rotten bottoms, necessity or not ?

[big phil 123]

3 doubles and on each occasion the rb snapped?

Yes mate 2 just over 10lb and one just shy of 11 the lead snaps on the retrieve for mine

[OuTkast76]

ok fair enough

[daniel willis]

In Daniel willis's st abbs report he said that he used 50lb straight through, to a 3-way swivel with a 50lb hook snood and 30lb to the weight.

I like the sound of that system - if the hook snags, it's gonna bend out before anything snaps, and if the lead snags, youve got a good chance of pulling it out, but if it is stuck fast then the 30lb should snap. (if the swivel snags I suppose the main line will snap at the swivel).

Ive already loaded my slosh 30 with 50lb line and will be giving it a try for myself this weekend.

this method saves using a rotten bottom clip so a little saving plus 30lb is good enuff for a weak link in my eyes but the hooks i use wont bend out there strong as fook. most of the time in snags the weak link snags but if the hook snags im normally left with my swivel the sensor i use must have better knot strength and its very rare for a snap in the main line... only wen its been frayed by rocks.

give this method ago its simple to tackle back up and as cheap as ul get

tight lines

[gary1965]

hope your just lobbing into a gully etc you wont cast 50lb very far and tide rip will drag you to snags inevitably .rb for me

[Boro5707]

Always use a R/B in the rough. Had a 9lber and lead was hung up, snapped and got fish in, has happened countless times with fish around the 5/6lb mark. 20lb rotton bottom, usually pulls out of most snags. Also change my weak 20lb link every 5 casts or so, or if frayed, as the abrasion will weaken it. Change the link regularly and you will save a lot on leads. Isn't worth losing a fish of a lifetime for a lead as has been said.

[Robthefish]

Always use a R/B in the rough. Had a 9lber and lead was hung up, snapped and got fish in, has happened countless times with fish around the 5/6lb mark. 20lb rotton bottom, usually pulls out of most snags. Also change my weak 20lb link every 5 casts or so, or if frayed, as the abrasion will weaken it. Change the link regularly and you will save a lot on leads. Isn't worth losing a fish of a lifetime for a lead as has been said.

Same as above, saved many a fish with rotton bottoms, I actually use the exact same line for my rotton bottoms as I have on my reel mainline, 24lb suffix tritanium .40 in most cases. due to the knot on the rotton bottom being weaker than my leader knot I find it breaks quite easy, usually having some abrasion from the rocks etc aswell. if I am fishing a mark I know 100% is a lead a chuck I put a simple 'granny' knot in the rotton bottom to ensure it is much weaker than the mainline and change it every other cast.

[Deans]

I would say yes.

been toying about with rotten bottoms and rig types again this season and find this an interesting topic as i fish the chemical beach area every week, and in some parts the bottom is as rough as you can get. ( the fishing has been crap by the way this season, ryhope top mark again)

last season i tried using stronger wrotten bottoms- it saved me money but proved to be a big mistake.
using pulley rigs and grip leads, the grip lead was getting snagged time after time and did snap the stronger rotten bottom eventually, but by the time i got the lead out the fish had gone.

so i changed to weaker rotten bottoms.
time after time, each fish i landed, usually got snagged half way in but the lead release was a lot quicker meaning the fish didnt have time to wrap itself around a kelp stalk- which is the key- been quick, but not riving as hard.

as for rigs, ive ditched the pulleys now when fishing down the chems and use a normal short patternoser with a weak rotten bottom of say 9 inches. this way i loose the lead straight away giving me a better chance of getting the fish away quick.

for me i prefer the lead below the fish and not above.
i only use a pulley on the cliffs mainly now when distance needed.

sometimes a single hook helps and ditch the pennel.
sometimes a plain lead helps and not a gripper. all depend on the mark and the conditions.

im 100 percent convinced that my new basic rig fishes better in the kelp with a long weak wrotten bottom, just loose more lead.happy days

just my opinion anyway lads

[andyco]

what type of weights do people find snag the most/least??

or is it a case of whatever you use - if it snags it snags?

[david.northeast]

I wouldn't run the risk losing a fish for the sake of a lead. I always use totters in heavy ground / kelp
30-35lb mainline 50-60lb to rotter link 10-15lb weak link and 40-50lb hook length simples

[Whippyzzippy]

No brainer if you ask me, leads are cheap in comparrison to rigs, mainline shockleader, bait etc i would happily loose a lead a chuck if i got everything else back including fish.

[regpude]

which one is true

I never use them, A lot of the time you can pull out of a snag and still have your hook, lead & fish attached, Using rb's you will more than likely lose your lead every other cast even in the lightest of snags

yet on threat 15,you say r/b snapped 1st.strange.

[OuTkast76]

yet on threat 15,you say r/b snapped 1st.strange.

Well if you care to read properly I was asking phil if his rb snapped the 3 times he caught a double, Wasnt about me as stated i dont use them and never once in this threaD said I do so not strange after all

[NICKY]

not essential I very rarely use them and by doing so I lose a lot less gear.If im fishing over mixed ground and chucking distance with 20lb line I would use a rotten bottom or marks with nasty ledges but not when fishing into kelp its all down to personal preference and what works for you.

[Jackie-man]

rarely use them these days
as im into the running lift`n lead traces

[Billzo]

i still use 30lb rotter in the rough stuff but i got 2 thinking a few weeks back that when the lead falls between 2 rocks it seems 2 b the rotter line that gets caught between the rocks & this is y when u pull the main line tight & try 2 rip the lead free even with a 30lb rotter it is getting pulled back & 4ward through the cracks in the rocks & chaffs the line then it gives.
i rearly loose a lead but when i do it seems 2 b at the knot attached 2 the lead so the last 4-5 sessions i've had i have put a 5mm bead on the rotter & it seems 2 work ive only lost 1 lead.
just my thoughts on it but the bead protects the knot & if your lead does manage 2 fall in2 a crack between boulders the bead also helps roll the sinker out when u pull in or if u strike a fish.
i also use 5 1/2 oz ball sinkers now that also help alot but for some reason they r hard work when pulling through really thick kelp jungles.
what do you think???