# Your favorite set up from backing to fly for Tarpon?



## SOBX (Sep 29, 2009)

Bigs or medium??? 

Good Fishing!!!


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1364355510/7

Depends if you want a record or want to land a fish. I use a good balance in between the two. I use an albright for shock to class and a double uni from class to butt. Much quicker and just as sturdy.


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

Good topic....

Here is what I have learned and went with.... and am WAY open to suggestions or improvements.

30# backing, double bimini, handshaked to a home made welded loop in the fly line. I make the loop by nail knotting 17# big game mono three to four times.

12 wt. Royal Wulff BTT (one spool has Bermuda Shorts floating, another spool has BTT floater with a ghost sink tip)

50# fluorocarbon butt section.... about 4-5' long, 40# fluorocarbon..... about 3' long, 20# fluorocarbon about 2' long and a 50# bit tippet about 18-24" long.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

65# braid backing with a sleeved loop of 100# Dacron.
Loop to the flyline.....RIO 12wt floating tarpon taper. 
RIO pretied tarpon 20# tippet class with fluoro 60# shock
Tarpon loop knot for tying on the fly.

Have an identical setup with a RIO tarpon floater with the clear intermediated tip. Then have both these same setups in 10wts. So four setups in total depending on the fish we are chasing.

Then if I don't care about fishing IGFA (I don't fish for records just like to use the conventional "rules") then my leader would be butt section of 40# fluoro, tippet of straight 30# fluoro, then a bit section of 60# fluoro or even 80# if the water is not gin clear.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

1) 250 yds + of good old Dacron.. I've used 50-65lb Power Pro and have been scorched a time or two.. Save the power pro for tuna and marlin. Rarely will a poon dump 250 before you get control.

2) Double Bimini from backing to fly line.. (Works for me)

3) Fly line... I like Wullf BTT and Airflo Ridge, but most are great,

4) Perfection Loop from fly line to butt section.

5) Slim Beauty from butt to class.

6) Slim Beauty from class to bite.

7) Homer Rhode knot to fly..


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## Capt. Eli Whidden (Jun 7, 2012)

20-30lb dacron backing to Monic clear floating or intermiadiate - Albright knot
Fly line to 16-20lb fluorocarbon knotless leader - Albright knot, 
Leader to 40-80lb flourocarbon shock - Albright, uni or surgeons(night time knot)
Shock to fly - Homer Rhode loop knot


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Whoa.... Let's go with SOBX's question. :-?


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## gfish (Jan 14, 2009)

30# Dacron
Double bimini to welded loop in fly line or make my own loop with nail knots on both ends of flyline
Perfection loop in my leader and I will go straight up Homeboy 60# Flurocarbon if I really want to grab face.
Improved homer rhode knot to fly.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Ok no answer...   well....

Had a little time on my hands and decided to do this like an article for the newbies. : So you other guys that don't need any advice, please forgive me! 

*Backing -* for under 30lbs (8-10wt), 20 to 30lb backing up to 200yrds is plenty.  Large arbor spools are a must for any tarpon since you need to crank the line in fast when they turn and run at cha!  We know that's a given.

30-60lb fish in shallow water, I prefer a 10wt, but have been known to break out a 12wt in close mangrove quarters or deep water or bridge fishing at night.  Anyways, I prefer 250yrds +/- of 30lb braided dacron or Cortland Micron.

On my 12ves, I spool up 30lb Cortland's Micron at least 300yrds.  Their Micron doesn't twist and is smoother and slightly smaller diameter that Dacron.  On my reels, it gives me more space to add about 100yrs of their smooth 50lb Micronite in a different color from spool to backing as a buffer and a a visual alarm that I need to get my tail in gear!   ;D.

Note - You guys that string up Power Pro for backing is asking for trouble!  It's so thin it will bind down in between the winded threads and lock up the reel and therefore break off the fish.  Also, with that serrated texture to the line, when a big powerful fish zips it off of the spool and you touch it with your fingers, it acts like a band saw.  I've had a few guys with it on my boat that "almost" had their fingers completely sawed off from it.  DON'T USE IT!   and don't touch the backing when fighting tarpon or you'll lose something more than just the fish!  

Remember, the diameter of the backing is important to keep it from binding into the backing itself on the spool when heavy drag pressure is applied to a big fish.  By using micro super braids like Spiderwire, Power Pro, Sufix, Fireline, etc., you will cause that line to bind into itself with heavy drag pressure on big nasty fish on THAT kinda direct spool.  That's why we don't use Micro/ultra braids on conventional Jig tarpon rods in Boca Grande Pass either, for that same reason.  Spinning rods?  Yes!  But not the others, especially a fly reel for big tarpon!

If you feel the need as a safety point to step up to heavier strength backing, then go to a 50 or 65lb in a quality smooth round braid like Cortlands Micronite braid (higher test strength, less diameter but smooth line).

*Flyline*  - This year I'm using Cortland's New *Liquid Crystal* in the *Clear Tarpon* Taper floating line.  It's a nice line for a clear floater and feels and acts better than Monic's clear, plus it has welded loops, which I like as well.

I also always packed a good clear intermediate on a separate spool or another rod, depending on conditions which I tend to stick with Cortand or whoever does a good clear intermediate line like Rio or othersl.  I've tried SA's clear intermediate braided core and decided over time that don't like it, tho I have a SA floating with a ghost tip intermediate which I keep for certain conditions and backup.

I've used Monic clear floater for years for a clear floater and was the better choice over Cortland's old clear stuff, but now the tables have turned.

