Besides Craig Hunt, who used level wind bass tackle, all three Bruce men used medium-heavy spinning tackle for their live bait fishing.
“Using medium-heavy instead of medium tackle allows us to handle redfish better,” Tony Bruce explained. “We catch a lot of redfish.”
All four men used braided lines for the simple reason that they don’t get cut as easily as monofilament on the barnacles on the rigs or on the metal trash on the bottom around most rigs.
Their braided lines are 60-pound test, and their 2-foot fluorocarbon leaders are either 60- or 80-pound test.
Fluorocarbon is used not for its invisibility, but because they believe it resists getting cut better than mono.
Terminal tackle is invariably a Texas rig, whether the bait is a croaker or a shrimp.
Both 6/0 or 7/0 kahle hooks, or No. 5 treble hooks are used.
The men agree that kahle hooks are better when using large croakers, while treble hooks are better for shrimp and small croakers.
Chris Bruce noted that treble hooks are easier to disguise with shrimp than are kahle hooks.
Weights used above the leaders of the Texas rigs are ¼-ounce, ½-ounce or ¾-ounce egg sinkers. The rule is to use the smallest weight that will get the bait to the bottom.
