rigging a flatfish....how do you do it????

[VooDuuChild]

I asked in another thread, but I don't think that thread's getting followed by those who've already posted, but what I'm wondering is how everyone's rigging their flatfish for trolling? I used one as a last resort last time just so I'd have something to troll into the launch as I left the lake. I didn't even tie it on, I just put it on there with the swivel that was already on the line bein lazy as I was leaving and nailed some nice fish (pics in the secret lakes section). Couldn't believe it, swivel and all the fish still hit with my half-assed presentation. So, how is everyone else runnin theirs? I've also run them with pop gear a couple feet ahead of them (no success) and also just tied to the line properly. I was actually pretty stoked today went to the RV show in Monroe with the girl and hit the swap meet afterwards for fun and found a brand new orange with black spots f6 for two bucks! Score. Can't wait to try it, probably gonna go tomorrow if the weather clears like I've heard it's supposed to....but where...hmmmm.

[Kokonuts]

Good Question!

Ive used a small black swivel and tied them directly to the line using a loop and tied tight to the lure.

Dont really know if one way is better cause I just started fishing again last year. I would also like to hear
from the "pros" out there. Thanks....

[iPodrodder]

Loop or direct is best. I use a 1/2 ounce sinker and swivel, then a couple feet leader to the f4 flatfish. The bigger ones may be able to handle a small snap, but the less hardware the better.

[A9]

If your fishing in spring (about the time when stockers are planted and the trout are rising all over the lake) the best thing to do it tie your mainline to a good, quality swivel, then run some 3 feet or so of 6lb leader to the flatfish and tie to that...

The flatfish will dive by themselves to about 4 feet or so, so it's good for stockers around that time. Make sure not to go too fast. SLOW is the way to go for flatfish. If you have a pretty light action pole, you should be able to see your tip jiggle with every single wobble the flatfish makes. You don't want to be going so fast that your flatfish is going upside down and doing barrel rolls. A good way to check is to just let out your flatfish beside the boat and start trolling, and look at how your flatfish is moving beside you in the water...It should be a perfect, irresistable wobble...

6lb test for leader seems to be about right. The lighter line often gets kinked up and messed up in all sorts of goofy ways, especially if you accidentally go too fast for a bit...

However, on those stocker lakes, I hit gold by putting about 1/3oz (maybe even a 1/2oz) egg weight (and a red bead between the weight and the swivel on the mainline) and dropped that down with a worm. What the extra weight did is pull that flatfish down about another 15 feet, and goodbye stockers, hello holdovers....Can be a big difference. The holdovers will be just below the stockers...

I usually put some egg weights (string em up the line) and put a red bead on the line, tie the mainline to swivel, then tie 3-4 feet of 6lb leader to the flatfish....

Put a single siwash hook on the flatfish too....Better hookup ratio and the fish stay on better then those crappy treble hooks they come with...

[A9]

A little blurry but heres the idea...


Some of my favorite lures: The rainbow trout pattern on the bottom left is actually a size 70 Hotshot. Very similar lure, different manufacturer and a slightly different wiggle underwater, but still a productive lure for me...


Here's a full picture of what I have (plus about another 10 or so different patterns that I've accumulated since this picture was taken....The coins are there so you all can see how big everything is relative to something common like a coin....

[Anglinarcher]

Sam has a lot of good points, about direct tie to leader then swivel, depth, slow speed, etc. I agree with them all, but I have observed some differences.

First, while I prefer to direct tie and use a swivel about 3 feet above the flatfish/kwikfish, I often get lazy and fish with the swivel directly tied to the flatfish. I find no real difference in effectiveness, as long as you use a small swivel for small flatfish and a larger swivel for larger flatfish. I also find the the weight should be 3' ahead of the flatfish. Too much leader seems to make the flatfish less responsive, too little also kills the action. A good ball bearing swivel is also a good bet. Even if you get the speed right, when you turn the flatfish on the outside of the boat can go fast enough to cause it to ride upside down or twist, and without a good swivel, you will pay a high price.

Years ago, my dad always trolled with flatfish with the family. It was the best way to make sure we did the best we could. We experimented with leader length, and with swivel color, and with..................and the only thing we could agree on was 3' between the flatfish and the weight.

If I am crazy enough to cast a flatfish, and that is a method all it's own, than you may need to have the weight closer to the flatfish, and hold back on the cast just before the flatfish lands in the water, but....................

[FishingFool]

Sam has a lot of good points, about direct tie to leader then swivel, depth, slow speed, etc. I agree with them all, but I have observed some differences.
directly tied to the flatfish. I find no real difference in effectiveness, as long as you use a small swivel for small
If I am crazy enough to cast a flatfish, and that is a method all it's own, than you may need to have the weight closer to the flatfish, and hold back on the cast just before the flatfish lands in the water, but....................

