good to go with a heavier sinker, let’s say between 4 oz. to 8 oz. for the line to reach the seabed stabilized.
Sinker Slider: The piece of utter convenience — the Sinker Slider will not only allow you to hang a pyramid sinker or any other formally-built weight units having the hanging hole as well as the spark plugs and anything that you can think of.
Once the weight unit has been attached to the sinker slider, its enclosed system will never let it come off.
And once everything is attached from the fish finder rig, you can cast the line to every distance as a normal angler does.
What Kind of Fish Can I Catch with a Fish Finder Rig?
- Striped Bass
- Red Drum
- BlueFish
- Flounder
- Snook
- Sharks (medium-sized ones)
- And more…
Conclusion!
Saltwater fishing, and then surf fishing is the ‘dream-come-true’ situation for the many new anglers. Living in the landlocked states with access to only freshwater; the act of fishing would not work at the ocean.
Adapt to the trends of saltwater fishing, and do not let yourself be thrilled by the complex setup of the fish finder rig.
Knowing how to use a fish finder rig will make everything easy for you, so it does not matter if it is your first day at the ocean or making dozens of trips, the excitement and the experience will thrive every single time.
Go complex, go advanced, and you would start loving the fish finder rig!
