# Double Rig For Redfish?



## ZackB (Aug 19, 2020)

This might be a weird question but I started thinking about it while fishing for trout a couple weeks ago. Have any of y’all ever used a double rig for redfish (or any other saltwater fishing for that matter)? I know most of us are fishing for reds at a depth where covering more of the water column doesn’t seem super necessary but this article on double rigs for saltwater fish also highlights some other benefits of the setup. Anyway, just curious if anyone has ever tried it and what the results were.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

When my wife came along fishing with me in the bay or inter coastal I set her up with a lead head jig on the bottom and 16/18" above with just a hook and a plastic shrimp tail. Were times she caught two trout at a time in my honey holes.
Was real fun when she'd connect with a jack.


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## Colorobo (Oct 22, 2020)

I feel like saltwater species will hit a well presented fly retrieved well and aren't as picky about pattern selection as trout. I fish 2-3 nymph rigs on western tailwater where they see a million flies a year and matching the hatch is an actual thing. The tangles I'd get on a double streamer rig casted into the wind with a haul mixed in would likely negate the possible benefit.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

When I saw this I immediately thought of my rig for grass carp. I use a foam hopper and drop a bug fly. Why couldn’t you use a gurgler and drop a shrimp or crab fly from it. I don’t get all the braiding of line just tie the gurgler on with a loop knot then the drop fly with a clinch knot from the hook eye then a foot of leader and a loop knot on the dropped fly


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

ZackB said:


> This might be a weird question but I started thinking about it while fishing for trout a couple weeks ago. Have any of y’all ever used a double rig for redfish (or any other saltwater fishing for that matter)? I know most of us are fishing for reds at a depth where covering more of the water column doesn’t seem super necessary but this article on double rigs for saltwater fish also highlights some other benefits of the setup. Anyway, just curious if anyone has ever tried it and what the results were.


Are you asking in regards to conventional or fly fishing?? I've many time fished a double rig on spin tackle...only for freshwater trout on fly...


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## ZackB (Aug 19, 2020)

Colorobo said:


> The tangles I'd get on a double streamer rig casted into the wind with a haul mixed in would likely negate the possible benefit.


Haha. One of my first thoughts was about the frustration that could come with throwing a double rig with 2 big ole saltwater flies on it 60 feet into the wind.



permitchaser said:


> When I saw this I immediately thought of my rig for grass carp. I use a foam hopper and drop a bug fly. Why couldn’t you use a gurgler and drop a shrimp or crab fly from it. I don’t get all the braiding of line just tie the gurgler on with a loop knot then the drop fly with a clinch knot from the hook eye then a foot of leader and a loop knot on the dropped fly


Yeah! A combo with a top water to make a bunch of commotion and draw attention paired with a shrimp or crab could be killer. If it could be presented without a bunch of wind knots. 😆. I was also interested the part in the article about the lead fly breaking up the baitfish and making the trailing fly an easier target.


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## ZackB (Aug 19, 2020)

SS06 said:


> Are you asking in regards to conventional or fly fishing?? I've many time fished a double rig on spin tackle...only for freshwater trout on fly...


Fly fishing.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

ZackB said:


> Fly fishing.


Double rig on my 8wt....I'm just asking to hook my ear and eye lid at the same time😄


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## FlyrodC (Apr 29, 2018)

ZackB said:


> Yeah! A combo with a top water to make a bunch of commotion and draw attention paired with a shrimp or crab could be killer. If it could be presented without a bunch of wind knots. 😆. I was also interested the part in the article about the lead fly breaking up the baitfish and making the trailing fly an easier target.


It can be presented but I haven't fished a Gurgler with a Kwan dropper enough to tell you that it can be effective in catching Trout and Reds. I'll come back to this thread sometime this winter with an update.


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## MRichardson (May 27, 2010)

Sounds like I'd just wnd up feeling twice as rejected.


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## [email protected] (Mar 24, 2012)

My old man will run a trolling motor along mangroves and sometimes he’ll drift two different streamer flies stacked in the current. He had a buddy who did it and they compared 1 v 2 fly rigs and felt like the 2 fly rig definitely found more fish.

when I’m with guides throwing streamers for trout they’ll definitely use a two streamer rig. One big one small. Two different colors. Etc.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

I’ve thrown a double rig for reds a little. Heavy weighted pattern of some sort and a boobie, chuckle, fly tied like a wooly bugger. It works, but yeah….tangles…

Fish multiple fly setups almost exclusively for freshwater trout.


