Togging with a tight line or with a bow

[jd442]

I have seen guys fishing tight lines and and do well. My personal experience has been trying to fish with a bow in the line but I always seem to get out fished by someone next to me using a tight line. I know some of this has to do experience or if you are using mono/braid and a soft or stiffer tip rod. Is it worth going heavier a bit heavier on the sinker when the boat goes up and down? Just trying to get some tips to increase my catching ratio. Would like to hear some opinions.

[Chris1129]

I remember reading somewhere, "If you think you can hold with an 8oz, put on a 10oz".

[ALS Mako]

i always fish with a tight line. when boat rocks drop the rod tip or raise the tip, what ever the case may be. you want the line tight to feel all the taps and bites, but you do not want the sinker bouncing around. keep just enough tension to feel the sinker but not move it. this can be tricky on a windy day but try your best.

[jlrotary]

I do both. Bottom line is don't let your sinker bounce around.
Great advice about using 10 oz. when you think you can use 8 oz.

[Tunarun]

I have my Ups and Downs while togging. That being said, I always use 10 or 12 ounces no matter what depth I'm fishing( 50-180 ). I find myself when using a lighter sinker, I bounce it or I'm off the bottom. I use an 8 foot rod which helps with the rocking but like it was stated in a previous forum, that length is a pain when swinging fish onboard in a private boat but I'll deal with that problem. I always try to keep some slack in my braid and I use at least 30feet of 60-80 lb mono. So if I'm fishing in shallow water its almost like fishing straight mono. Feeling the bite of a Jumbo tog normally is a No Brainer but at times they are So Slick and you wonder to yourself " did I just get bit?" You lift up and you know right away that u have no crab especially if u r using whole ones. Ugh, now I say to my inner self "maybe if I kept a Tight line I would have confirmation of a bite and would have swung! "lol Dennis

[Boston Pete]

I always try and fish with slack in my line. When the bite is picky after the 1st tap I give a lot of slack and almost every time I get that good bite right after...you just have to watch your line.

I also like to go heavy so your sinker doesn't move around but again there are days when I'll go light cause they want the bait moving (this doesn't happen often though).
Just a strange fish and you just have to adapt/try new things if you’re not catching....that's what makes them so addicting.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I think flat sinkers are better then the bank sinkers too. They don't roll as much.

[Solemate]

Silly question? If you have a bow in the line how do you feel the first tap?

[fishfetchr]

I was taught "you'll see it before u feel it"

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yep - watch your line for ticks or movement. As mentioned above, it's difficult to do this when it's really windy.