Cut-offs by Spanish

[D.C. Glover]

When fishing with a popping cork for trout and the spanish move in how do you stop the cut-offs? I use 12lb. flouracarbon for a drop. Do you change to a wire leader and miss the trout?

[Sea Sea Rider]

I keep stepping up the florocarbon until they no longer cut me off. I usually get to 40# for Spanish.

[wevans]

Same here, but I just go strait to a 40# or 50# mono leader still catch Trout and reduce the number of cutoffs

[pcbayou]

I have the same thing happen with ladyfish, except they don't cut fluoro, they just weaken it. If you don't cut off and retie immediately, the next good-sized trout breaks the line.

After it happened last week, I switched from 17-pound to 30-pound fluoro for leaders. I'm hoping that will work better.

When I used to surf-fish for Spanish, I used braids like Spiderwire for more strength. You lose the fluoro stretch, but it never seemed to hurt. Maybe a heavier braid as a leader, tied to a fluoro main line so you still get some stretch??

[leonreno]

As above, I always start off with about 20 - 25 lb fluoro leader. If I get cut offs from that I switch to 40 lb fluoro leader which is usually fine. Normally when I am rigging specifically for spanish I rig with 50 - 60 lb mono leaders which is usually more than sufficient. The only thing is use dark colored swivels when using them because any bright colored swivels will get bit and cut off. I really recommend straight line to leader knot when rigging for spanish with things like straight jigs and Gotchas, it usually helps. Using wire for spanish will also reduce your spanish hits as well, they can see the wire and you will get a lot fewer bites with most rigs.

[1-850-Bay-Fish]

When fishing with a popping cork for trout and the spanish move in how do you stop the cut-offs? I use 12lb. flouracarbon for a drop. Do you change to a wire leader and miss the trout?

If the trout are there and are hungry they dont care about wire. My youngest Captain Justin throws a silver spoon with wire and catchs plenty of trout right along with the rest of the guys with popping cork fishing Flouracarbon. He also catchs more fish.

[Atticus]

There are two schools of thought as to the wire issue.

Wire Rocks v. Wire Sucks

I have had normal sized spanish cut through 40lb mono before. One tip is that if the ct goes sideways on the surface and not down towards the bottom, its a spanish and just reel don't yank back to set the hook. Then keep your line as much in-line with the spine of that spanish as is possible until you can convince him to get to the boat. He will usually be landed.

But sometimes they just destroy a plug/grub/spoon without any warning or hookset and cut it off. Just an excuse to buy more tackle.