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

I only fish double rig set ups if I am absolutely desperate, it does catch more fish but then casting is less fun then usual, snags and tangles much more common.


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

permitchaser said:


> When I saw this I immediately thought of my rig for grass carp. I use a foam hopper and drop a bug fly. Why couldn’t you use a gurgler and drop a shrimp or crab fly from it. I don’t get all the braiding of line just tie the gurgler on with a loop knot then the drop fly with a clinch knot from the hook eye then a foot of leader and a loop knot on the dropped fly


that will take wondering about using one of the other. why have I never thought of that? .... but why not connect to the bend of the first hook? instead of the hook eye. Feels like the latter will be more prone to fouling.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Not done it and probably won't. I fish two flies a lot for freshwater trout and the inevitable tangles are a big hassle. But for trout it does make a difference because they often key on one particular insect when several kinds may be hatching at once. Especially true on lakes. So I put up with it. However I do find that when fishing a lake with an indicator setup that if I find the fly they really want, say a black and red midge over a chromie or maybe they really want the callibaetis nymph, that I will just cut the other fly off. Just use the one fly they are keying on and I have my fly in the water more often since I am not messing with tangles.


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## Gatorbig (Jan 15, 2021)

I've fished dry dropper rigs and caught reds and speckled trout, sometimes the popper sometimes the dropper. I was rigged with a popper or gurgle and usually a bonefish gotcha. Works but as stated before tangles and less fun to cast. I also tried the fly version of a popping cork forget the name but had less luck with it and don't mess with either anymore


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## Capt.Ron (Mar 5, 2014)

Gatorbig said:


> I've fished dry dropper rigs and caught reds and speckled trout, sometimes the popper sometimes the dropper. I was rigged with a popper or gurgle and usually a bonefish gotcha. Works but as stated before tangles and less fun to cast. I also tried the fly version of a popping cork forget the name but had less luck with it and don't mess with either anymore


Vosi or something like that……


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

ZackB said:


> This might be a weird question but I started thinking about it while fishing for trout a couple weeks ago. Have any of y’all ever used a double rig for redfish (or any other saltwater fishing for that matter)? I know most of us are fishing for reds at a depth where covering more of the water column doesn’t seem super necessary but this article on double rigs for saltwater fish also highlights some other benefits of the setup. Anyway, just curious if anyone has ever tried it and what the results were.


I've fished a gurgler and small shrimp pattern trailer. I can't really say if fishing the combo was more effective than just one or the other.
Some logic says that the gurgler gets their attention and they come looking and find the smaller fly.
Opposing logic says if a red is hungry enough and active enough to chase a gurgler then they would have hit the gurgler even if you didn't have the trailer.

There is no denying the effectiveness of a popping cork setup. some call it cheating.

Captain Gary Dubiel Pop-n-Fly


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

No fly fishing popper is going to come close to approaching the effectiveness of a popping cork. Doesn't mean it won't work but they are night and day different things.


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

ifsteve said:


> No fly fishing popper is going to come close to approaching the effectiveness of a popping cork. Doesn't mean it won't work but they are night and day different things.


Agreed, the spinning gear set up can make 3-5 times as many casts as the fly rodder in the same amount of time and cast further covering more water and the retrieve requires a much smaller skill set (just crank). No question, the math is just better.

I've watched a guy fish a feeding school with a Pop-N-Fly and when the bite was on he was hitting more fish for a longer time than the other fly rodders for sure. But a spinning gear w/ popping cork guy would have done better than all of us.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Clamfoot said:


> Agreed, the spinning gear set up can make 3-5 times as many casts as the fly rodder in the same amount of time and cast further covering more water and the retrieve requires a much smaller skill set (just crank). No question, the math is just better.
> 
> I've watched a guy fish a feeding school with a Pop-N-Fly and when the bite was on he was hitting more fish for a longer time than the other fly rodders for sure. But a spinning gear w/ popping cork guy would have done better than all of us.


All spot on....but to me the big advantage of a popping cork over any fly cast device is the noise it makes and the water it can move. Popping cork can call in fish from a looonnnggg ways off.


