Suitable rods and reels

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

I thought I would put this question into the appropriate forum ie: "Tackle" although I got what I expected, no answers.
Maybe the experts from the foreign section could help me please.

Rod and reel for everything?

Is there such a thing? I think not but I do need a set of rods and reels and would appreciate some advice.

I fish the Med mostly and my 4 and 5lb, 12/13 foot carp/cat rods and quality big pit fixed spooled reels do the trick.

I have been taking them to the Gambia also and they are not really suitable and cant for instance cast a 6 oz lead plus bait as far as I sometimes need.

I'm told good multipliers will be better and so I want to change to these also. A good multiplyer breaking system would be useful as it offers me more confidence when casting.

I am looking for rods and reels I can also take to places where the fish may be bigger on the whole but I suppose if I buy rods suitable for the biggest (Likely) fish to be caught on Gambian beaches they should suit.

The extreme use they would probably get is on South African beaches but with smaller baits than used for big shark.

Hope you can help and advise, John.

P.S.Because of elbow and shoulder inuries I find I cast better with rods with long butts and need to use my right hand to thumb the reels. IE: I cannot cast those South African 14 foot one piece totum poles with next to no butts, especially as the reels have to be thumbed with the left hand.
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[PanamaJack]

Um ... been monitoring this for a number of days now and it's a bit of a shame that no one's replied yet John.

I would have thought that some of the Gambian regulars might have been able to offer some suggestions. There's also Roger (aka the RavellingTangler) who I know has recently started - unless he's been hiding his light under a bushel - shore fishing. Roger, a bit like me, can best be described as a 'dyed in the wool' boat angler but he's an avid reader of 'articles technical' and a contributor to a whole range of different forums. And, as well, there's MarktheShark and Daikent.

So, back to your question.

And I suppose with outfits it's got to be 'horses for courses'. Is that why I've got over 30 rods and reels? And, the collection's building! (I've recently, after taking an early retirment package, started to get back into coarse fishing and for long range fishing for Tench and Crucian Carp had a couple of 1 3/4lb Chimera Specialists made up.)

I guess though, knowing very little about shore fishing, that you're not able to hurl a 6oz weight on those 5lb test curve Catfish rods. Is that the case? Or is it a case of not being able to get reasonable distance? Presumably slightly lighter leads with sprung 'anchor' wires can help hold bottom in strong lateral tidal flows?

Then, what line are you using on your Big Pit reels - braid or mono? I would have thought braid, providing it's wet and packed down well before you 'wind up' for a BIG cast and you're using a leather thumb protector, would have given you adequate distance.

As well what's the ringing like on those 12' rods? Those for distance work often settle for just seven rings.

Resistance from bait can also presumably be an issue? And I guess there must be ways of minimising that. Just like long range Carp fishing?

So, obviously different fishing, but I can hurl those huge - 6oz - GT poppers over 100 yards using braid on a specialist 9' rod with a Shimano Stella. And reel-wise, and honest guv this isn't a Shimano ad, I've found their small Calcutta 400 an excellent casting reel when geared to 12 or 16lb line; and I've landed a number of 100lb plus fish - Tarpon and Sailfish - on it albeit on 7' spin rod blanks ringed for casting.

So I'm sure John I've got nowhere near answering your question but, if nothing else, it might provoke someone, a 'proper' shore fisherperson, to respond.
Dave

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

Hello Dave, thanks for answering, most of the rods I've been using are 12 and 13 foot 4lbers and only one is a 12 foot 5lber and it is actually a spod rod and they are often used for light catfishing.

I can cast a 6oz lead ok with them but there are times when the extra distance is required and its the baits that affect the cast as much as the weight, probably 9 or 10 oz in all (Two baits).

My braid is 22lbs and about 28mm diameter. I also use a 60lb mono shockleader with three turns on the reel for casting.

As for rings I really cant remember and not by my rods, six or seven I think?

I would guess I am only getting 75 yards max with the set up I've been using and think its time to spend money on the right tackle.

Thanks again Dave for the bump and hopefuly the beach casting experts will assist soon, John.

[daikent]

John/Dave,
Sorry mateys, been back in Wales working on my new house so have been offline for a while. Only managed one day's fishing in the last 2 months but still got taught a lesson by my old man....at 78 with 2 new hips and 2 new knees, he can't rock-hop like he used to when Clive Gammon used to write articles about him but he's forgotten more about bass fishing than most people have ever learned! Borrowed a mates little 15 footer for the day and worked hard for a cracking small back of soft and peeler crabs. End of the day....me 1 big mackerel (on a rapala!), my mate 1 small tope about 3lbs and 1 small bass about 2lbs......my Dad.....you guessed it 7 (yes seven) lovely bass between 3 and 6lbs...jammy git!

