Cork fishing....what's your equipment?

[PathfinderNI]

Haven't ever done too well fishing for specks under a cork but would like to. Maybe I just quickly tire of it and go to tightlining before I spend much time with it. I usually use a Cajun Thunder weighted cork that has a stiff wire, with various lengths of heavier mono(30 lb. or so) underneath the cork with 1/4 oz. jighead and some kind of plastic.

So, those of you who are successful at it, what specifically do you use and are you constantly popping or no? Do you use a weighted cork or no? Do you use heavier line under your cork, if so how heavy? Do you use a jighead, if so, what size? Do you use a cocahoe type plastic, shrimp, or something else? How deep under a cork do you normally fish at this time of year, especially in and around Cypremort Point?

Appreciate any replies.

[legallimits]

I've had plenty of success with it, especially in areas where the fish are feeding on top rather than bottom--especially anytime you follow the birds. I find that it doesn't matter whether the cork is weighted, so I don't have a weighted one. I always have a cork with somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 feet underneath. I use a steel leader, so that's the only extra weight underneath the cork other than a 1/4 or 3/8 oz jig head. With that, I use plastic, and pop it constantly. At least a pop every three seconds.

[mriguy]

I use 20lb Power Pro to a yellow mouth cork. 20lb flour and 1/8 yellowmouth jig head

[bayouchub]

I think a thick steel leader is an absolute must for cork fishing.

[keakar]

I fish mono so I just tie straight to the bait and use a clip on cork about 2 ft above the bait.

I use an unweighted cork for a double rig with two 1/4 oz jig heads and plastic swim bodies and for the single rig I use a weigted cork in windy conditions for better distance or casting against the wind but I use unweighted corks most of the time with the 1/4 oz jig heads and plastic swim bodies .

I use an egg shaped cork because it rarely if ever gets tangled and find chartrouse much easier to see then orange color unless your fishing in the sun reflection.

when using double rig the bait most often hit is the one at 2 ft

a great thing to try with double rigs to get double catches is you first set your hook on the first fish and just hold the extra slack out of the line but let him swim around with it until you see or feel a thump on the line and that's the second fish getting hooked then reel both in. the second fish is almost always going to be bigger then the first fish. often if all your catching is small fish start doing this to find the bigger ones that aren't biting because the small ones get to the bait first.

if you don't feel a thump after 3 or 4 seconds reel the one fish in. it all depends on how active they are feeding if you can get two at once.

I pop it just enough to make a sploosh you can hear (and the fish hears it too) and using rattle corks can help or hurt since sometimes the splash calls them over to the bait but they may prefer not to have it very active or make noise and sometimes they do but you have to try both active movement or less active to see what works and then they hit it. you can give it little twitches and make the bait dance in one spot without making noise and sometimes it gets inactive fish to bite. I also never tip the bait with shrimp as it doesn't float or swim right and messes up the action but if adding shrimp works then all you need is the shrimp on the jig head and not the swim body.

you have to see what they want so start popping every 3 seconds then try 4 or 5 then try every 10-15 seconds until you see what does it for them that day.

[Reefman]

I still use the ol' fashion style, un-weighted, and the smallest they make. Easy to adjust depth with the slotted side. Use an 1/8 to 1/4oz weight with a Deadly Dudley or Sand eel jr. fishing 2 to 3ft. I don't hit the cork hard but use smaller pops continuously. My using a cork is not to attract fish but to keep the bait in that particular zone for a longer period compared to free casting. Sometimes when fishing birds you might want to rip the cork a little harder to get the fish in your zone. I enjoy watching a cork disappear as soon as it hits the water. 10076501.jpg

[PathfinderNI]

I can see where using a clip-on cork would be a time saver by just attaching it to an already finished tightlined presentation. I do have them in the weighted and unweighted versions, and suppose the only thing missing with those kinds of corks are the clicking beads that are usually on the wire-cork models.