Look, I like clear lines, but have no problem using the other opaque floating lines, as long as they are light colors like sky blue, cream, light tan or sea foam in color (prefer the sky blue tho) and I HIGHLY recommend lines with some color for those guys who need to watch their line and their loops, especially novice to intermediate casters.  It can be the difference between having a good day and getting the fly properly out to the fish, or having a bad day and a disappointed or even a pissed off buddy or captain, not to mention yourself!   


*Leader Rigs - *

Ok if your new to the sport, or don't like to fool around with making up your own like the description down stairs from here or just don't have the time (as "Sweet Brown" would say....  "Ain't nobody got time fo dat!!!") then buy some good quality 9ft tapered flourocarbon tarpon leaders in 20lb class tippet and then add on a bite leader like described below and be done with it!   

Otherwise, if you like to tinker and make up your own leaders, then proceed to read the following (at your own risk of course  ).  

For small to medium size fish (under 30lbs), it doesn't really matter to me and I rig like I'm fishing for snook or reds or whatever except if the 10wt is going to see fish from 30-60lbs, then I will throw in a Bimini on the top side of my tippet where it connects to the butt section of the leader, then albright the 2-3ft of fluoro 15-20lb tippet (usually 20lb) to 40-60lb fluoro bite leader (about 18"+/-).

For the big girls on the 12wt, I will do a 30 to 36 turn Magnium Bimini (my own demented creation) from 30lb dacron or 50lb micronite dacron to (hopefully) a welded loop.  If no welded loop in the running line, then I will service a loop in it (which is a whole nother thread).

At the business end of the flyline it has to have a loop in it for me.  Welded or a short 4-6" piece of 60lb fluoro, modified and glued nail knot on flyline tip and perfection loop on the other end.

*Butt section* of leaders are made with 100% fluorocarbon or mono, depended on if I'm using a floater or intermediate sink flyline and with the floater, depending on if I want a slow sink leader and fly at the end or not.  

With either one, I have 2 setups of butt sections depended on if I want more stealth and smaller fish (up to 100lbs), then I use a lighter one.  Perfection loop or Lefty Krey knot on top of 4ft of 50lb, blood knot or albright to 18" of 40lb and same connection know to 1ft of 30lb with a perfection or Lefty Krey at the end.

Or...  On the heavier Butt Section, if the water is murky, or the the fish are happy and smacking anything or if the fish are big fat pigs or if theres lots of structure like docks or mangroves or I'm fishing big poons at night, then I use the following.  Same setup as above except I go 10lbs heavier on each piece, i.e... 4ft 60lbs to 18" 50lb to 1ft 40lb and 1ft of 30lb with a loop at the end.  In this case if I don't care about a record having break-offs or need to get the fish in quick, then I will nix the 30lb and my tippet will be the 30lb only about 2-3ft long.

*Tippets! *   I use my magnum bimini (30 to 36 turns) on the top side and loop it to the butt section.  I like that as opposed to Stu Apte's bimini on each end of the tippet (bimini w/ huffnagle, basically his double shock absorber), which the single magnum bimini is way on the other end of the tippet (about 4 ft from the fish) and helps me be a little more stealthy and still have that shock absorber.  I cut the tippet to 2-3ft of 20lb fluorocarbon for open beach water and shallow open flats.  Like the heavy butt section of leader above, if I don't care about records, fishing very heavy structure or fishing them in deep passes and need to keep the heat on them and get em in quick, then I'll use 30lb tippet to the "heavy" butt leader, but be careful not to put too much pressure on the rod and break it.  Anyways, I will Albright or Slim Beauty the business end of the tippet to the shock leader/ bite tippet.

Note - You guys that go 60lb straight up homeboy style from fly to the fly line are asking for rod breakage trouble.  The tippet is the fuse between an angry fish and a pricey flyrod.  Don't do it!  Plus, what's the sport in that?  It's like using 50lb Power Pro on your spinning rod for bass and snook fishing.  Afraid of looking the fish and having that fish win a round due to your lack of skill set?   :-?  Remember the fish needs to me fair!  i.e. mono e mono!   

*Bite tippet/ shock leader*  for the big girls to 100lbs, for stealthiness, I will use 12-18" of 60lb fluoro.  I like 80lb fluoro overall since I mean business and get them in quick.  If you play around with bigger fish, they will wear out 60lb before you know it.  I've been known to use 100lb because I needed to.  Also I have also and go up to lengths of 2ft long with either one when riffling thru flies on pods of fish where I'm cutting and re-tying flies to see which one they want to eat that day (and that's another thread as well).  I can do faster than throwing on a whole new tippet, shock and fly rig. 

*Knots*  - Sorry Eli, I've had Homer Rhodes fail on me so I don't use em.  I really like my modified (2 turn) Lefty Krey loop knot or Lefty's standard 3 turn Lefty Krey loop knot.  Either one needs to be FULLY cinched down.  I will hook the fly on my steering wheel, wrap the leader around my hand, and pull like heck while using a pair of pliers to pull on the tag end.

One thing to note - EVERY knot in the entire leader system needs to be FULLY cinched down properly and the entire leader system checked for nicks and abrasions and then taken care of the problems before fished.  Otherwise, it WILL fail and that fish will swim off laughing at you and leave you holding your pride in your hands.   :'(             ;D



Landing these big fish can be a whole nother thread!


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Bump!


Sorry guys, just bumped up this thread due to all the talk again about the tarpon leader and I wanted some people to see why it's not a great idea to use straight 60. You need that fuse!


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