Anyway, the rods and reels......I don't like carrying big bazookas on holidays and I don't like telescopics...too fragile; so everything has to either be in several pieces in the suitcase or fit into my Jarvis Walker custom travel tube which is only 52 inches long and 3 inches diameter.

For a boat, I used to have a lovely Shimano Exage 4 piece until I lost the top eye to a barracuda in Mexico and while trying to get it fixed in Vancouver shortly after the tackle shop managed to snap both two top sections (w****rs!). Anyway, I replaced that with a 2 piece Shimano TCurve Deep Jig Overhead 400...8 rings on a top section of just 42 inches with a nice long butt section of 28 inches (1.7metres in total) and a very handy rod for lots of big fish from the boat. It works well with an old Shakespeare SeaQuest that I like with essentially a good drag system and holding about 280metres of 30lb mono or about 400metres of braid (although I have to say I like fishing close to rocks for things like kingfish and I much prefer mono to braid for that sort of thing).

I have yet to find a beachcaster that comes in enough pieces to break down to a reasonable size for travelling, so I tend to leave those at home and I get by with an 8ft, 4 piece called a SEACOR from Cormoran. It's labelled as a Travel Pilk/Boat Rod, but is High Density Glass Composite and quite a stiff rod that can cast a decent heavy weight of about 6oz a good distance. The reel mounting is 17 inches from the end of the butt, so you can get pretty good leverage, even when up to your waist in the surf. I used to use a Daiwa 4500 fixed spool reel, but recently upgraded to the Daiwa Opus 6000 which is a beast of a fixed spool reel which easily holds 300yards of 20lb mono....once again, a really good drag system is the key.

I also carry an 8ft, 2 piece spinning rod called a Silstar Powertip which is very whippy but also exceptionally strong and has caught some BIG fish! (Paired with the Daiwa 4500, it landed my 88lb Captain Fish in the Gambia with Ninja back in 2006). It works most rapalas, lures and poppers very well indeed and, using lighter weights, serves as a very useful second beach rod.

To catch my livebait I use a little 6ft, 5 piece, Okuma Voyager which breaks down to 16 inches by 2 inches and I use that with a little Okuma Voyager fixed spool reel and 4lb line. If you hook something bigger than usual on that (which you often do in some of the places we tend to get to!), you get to have a few minutes of great rod-bending action, but the line will always go before the rod.

Hope that helps a little and hope to bump into you somewhere, sometime.

Next trip is with the missus for a bit of sunshine in Mexico 6-20 September. 1 week in Cozumel and 1 week on the Riviera Maya around Puerto Aventuras where I shall be stalking my old barracuda friend under the Barcelo Maya Boat Pier!!

All the best,
Dai

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

Hello Dai, thats put the cat amongst the pigons as I wasnt thinking of short rods!!!

I usually carry a 7 foot 7 inch diameter tube from the inside of a carpet roll and take 7 foot boat rods so I was thinking a 14 foot beachcaster really (In two pieces) Now I'm even more confused, John.

P.S. Congrats to dad and good luck on your Carib tour................

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

Hello Aram, thanks for the repies. My shark fishing was in Namibia and not the Gambia.

The tackle Im looking for is more 20lb to 50lb class fish and not really sharks although it would be nice to have a chance of landing one if hooked. Something capable of casting 6 to 8 (Maybe 10oz) of lead and bait.

John.

[stevecatfisher]

Hello Aram, thanks for the repies. My shark fishing was in Namibia and not the Gambia.

The tackle Im looking for is more 20lb to 50lb class fish and not really sharks although it would be nice to have a chance of landing one if hooked. Something capable of casting 6 to 8 (Maybe 10oz) of lead and bait.

John.

Hi john I have a Penn powerstix 15 ft 3 piece and its a pleasure to use, it has an adjustable reel seat so you can put the reel higher up for casting and then lower it for winding in and/or playing fish. I use it with a penn 525 gls.
The rod comes in a hard case.
steve

[PanamaJack]

Well John, certainly a few suggestions there.

I guess your topic also made me start to think about the issue of the aerodynamics - or the lack thereof - of your baits and the impact that was having on reducing casting distance. Now as I started off my saying the one thing I'm not is a shore fisherman in your conventional sense so my apologies in advance if these suggestions are completely lunatic.

Firstly is there any possibility of using the Carpers 'rocket' PVA (water soluable) bags to reduce wind resistance? Stuffing the lead and baits in the bag. Obviously the baits would have to be fish based with high oil content. That unless you initially coated the inside of the bag with some oil-based, PVA friendly liquid. Really don't know in that latter regard, it's something I intend trying with sweet corn in the bag for my long range Tench fishing.

