new rod and reel

[brash1]

Well got me new spinning rod and reel delivered last week, but today was the first time i have had a chance to get out, thought i would have a bash on roker pier, got down about 8.30 and it was shut gutted, then decided to drive along to seaham. Walked down the bank to find a canny sea on and water like pea soup, gutted. Anyway had a few casts from the spiles, just to get a feel of the rod and reel. Cant cast half as far as i thought i would be casting with it, struggled to get 30-40 yards. In the winter can cast 100-120 yards easily with me mk1 appollo and slosh 30, do you think that 10 pound line is too heavy for a 9 foot spinning rod that can cast 60gramm spinners, i was only using 30 gramm ones, or do i need heavier spinners and lighter line, Please help lads as i havent really doneany spinning. Cheers.

[Davey-m]

I think the conditions will have affected your distance mate try in flat calm seas and no wind before you think about changing, if we ever get weather like that !!

[brash1]

Too right where is the summer? cheers Davey will try again in better weather

[Persues]

Many lures are pretty poor for casting and a lot of them 'tumble' in flight rather than go scooting out like a clipped down bait on an aerodynamic lead.

In calm conditions longer casts are possible but if there's any wind to speak of your distance will be robbed.

Heavier lures will obviously give you more distance but they may fish too deep for what you are trying to do.

It's all a trade-off.

I like to fish either 20lb or 30lb braid which is as strong as a strong thing but super-thin, so it casts really nicely with 30 - 60g lures in all but really foul conditions. Cuts your hands like a knife if you get snagged up though - so be warned !

Unless you're chasing a shoal of mackerel that are bursting 80 yards out then a short cast is fine.

Most good rock marks don't need a long cast out. You are usually much better off casting a few yards out and along, and working the lure back close in. That's what I do when I go to Dunstanburgh and it works magic for pollack and coalies. I try to cast maybe five or six yards out from the cliff and thirty or so yards along, let it sink for a few seconds and then I alternate the retrieve between sink and draw and jerking.

One of my favourite rigs is a jelly worm fished several feet behind a 1 or 2 oz bullet or barrel lead, bumped over the top of any weed. In ideal conditions I can throw it maybe 50 yards at the very most. Maybe. Most days it's a lot less and, as casting rigs, go it's about as aerodynamic as a brick.

Lures need to be worked through cover close in and not blasted for miles into open water.

I took a few nice coalies off Blyth pier last week on lures just a few feet out from the base of the pier, casting along the pier and working the lures back towards me, rather than casting out to sea.

Good luck

[fish fingers]

really good post perseus

[brash1]

Excellent advice, thanks for that pursues, the lure i was using was indeed tumbling in flight and kept wrapping the treble hook around the mainline so when i was reeling it in it was coming in sideways, i shall try again when the sea settles down a little, if it ever does that is

[carpking]

Well got me new spinning rod and reel delivered last week, but today was the first time i have had a chance to get out, thought i would have a bash on roker pier, got down about 8.30 and it was shut gutted, then decided to drive along to seaham. Walked down the bank to find a canny sea on and water like pea soup, gutted. Anyway had a few casts from the spiles, just to get a feel of the rod and reel. Cant cast half as far as i thought i would be casting with it, struggled to get 30-40 yards. In the winter can cast 100-120 yards easily with me mk1 appollo and slosh 30, do you think that 10 pound line is too heavy for a 9 foot spinning rod that can cast 60gramm spinners, i was only using 30 gramm ones, or do i need heavier spinners and lighter line, Please help lads as i havent really doneany spinning. Cheers.

alright brashy ,i use 8lb line on mine and 40 45 gram and goes a nice distance.i've even gone as low as 6lb line sensor.i find its more fun feeling the fish fight and playing than just hauling macky in.get the feel for the rod then drop the line down.

[brash1]

Cheers carpking, do you use a leader or not on the light line?

[DaveyP]

Great advice Persues.

[brix]

What youve just bought mate is a 9foot spinning rod and reel,it ain't made to cast spinners out of sight. 30_40yds is plenty far enough.30/40grms is OK 60grms is the most you should be using,much more and you might snap the tiph

[Persues]

I tried light lines but gave up on them for sea lure fishing.

Maybe it's just me but unless I fish pretty close to the surface my line tends to get rubbed quite a lot when I fish rocky outcrops. Kelp can tear line to shreds very quickly - I'm a big fan of light gear and during the summer I often fly fish at Craster and Beadnell, with a single streamer lure on a long leader. Great fun

The main reason though is simply that if a good fish comes along I don't want to lose it due to ultra-light line. A 4 pound pollack can really make an account of itself and bigger fish can obviously go harder, hence the decision to go with braid mainline and a stout leader.

Whatever works though.

[carpking]

Cheers carpking, do you use a leader or not on the light line?

never use a leader m8,just think the lighter the mainline the better

[carpking]

I tried light lines but gave up on them for sea lure fishing.

Maybe it's just me but unless I fish pretty close to the surface my line tends to get rubbed quite a lot when I fish rocky outcrops. Kelp can tear line to shreds very quickly - I'm a big fan of light gear and during the summer I often fly fish at Craster and Beadnell, with a single streamer lure on a long leader. Great fun

The main reason though is simply that if a good fish comes along I don't want to lose it due to ultra-light line. A 4 pound pollack can really make an account of itself and bigger fish can obviously go harder, hence the decision to go with braid mainline and a stout leader.

Whatever works though.

last year on the pier i used herring flies catching bonk eels.boom rod went 7 macky on 6lb line give a hell of a fight hand balled them up the side but the line held,it was the brown sensor line from republic sunderland.i think if your not to heavy hand with the fish the line will hold .

[chris elliott]

leader

hi lads,agree with persues 100% always cast parallell to the rocks or pier your fishing,them fishies such as pollack,coalies or even sometimes bass(im not counting mackerel in this because of the nutters who sometime disgrace our shoreline not only in the north but down south)find yourself a quiet spot have a look at stuff at low water and see where the fish might be holding where the tide floods,its not about casting,it aint good fishing where the fish aint,try at your feet on rock marks you would be suprised