The Earl Brinn Surf Rig

The following rig I discovered on the Florida Surf Fishing Forum. It was posted by Earl Brinn in response to a fisherman that was breaking rigs during his cast. I like Earl’s Rig, it works well for me, and I want to share it here in the Tips section.

Most Pompano rigs found in stores are tied with 20 or 25 lb line, with a sinker of 4 - 6 ounces it is possible to break these rigs and send the sinker in any direction. Breaking a rig is both dangerous and expensive considering the cost of lead nowadays. The idea behind an Earl Brinn Surf Rig is to use a stronger main line and a lighter line for the droppers attaching the hooks.

The Surf Rig is constructed as follows:

1) Determine the strength of the main line by considering the weight of the sinker you will be casting. Use a line that will give you 10 lbs. of line breaking strength for each ounce of your sinker weight. (As an example if you use a 6 oz sinker then use 60 lb line for the main line of the rig. If you use 4 oz sinkers use 40 lb line.)

2) Use a 4 ft length of line to create the main line and tie a swivel at the top and a snap at the bottom.

3) For the droppers you can use a line strength and length of your choice. It is common for the droppers to end up 4 – 7 inches in length. So be sure to cut pieces long enough work with and tie the knots.

Note: The most recent rigs I tied I used 20 lb fluorocarbon for the droppers.

4) To attach the droppers to the main line tie an Overhand Knot in the main line 12 inches below the swivel. Do not completely tighten the Overhand Knot. Now from the swivel side of the Overhand Knot pass the dropper line through the loop formed by the Overhand Knot. On the snap side of the Overhand Knot tie a Uni Knot around the main line. Leave the Uni Knot loose enough so you will be able to slide it. Tighten the Overhand Knot by pulling both ends of the main line, then pull the dropper line from the swivel side of the Overhand Knot and slide the Uni Knot up against the tightened Overhand Knot. Tighten the Uni Knot, trim the tag end and the first dropper is done.

5) To attach the next dropper just repeat the process 12 inches below the first.

6) Finally add colored beads, if desired, and tie on the hooks to complete the rig.

Earl’s diagram of the rig is below. In the diagram, “Top” refers to the swivel end of the rig.

Good luck and let me know how it works for you!

Shock Leader

It’s common for a shock leader to be used when surf fishing. Below is an explanation of the concept and why it is used.

What is a shock leader?

A shock leader is a stronger piece of line that is attached to the end of the line coming from the reel. It is attached to the end so that during a cast this stronger section of line is receiving the force of the cast and not the smaller line on the reel.

Why should a shock leader be used?

Safety is the main reason to use a shock leader. While using a shock leader it is less likely that the line will break during a powerful cast possibly causing unintended damage or injuring someone. This also prevents loss of your surf rigs and expensive surf weights. Another benefit is that since the shock leader is tied between your main line and your rig it will provide more abrasion resistance if this section of line rubs bottom, sandbars, etc.

What strength line should be used?

The strength of the shock leader is usually determined from the size of the weight that is being cast. It is common to choose line that will give 10 lbs of line breaking strength for each ounce of your surf weight. As and example if you use 4 oz weights use 40 lb line for shock leader. If you use 6 oz weights then use 60 lb line for shock leader.

How long should the shock leader be made?

The shock leader should be long enough to wrap around the reel spool five times, thread out the rod guides, and then back to the reel.

How do I join the shock leader to the main line on my reel?

The shock leader should be connected to the main line with a knot that will pass through the rod guides well. Your favorite line to line knot may work fine just keep in mind that you may be connecting 60 lb shock leader to main line that will likely be considerably smaller. For surf fisherman that use monofilament line on their reels that could mean connecting 40 – 60 lb shock leader to 15 – 17 lb monofilament. One connection that works well is an Overhand knot to a Uni Knot. This is done by using the shock leader to tie an Overhand Knot around the smaller main line and then using the end of the main line to tie a Uni Knot around the shock leader. The two knots are tightened and pulled tightly against one another forming a secure connection. If using smaller weights and smaller shock leader the very popular Uni Knot to Uni Knot connection may work great.

Good luck and safe fishing!