Have never really thought about putting wire leaders under the corks.....is that mainly for abrasion issues when fishing a lot over reefs? I've only really seen them on bottom fishing presentations where that part of the line is lying flat against the bottom, or you're using it to combat lady fish or sharks.

Do any of you find yourself needing to adjust the knot on the jighead constantly so that it sits up when working it?

[AubreyLaHaye458]

Now I don't know how valid this is but I did read somewhere that the cigar shaped corks will out perform the egg shaped ones. But that's just heresay so I can't be sure.


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[Clampy]

Originally Posted by bayouchub

I think a thick steel leader is an absolute must for cork fishing.

Absolutely.

[Goooh]

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[lil bubba]

Fished out of pac yesterday. Cigar float weighted with VUDU white chart. 2 feet under using 30#stren mono. to connect. 20 trout , 10 white trout , 4 reds were kept. At least 20 trout n white trout , 3 reds , 2 sailcats thrown back all on 1 vudu. 18 in. to 6 feet of water.Pop 2 or 3 times let sit 5 to 10 sec. and repeat.

[PathfinderNI]

the cork doesn't have to be in great shape either, lol. Good job and that's one tough bait sounds like.

[Clampy]

What I would do is take a super spook and remove the back hook and tie a double rig on the back.
Bird fishing machine

[lil bubba]

Originally Posted by PathfinderNI

the cork doesn't have to be in great shape either, lol. Good job and that's one tough bait sounds like.

Its pretty busted up from trout teeth. I have been fishing white gulp for years and i reluctantly tried vudu. Them things are tough and when you can catch multiple limits on one they are economical as well. White chartrusse vudu is the only bait I have in my boat.

[marshrunner757]

Originally Posted by Clampy

What I would do is take a super spook and remove the back hook and tie a double rig on the back.
Bird fishing machine

This...

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[Duckaholic]

The best method to use cork fishing is the "Look Away" method! You look away and your cork is gone!

[redaddiction]

Originally Posted by Duckaholic

The best method to use cork fishing is the "Look Away" method! You look away and your cork is gone!

This is 100% accurate. LOL "where's ma cork?" Or, you tell your buddy, "Dude, your cork is gone"

[PathfinderNI]

That's one disadvantage to cork fishing....you can't multi-task! Lil Bubba, is that the 3.25" 1/8 oz. Vudu or the new larger 4" 1/4 oz.? That is the pearl white and not glow, correct?

[keakar]

Originally Posted by PathfinderNI

I can see where using a clip-on cork would be a time saver by just attaching it to an already finished tightlined presentation. I do have them in the weighted and unweighted versions, and suppose the only thing missing with those kinds of corks are the clicking beads that are usually on the wire-cork models.

Have never really thought about putting wire leaders under the corks.....is that mainly for abrasion issues when fishing a lot over reefs? I've only really seen them on bottom fishing presentations where that part of the line is lying flat against the bottom, or you're using it to combat lady fish or sharks.

Do any of you find yourself needing to adjust the knot on the jighead constantly so that it sits up when working it?

they have the egg corks with the rattles inside them, look for the dimple hole or shake them.

as to wire leaders, they work for abrasion but unless the fish are very active and hungry they see the wire and I am convinced the larger trout avoid the bait and you catch smaller fish with swivels and wire leaders. whit trout don't seam to care about the leader but I see a noticeable difference with specks when using them. the ones I tried using were the small 6 or 8" black leaders but I found its better not to use them and just retie more often.

[keakar]

Originally Posted by AubreyLaHaye458

Now I don't know how valid this is but I did read somewhere that the cigar shaped corks will out perform the egg shaped ones. But that's just heresay so I can't be sure.


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this is because it clicks and it jerks the bait better giving it a more energetic snap that triggers a reaction bite. I find its not better or worse then an egg float but costs more and is harder to see. I would feel equally confident with either one on my line but given a choice i'lll take the egg and give you the cigar