That said… I took the family out Wednesday with some nice spinning reels, set up with hundred pound leaders 8/0 hooks. Skrimps & cut squid. Dropping to the bottom 5oz lead. I convinced myself my rigging was wrong, watching the sonar light up like a Christmas tree and losing tons of bait. We managed to get a few nice snapper and a dozen spot. but I also realize the lost potential.
Don’t need 100 pound test for bottom fishing, in my opinion. Can’t apply that much drag anyway with a spinning reel and still hold the rod. Forty to sixty pound test leaders is normally enough. I like to have the leader a bit weaker test than the braid main line so if there is a break I don’t lose a bunch of braid. That said, braid is much better than mono for main line. Hook set and bite detection much easier.
8/0 is too large for many bottom fish, particularly vermillion snapper, porgies and trigger fish. The fish will pick your pockets.
Have fun out there, still fish in the sea.
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When you say " lit up like a Christmas tree", and “losing tons of bait” you were most likely seeing Trigger Fish, suspended, above live bottom/structure?
You might want to drop back to a 2/0 or smaller, on your hook selection for them. Size 2 is sufficient for them.
Also, small pieces of shark belly for bait, when targeting Triggers. Most of the smaller varieties of bottom fish will eat them as well.
Nearly strip proof.
You can thank me later…
LOL…
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I tend to have better luck with heavy mono vs. braid, of the same test strength, when fighting larger fish out of structure. Mono seems, to me, to be much more resilient to abrasion?
Your thoughts?
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A wise man (Thomas Sowell) said, “There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.”
Yes, you are correct about mono. I am willing to sacrifice perhaps some bigger fish for more action and hook ups. The deeper the water, the bigger the benefit of using braid. Fishing slow pitch jigs might be a challenge with mono, although no experience here.
My compromise, so not losing too many, is to fish about 30 feet of mono or fluoro in front of the bottom rig or jig. That way retain some of the advantage of better abrasion resistance while not giving up the benefit of braid’s lack of stretch. Just one opinion of many, no doubt.
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Up to 40lbs flouro for leader for me unless I’m thowing topwater (cause it sinks). And has best abrasion resistance too. I run 3/0 circles and catch 3in pinfish and also 46in bull reds… maybe a big AJ would merit a 4 or 5 but I wouldn’t know because I havent been past Capers in 20 years so my advice is worth the price charged. Once you get past the Stop OR Pop, you rely on drag anway. But hey, these guys here are more adjusted to the deep, 40ft is my limit these days 
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Yes Sir, we’ve taken that same approach, when targeting larger bottom fish.
We like to go with a Carolina Rig, with an 8-10 oz. lead, depending on tide and current, then, 15-20 feet of heavy mono, or flouro.
Single 7/0 hook, with live bait seems to be the best.
All of my bottom reels are spooled with heavy braid, then a length of heavy mono.
Thanks for your input!
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From the looks of it, you guys are doing just fine at 40’!
Thanks for your input!
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