LITHVOX / FIELD GUIDE
How to build a dependable surf rig
Match sinker weight, leader and hook size to the beach and the bait.
A surf rig has to stay where you put it. A pyramid sinker holds better than a round weight once the wash starts moving the bait. Lithvox lists 2 oz, 4 oz, and 6 oz pyramid sinkers as separate choices. Start with the lighter one and go up only when that rig will not hold. This note does not assign one of those weights to a beach.
Keep the leader short enough that the bait stays near the sinker in the sweep, and match the hook to the bait. A pompano rig is for pompano. It is not a deep-drop snapper rig. A shock leader takes the cast and the abrasion; it is not the same thing as the main line on the reel.
Plant the rod in a sand spike, not in a boat holder and not on a garage rack. After salt water, rinse the spike, the pliers, and the reel before they go in the car.