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## ZackB (Aug 19, 2020)

Thank y’all for all the input. Now I’m interested and curious enough to give it a shot. Tangled leader be damned. I’ll let y’all know how it goes.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

😂. Fly fishermen are hilarious. “Let’s mimic a popping cork rig but criticize spin fishermen for fishing flood tide reds”


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Str8-Six said:


> 😂. Fly fishermen are hilarious. “Let’s mimic a popping cork rig but criticize spin fishermen for fishing flood tide reds”


Not all double fly rigs are at the surface😉😉


BUT, that “popping fly” crap is garbage. No spot for it on my skiff, just as no popping corks.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

MatthewAbbott said:


> Not all double fly rigs are at the surface😉😉
> 
> 
> BUT, that “popping fly” crap is garbage. No spot for it on my skiff, just as no popping corks.


Is a sub surface sabaki redfish fly rig acceptable?


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## AZ_squid (Mar 14, 2018)

I've done double drop clousers for spotted bay bass in San Diego as well as off the jetty for trout. Work pretty well, tangles can be a pain though. If you're going to do it use light flys.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Str8-Six said:


> Is a sub surface sabaki redfish fly rig acceptable?


If you can cast a sabiki rig…. Sure. Lol


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I like to sling a popping cork with a tandem rig San Juan worm and a spoon fly


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I like to sling a popping cork with a tandem rig San Juan worm and a spoon fly


That sounds very effective. Is that rig included with your lower water pick up?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Str8-Six said:


> That sounds very effective. Is that rig included with your lower water pick up?


It can be for three easy payments of $19.95 or one hard payment of $59.85


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## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

Pretty soon its not fly fishing.


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## Fliesbynight (Mar 23, 2020)

So, I fish two flies as a normal practice, but I am in the northeast. Many fly flingers here do. It comes from the ubiquitous practice of fishing a teaser in front of a lure with spinning or conventional gear. Use a dropper loop and you won't have any tangles like you would rigging as the article says.

Typically, I use two flies of the same type but different sizes, smaller in front. Occasionally, I'll use two different patterns, smaller always in front. I have never used a floating fly in front of a dropper.

The smaller fly in front makes it look like schooling bait trying to find friends or a small predator chasing smaller bait. More often than not, the front fly takes the fish, which is why I think it looks like bait being chased.


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## Capt.Ron (Mar 5, 2014)

I’ll throw a 4 horsemen popin cork all day before I let someone sling 2 flies by my face.


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## Teeter (Jan 9, 2020)

Never doubled up on a red but have a jack and even triple tail.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

Saltwater version of the hopper dropper rig would totally work in dirty shallow water, which we have a lot of where I fish. A big foam stimulator with a very lightly weighted shrimp fly would be good for prospecting a shoreline. When the tide is pulling out of the creeks you could fish it just like you would on a stream.


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## James Humphrey (Dec 31, 2017)

Remember trout touts. I would take a piece of 40 bend it at 1/3 the length. Put a swivel there and tie on touts. The swimming action is incredible. I have caught 2 bass, 2 trout, 2 reds, 2 snook, 2 jacks all in the same east coast spillway. Cover alot of water and catch lots of fish. I can only imagine how it would be with 2 z man minnows...


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

Has anyone mentioned this :









Inside look: The Pop-N-Fly with Captain Gary Dubiel.


This may seem like an odd way to start off talking about fly fishing, but let’s chat about one of the most popular and easy ways to fish inshore saltwater, the popping cork. You’re probably thinking, “What does this have to do with anything?!” Maybe more than you think. For years, fly anglers...




flymenfishingcompany.com


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## Mr. Creed (Mar 7, 2018)

Could be a deadly combo


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## jddonnelly264 (Feb 14, 2020)

60 years ago when I started fishing the set up of choice was a shad rig. Two buck tail jigs on each end of a muilty stran wire leader folded to make a loop. A little piece of shrimp you could catch any thing. Reds especially loved them, ideal for specks . Back then reds were considered trash fish, if you got into them you would move. White croaker, trout, specs and flounder were the fish of choice .


Fished under a Float easly adjustable for distance off the bottom. 


You could also fish it as a swim bait. The wire leaders helped keep them from tangling . 



With a fly rod the only double rigs I fished involved a popper and a small trailer about 12” back on stiff mono


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## VA-Gheenoe (4 mo ago)

It'd be interesting to run an 8 or 9 weight in a dry dropper configuration with a popper as your "dry" and a foam dead baitfish pattern. Baitfish would dive and then go back to its surface dead baitfish float position when stripped and the popper would cause surface commotion. Not sure how that would cast, but would be an interesting experiment.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

I don't love blind casting flies but it would work. That pop and fly... Not for me

I'd rather just pickup a Spook.


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