Then, and I guess this does require a steeply sloping beach or rock mark. But in places like the Hawaii islands (yes, I know they're volcanic) the locals shore fish for Giant Trevally, fish that can be over 100lbs in weight. There they initially cast out a line with just a weight, and a stop, on it and then periodically slide baits on short traces down their main line. Foe less steep angles on the reel line, if it's feasible, I suspect you may need to weight the 'pigtail' swivel to help it slide.

Finally, and here you'd need offshore breezes, there the kite flying technique. Now I know this works, several of our Club members have caught Sharks and even hooked Yellowfin Tuna, on Ascension Island.

If either of the latter two make any sense where you're planning to fish - and remember I did start by saying that being 'out of the box' they might well be complete no-noes - here are a couple of url links. Firstly the Hawaiian bait sliding - http://www.traveltotourism.com/recre...Hawaii&ID=6632 and here's what they catch - http://www.hawaiifishingnews.com/hom...TOKEN=98567850. (On that 2nd link you can see a gallery of 100lb plus fish that have been taken. Some of their gear is more like big game tackle!) Then the kite fishing - http://www.fishingkites.co.nz/ and http://www.hiflykites.co.za/free-kit...ishing-manual/.
Dave

[daikent]

Aram, you old dog,
Why did I ever tell you about this cracking site!!? (Although you seem to get quite a lot of "bites" on it already!!)
100 Euros for a GG100....try nearer $68 (that's about £2.50 last time I looked?!)...check out digitaldagger.com/reels/tica, etc. Only cos' I'd never heard of one and had to have a look. I might seriously be interested in the 6 piece Shakespeare though...and so might John if we can find one.

Just so no-one thinks my Dad still hasn't got a bit of life in him yet...



Happy days everybody,
LoL,
Dai

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

Hi Dave, also being a carp angler I thought of the PVA idea but some work would have to be done on it to make it as aerodinamic as possible, ie oil added to the outside of the bag to make it so. Secondly and most important while wading out to cast I would suggest it most likely the contents of the bag would be hanging out before it was cast out, what with waves crashing on me and splashing water everywhere. Lastly the spikes on the breakaway leads would prove a challenge. I can see you are a thinking angler Dave.

Re the sliding bait, I have seen this used in Namibia for sharks but am not sure if it would work in the Gambia, maybe the regulars would like to comment.
I'm not sure if the beach is steep enough for this to work and the continual weed problem there would hinder this method of fishing in my view.
I have a couple of times, before realising it and tying a stop swivel above, cast out a top trace and notice it fly back on the cast. This is an obvious result but I was surprised to wind in and find the trace hadnt found its way back down. This may be solved by your comment "may need to weight the 'pigtail' swivel to help it slide" Whatever that is???

The kite flying was interesting but Ive not experienced an offshore wind during my previous two weeks in the Gambia. Probably because the coast faces West and the Atlantic and I would guess onshore winds might be the norm. This method may be able to be used at low tide on some of the rocky outcrops.

You brought up some interesting thoughts there Dave and thanks also for the links, also of great interest, best wishes, John.

Well John, certainly a few suggestions there.

I guess your topic also made me start to think about the issue of the aerodynamics - or the lack thereof - of your baits and the impact that was having on reducing casting distance. Now as I started off my saying the one thing I'm not is a shore fisherman in your conventional sense so my apologies in advance if these suggestions are completely lunatic.

Firstly is there any possibility of using the Carpers 'rocket' PVA (water soluable) bags to reduce wind resistance? Stuffing the lead and baits in the bag. Obviously the baits would have to be fish based with high oil content. That unless you initially coated the inside of the bag with some oil-based, PVA friendly liquid. Really don't know in that latter regard, it's something I intend trying with sweet corn in the bag for my long range Tench fishing.

Then, and I guess this does require a steeply sloping beach or rock mark. But in places like the Hawaii islands (yes, I know they're volcanic) the locals shore fish for Giant Trevally, fish that can be over 100lbs in weight. There they initially cast out a line with just a weight, and a stop, on it and then periodically slide baits on short traces down their main line. Foe less steep angles on the reel line, if it's feasible, I suspect you may need to weight the 'pigtail' swivel to help it slide.

Finally, and here you'd need offshore breezes, there the kite flying technique. Now I know this works, several of our Club members have caught Sharks and even hooked Yellowfin Tuna, on Ascension Island.

If either of the latter two make any sense where you're planning to fish - and remember I did start by saying that being 'out of the box' they might well be complete no-noes - here are a couple of url links. Firstly the Hawaiian bait sliding - http://www.traveltotourism.com/recre...Hawaii&ID=6632 and here's what they catch - http://www.hawaiifishingnews.com/hom...TOKEN=98567850. (On that 2nd link you can see a gallery of 100lb plus fish that have been taken. Some of their gear is more like big game tackle!) Then the kite fishing - http://www.fishingkites.co.nz/ and http://www.hiflykites.co.za/free-kit...ishing-manual/.
Dave