The importance of a swivel

Questions about Saltwater Fishing

The importance of a swivel

Postby mtbrider » Tue Nov 02, 2010 5:54 am

In an ongoing quest to catch more and bigger fish I've begun to revisit one of my rigs. I often fish from the surf of the Outer banks of North Carolina with a cannonball rig. This rig is not much more than a 3' section of heavy mono (100-130lb I use 100lb flouro) with a hook on one end and a swivel on the other end. There is also a sinker slide (fishfinder) that moves freely in between the two. I would like to tie the heavy mono directly onto the shock leader but I'm concerned that there may be an issue with the line twisting. Should I be worried or should I take the safe route and replace the normal 2/0 swivel with something smaller and comparable in size to the knot which would be tied if i went direct?
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Re: The importance of a swivel

Postby dahlberg » Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:14 am

I would doubt the knot instead of the swivel would make much of a difference when fishing with bait and a bottom rig in the surf. Of course the only way to know would be to fish both rigs at the same time and place. Whether twists will be an issue depends how the bait is rigged and the amount of current. If you rig your bait so it doesn't spin in current, obviously you won't have need for a swivel other than to stop your lead.
I suggest you try them side by side and let the fish tell you!
best,
L
Larry Dahlberg
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Re: The importance of a swivel

Postby steelneal » Tue Nov 02, 2010 10:12 am

Larry is the King!
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Re: The importance of a swivel

Postby mtbrider » Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:21 pm

Thanks. Larry, we need to get you down to the outer banks for some fishing. I think you'd have some fun with the big drum.
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Re: The importance of a swivel

Postby Brian » Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:37 pm

Been going to the Outer Banks for years now and still haven't tried drum fishing yet. If fishing for the big drum is anything like fishing for Amberjack, which I tried for the first time this summer, then I feel like I'm missing out on something. Have to try it some time.

Best of Luck

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Re: The importance of a swivel

Postby Questor » Wed Nov 03, 2010 1:23 pm

When fishing current, like in surf and rivers, I experiment with the distance between the weight and the bait. If I'm getting line twisting, I shorten the leader between the bait and the weight. I'm really meticulous about this because I find it to be important. The reason is that if I'm getting line twisting, I'm probably also getting a defective presentation for the bait because the bait is twisting too. Sometimes a 3 foot leader is way too long and I use one as short as one foot. Ironically, if I'm getting too much twist at the bait, the line is often tangled around the swivel, and I get a clue from that tangling.

Sometimes I like a fishfinder rig (i.e., line with egg sinker + swivel + leader + bait). Most often, though, I use a 3-way rig (i.e. line + 3-way swivel. One of the two remaining eyes on the swivel is used for the leader+bait. The other one is used for the sinker on a relatively short dropper, like six inches, or at most 9 inches.) Over the years I just have caught more fish with the 3-way rig, especially in rivers, so I developed it as a preference when fishing live or dead bait (as opposed to artificials). For artificials, I prefer variants of the fish finder rig. An example would be a fish finder rig using a soft plastic as the bait, like with a Carolina rig and plastic salamander. The same rules for line twist apply. I shorten the leader if there's too much twist.

I prefer to use a swivel if I'm bottom fishing with a fish finder rig. It provides a defite stop between my weight and bait. When retrieving some baits after long casts, line twisting can be a problem, so having a swivel reduces the twist. The swivel allows me to pre-rig at home so all I have to do is tie the swivel onto my line.

Overall, I find a lot of good uses for swivels and they benefit my fishing.
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