rotten bottom tips please!

[joeninety]

Can anyone suggest suitable ways to rig a rotten bottom for shore fishing on rock? methods for general use. Which methods will stand up to powerful casting? (not that mine is but I hope to improve).

[Old Smoothound]

Very few if any rotten bottom rigs bear up to power casting.

Genie/Breakaway make a rottem bottom link, but with the overhead thump or ground or pendulum cast too much force is used for them to be safe.

[audiracer]

What sort of 'rotton bottoms ' are you using at the moment??

[joeninety]

None! I've never used one and don't know how to set one up. Just know I don't want to lose so much tackle. Grateful for any ideas.

[Portland Jon]

Joey

Try using old spark plugs, they work great and it doesn't matter if you lose them. I have a friendly mechanic saving them for me.

Jon

[Brian of Nazareth]

Go to your local quick fit and ask to buy some old wheel balancing weights, you can wire them together to make whatever weight you want. I found that a lot of snags were actually the hooks getting into kelp stems which are really tough, so I reduced the b/s of the traces and lost more hooks but less rigs. Also you can make sure that you use a good knot for main line to shock leader, the Bimini twist works for me, and I always "blob" the end of the shock leader with a lighter, just in case it slips. If you do get snagged don't just pull until it breaks, use a sawing action on the rod - push/pull and side to side, this often works and is worth 5 minutes effort.

Good Luck

[joeninety]

thanks for these tips ; Joe

[dobbin]

If you need a rotten bottom the call at your local garage and ask them for old spark pugs. drill these and your costs will be drastically cut. tight lines

[one up one down]

Originally Posted by Brian of Nazareth

Go to your local quick fit and ask to buy some old wheel balancing weights, you can wire them together to make whatever weight you want. I found that a lot of snags were actually the hooks getting into kelp stems which are really tough, so I reduced the b/s of the traces and lost more hooks but less rigs. Also you can make sure that you use a good knot for main line to shock leader, the Bimini twist works for me, and I always "blob" the end of the shock leader with a lighter, just in case it slips. If you do get snagged don't just pull until it breaks, use a sawing action on the rod - push/pull and side to side, this often works and is worth 5 minutes effort.

Good Luck

great bit of info!!

[The Happiest Hooker]

A good failsafe but slightly complicated way is use a genie link with a bait clip built inat the bottom of your rig. Then slide over 2 oval split rings where you would normally attach your lead. You attach a length of weak link ie 8-10lb to the eye of the genie link and to your lead.Now comes the clever bit!!

You now need a small 3/4 inch pin/nail that has been poked through a small cube of foam.

The eye of the lead is now put between the 2 oval split rings and the pin put through all 3 the weight of your lead and the float will keep it in place

It sounds complicated but it is very effective. I use this method when fishing the rocky low water marks of South Wales for Smooth Hounds etc.