I thought about trying that out.... but is it a bad idea? :batman:

[VooDuuChild]

Great replies so far, and so far it's basically what I've been doing. I'm no so much a trout fisherman, but the winter months make me one. I can't wait, gonna hit up a small pond after work tomorrow morning and try out my brand new Helins company flatfish I got, it's pretty old, I looked on eBay and they're listed as vintage, but I can't stand letting it stay in the box and not use it, even if it could be worth fifteen or so bucks, I'm gonna get my two bucks use outta it I tell you what. It's bright orange/red with black spots in a f5 or 6 listed as a fly flatfish. I've an even older frog pattern f7 that's been magic for me and the lip on that one's even broken, but wobbles real nice! Another garage sale type find. Thanks for the setup pics Sam, that setup you showed is basically the same thing I use in the river when salmon fishin from shore, just replace the flatfish with a tiny dick nite and I'm set! So far so good though, I've been using four pound test with no issues. I also have that rainbow one (along with probably 3/4 of others) and am gonna give the rainbow one a shot too....man, hope I can sleep, I always get so jacked up the night before a fishin trip and I try and go at least once a week on slow weeks, and five days a week or better when I can....I gotta get help....I'm an addict......

Hi, my name's VooDuuChild; and I'm an addict...


Oh yeah, anyone doin anything ahead of these like small pop gear or anything??????

I gotta stop, no wait, I'm gonna get my fix, then I'll quit.... I can quit whenever I want to.....I'm no addict...

[A9]

I never do well with pop gear ahead of it....

I fish with no pop gear 95% of the time...

[Bodofish]

Nice pic of all the little goodies, Sam. I have every one of those in my box and I fish them just like you do. The one that wins hands down caught more fish than all the others combined is the chrome f4 or5. It just seems to work.

[A9]

I have never thrown out the chrome flatfish now that I think about it. I'll have to give that one an opportunity next time I'm out...

[Anglinarcher]

Sam has a lot of good points, about direct tie to leader then swivel, depth, slow speed, etc. I agree with them all, but I have observed some differences.
directly tied to the flatfish. I find no real difference in effectiveness, as long as you use a small swivel for small
If I am crazy enough to cast a flatfish, and that is a method all it's own, than you may need to have the weight closer to the flatfish, and hold back on the cast just before the flatfish lands in the water, but....................

I thought about trying that out.... but is it a bad idea? :batman:

If you mean, is it a bad idea to cast a flatfish, no. But get ready for a lot of tangled up tackle until you get the method learned.

[gpc]

I also rig mine just like Sam does his.

[VooDuuChild]

First flatfish I ever threw was a chrome and it was just for giggles and it hit within ten minutes, the chrome is now worn off of that lure, looks more like a glass lure with chrome specks on it, hahaha; I'll give it a try tomorrow just for fun...

[bigastrout]

The only thing I do different than Sam is cut the tag end of the knot back a little closer. I don't know if it really makes any difference but its sort of a pet peeve that I have. Maybe Sam does too, I don't know I was just looking at his example pic. Sam?

[A9]

That picture was just something I put together just to show how it was rigged....I do trim my knots down more then in that picture...

[Kokonuts]

Great Info Sam , thanks for the picts! Is that a float & what is it for? Do you use Rapalas the same way?

Most of my fishing will be for trolling. I have been tinkering around with POP gear this winter,
making up some SMALLER types using bass type spinners & Medium size blades as I think that
smaller might be better.

I cant wait to try em this spring. :compress:

[A9]

Nope no floats there...I think what you are confusing as a float is just the lead egg weight with a bead underneath it...

I don't use rapalas much at all for trout. I've always done well with flatfish but occasionally when I am in big trout lakes it's time to beef up my presentation and I'll rig up the rapala similarly, IF I have no DR's. If I have DR's I just get rid of the weight and bead...make sure to keep a swivel as those flatfish love to twist your line up really good if you don't have good leader or a good swivel...

[bigastrout]

That picture was just something I put together just to show how it was rigged....I do trim my knots down more then in that picture...

Yea I kinda figured but thought I would ask.

[Lotech Joe]

I've fished flatfish for around 50 years. I always tie direct to the lure. Then use 2-3 feet of leader with an overhand loop, connected to a Giant Cowbell. Then connected to leaded line. I've found that depending on the depth, anywhere from 3 to 7 colors of line will work. Sometimes it's difficult to tell if the fish is still on with all that hardware, but it's been my most productive set-up ever. I'm real big fan of the "Perch Scale" pattern, and depending on the size of the targeted fish an F-4 thru F7 is the go-to size.
Lately, however, I've been mostly fly fishing and those flashers and leaded lines are really tough to cast. :bom: