# Saltwater



## Paymaster (Mar 31, 2017)

I bought a 9 wt flyrod outfit for surf fishing. My target species will be Spanish Mackerel and Blue Fish. What do I use for a leader and tippet? I have never used a flyrod in salt water so I could use some advice.


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## centerpin fan (Mar 31, 2017)

I would choose a lighter outfit, but a 9 will be fine, particularly if it's windy.  For leader, a straight piece of 15-20# mono will work.  Any standard saltwater tapered leader will also be OK.


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## GLS (Apr 1, 2017)

I'd use a 6-8" bite tippet of 30 lb. test.  Macks are toothy and blues have cutting jaws.  Even with 30 lbs., it won't last long.  Don't spend anymore time to tie a fly than it takes to lose it with these critters.  Your flies won't last long with these shredders.  This assumes panfish.  Big blues will need a bit of wire.  And watch your fingers with blues.  Gil


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## Anvil Head (Apr 2, 2017)

Even 30# doesn't mean much to a blue over 10#'s. I have used some fine piano wire for a short leader, just keep the connections small and non-shiny. They hit anything with flash including any kind of clip or swivel and will cut you off there. Heck of a fish to have on a #8 rod. We've caught the magnum run off Hatteras several times with blues running 18-20#'s ....... yehaa!


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## Paymaster (Apr 4, 2017)

Thanks Y'all! Hope to have some fun with this thing. I will post up pics, if I get one to shore.


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## redneck_billcollector (Jul 17, 2017)

I catch a Spanish from time to time in the surf, I just use a tapered leader with a 12lb tippet.  Electric chicken clousers do the trick with Spanish better than anything else I have ever used...I normally tie them on a size 4 or 6 longer shanked hook and don't worry about a bite leader....I rarely have the Spanish cut off, but they do every now and then  but I find when I use a bite leader I never can get a pompano or redfish to bite....and I target them too in the surf and they love electric chicken clousers  (it has to be the pink in them for pompano).


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## redneck_billcollector (Jul 17, 2017)

Paymaster said:


> Thanks Y'all! Hope to have some fun with this thing. I will post up pics, if I get one to shore.



You caught anything yet?


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## flyrod444 (Jul 18, 2017)

If there are lady fish or skip jack where you fish try and get one on. I use a 7 wt.rod on them and have a blast when i'm any where they are.


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## Paymaster (Jul 18, 2017)

Really bad back kept, and keeps me from enjoying fishing. MRI coming up Monday will hopefully tell us what's going on and what we have to do to fix. I have been dealing with it a while. I am done with just trying to bear with it.


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## Yankee in GA (Jul 27, 2017)

I used to fly fish for blues and after getting lots of my nice saltwater flies shredded, I switched to plastic soft baits.  The fish would still bite and it wouldn't cost me $5 everytime I caught a bluefish.


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## Anvil Head (Jul 30, 2017)

Blues are tough on everything.


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## Robust Redhorse (Sep 8, 2017)

I think a 9 foot 9 weight is the most versatile SW rig you can have.

Get a few inches of some tie-able wire (like TyGer), tie it to your tippet with a surgeons or blood knot and your good to go.


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## Paymaster (Sep 21, 2017)

Thanks for all the comments y'all. I had back surgery. Fused L5-S1 vertebrae. It has been ruff few weeks but I am on the mend. I hope to be fly fishing again soon. I sure miss it.


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## Dustin Pate (Sep 21, 2017)

Paymaster said:


> Thanks for all the comments y'all. I had back surgery. Fused L5-S1 vertebrae. It has been ruff few weeks but I am on the mend. I hope to be fly fishing again soon. I sure miss it.



There will be some Paymaster Clouser Minnows on the PCB Pier's in about a week. I hope to be rolling back to the car with a cooler full of Spanish every morning.


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## Paymaster (Sep 21, 2017)

Dustin Pate said:


> There will be some Paymaster Clouser Minnows on the PCB Pier's in about a week. I hope to be rolling back to the car with a cooler full of Spanish every morning.



Awesome!! Hope you do good!
If told I can, by my ortho surgeon, I will be on the pier at Gulf Shores 2nd week of October. May not fish but I will be watching fishing.


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