Sea Angling for Spearos

[fleshy]

A picture tells a thousand words. This was earlier today.

[Jonny250]

Nice one ADM, your perseverance paid off :-)

[Mr. X]

Nice mullet ADM, I was quite gripped reading that.

Originally Posted by fleshy

A picture tells a thousand words. This was earlier today.

Cool, what is it -- looks like an evil white mackeral. That doesn't look like Wisconsin behind you - are you in the Carribean?

[ADM]

Cheers Mr X!!

There's nothing like Mullet once you hook one. That one fish makes up entirely for a dozen blank frustrating sessions!! Nothing like it for the fight. Only bonefish (apparently).

Had a trawl through my files and here's a pic of the mark in question, the tide is lower here, last night it was about 1.3m over the sill gate. I was fishing about 20 yards from the entrance on the side the picture was taken from.

Salarie6.jpg

[fleshy]

You ever had a bonefish on a fly? Thats a good fight. But nothing beats wisconsin bluegills on the beds. Some of the best fighting fish Ive ever caught. Right now Im doing an internship in fort myers florida, this was caught off of captiva beach. After the picture I was giving him "fishy CPR" (holding the mouth open, and pushing the fish forwards and backwards underwater) before releasing him, and he bit me! What an ungrateful little bugger, eh?

[okamotoa]

yea man but funny lol...u should really try a good carp or big cat on a fly rod though now thats better yet

[blaiz]

You guys need to come over here and try some ulua fishing from shore! You get a strike from one of those and good luck getting your pole out of the holder 100lbfish+50lbdrag+80lbtest=

We get some pretty good sized bonefish here too, usually catch them on fairly light tackle (12lb test) dunking shrimp or live 'oama (baby goatfish). Great fight! my biggest so far was about 9lbs. I thought I had a 30lb ulua!

[SurfnSpear]

Interesting article..
Night Bass Fishing - Choosing A Light

[Mr. X]

I saw an article in Sea Angler magazine a month or two ago where Alan Yates reviewed a Shakespeare (might have been a Shimano) beachcaster that he quite liked, unusually light -- I don't suppose anybody saw/recalls the model (I think it was named something like Surfcaster - might have been the Shimano Forcemaster Surf)? I think the RRP might have been around £55.

The reason I ask it because it looks like we'll be holidaying as a bigger group this Summer as in-laws plan a family get together. Thinking maybe I should get a heavier sea rod to beef up our tackle & give the brothers-in-law something to use. Either a semi-decent rod (like the one above) that I can use afterwards (with my Leeda surfcaster reel) or a cheap rod/kit that is simply a spare for visitors.

Also, do you think my lovely old Abu 505 freshwater spinning reel with star-drag would be upto a spot of seafishing? I used to use 4lb line on it, I reckon 6-8lb might have been what it was designed for(?). I don't use that sort of line anymore, so wonder if it would be ok to use my left over 17.5lb Whiplash braid (probably as thin as 8lb line, at around 0.010mm).

Sea Angler magazine tip videos, personal lessons from Alan Yates (national team captain?), defo worth a view:

GoFishing.co.uk - Brightcove
THE PENNELL RIG - Brightcove
SANDEEL - Brightcove <--World Champion advice
HOW TO USE RAGWORM - Brightcove
PEELER CRABS - Brightcove

[Mr. X]

Miles mentioned some time ago that he has converted to using fluorocarbon after seeing a friend get all the bites. Anyone using fluorocarbon for bass plugging? Read an article by Henrey Gilbey & he was using 30lb braid with a 30lb fluoro carbon rubbing trace to plug for bass in Ireland. 30lb seems pretty thick for a visual fish like bass. I think ML mentioned moving to a heavier trace too (think he previously used 10-15lb?). I was thinking of trying some Vavaris 345 fluorocarbon from Veals (recommended in a different plugging article) not sure what to get though. I was originally thinking of 14-25lb, probably 20lb, but now thinking 25lb -- but perhaps 30lb is the way to go if this stuff is so hard for fish to see? I guess the knot becomes the weak link (to avoid loss of braid as well as lure in event of a bad snag).

Also, anyone know if the Exage 6000FA is available in the UK? Anyone seen it? Wondering how much bigger it is than the 4000, as the weight is quite a bit higher.

[ADM]

Why do you want something so big as a 6000 for spinning? The 4000 should be plnty big enough in the UK. Unlikely to have a 100yd run!!

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by ADM

Why do you want something so big as a 6000 for spinning? The 4000 should be plnty big enough in the UK. Unlikely to have a 100yd run!!

Interesting. I'm currently using a 2500 which is usable, just, but really too small for sea plugging. Was thinking next reel would be 4000 but recently read that ML was getting a 6000, primarily for tropical fish - so wondering if was worth considering going a little larger, maybe 5000. Checking spool capacities, 4000 isn't that much more than 2500 - but perhaps, as you suggest, it's enough. Didn't think Exage was available in larger sizes but apparently it is, although 6000 is the next size up, and a fair bit heavier. Was thinking it would give enough capacity for other types of fishing/locations too (although my Leeda surf reel probably fills that role already & ML seems to have managed with a 4000 in the tropics for some time). Talking of the Leeda surf reel....

Some of the inexpensive rods I'm looking at (for guest use, general holiday shore fishing, ledgering & heavy lure fishing). Seemed like folk generally thought 2-4oz would be the size to go for, last time I looked into this. Quite like the idea of a 3-piece rod for anything over 10ft. Couldn't find the recommended Shakespeare Odessa Bass - typical, looks like they discontinued the popular & well thought of model. Not sure which model would be the current equivalent, perhaps one of these?:

Shakespeare Fishing - ShakespeareTidewater MPV (or Bass)
Shakespeare Fishing - Shakespeare Salt MPV
Shakespeare Fishing - Shakespeare Salt Bass Rod

This ones quite a bit more expensive but perhaps a better longer term "investment":
Daiwa Longbeam 11ft 6" Bass Special Rod - Only £43.99 - Poingdestre's Daiwa Longbeam Bass special
https://www.veals.co.uk/acatalog/Shimano-rods.html Shimano Nexave Surf BX1324 (2-4oz)/ Shimano Nexave Surf BX1325 (2-5oz)/ Shimano Nexave Surf BX1336 (3-6oz)

Interesting deal, buy an Okuma 50 reel (same size as Shimano 5000?) and get a free Ron Thompson 20-60g spinning rod:
https://www.veals.co.uk/acatalog/Spinning.html#a1101

[Mr. X]

Daiwa Longbeam is off the list (broken tips/weak bottom spigot): Sea Angling Ireland :: View topic - €150-200 to spend!
Shakespeare Odessa Bass/Salt Bass/Salt MPV

[felipe felop]

mr.x, i use a couple of carp rods from trago mills on the rocks down at long quarry that way the expensie gear/rods don't get trashed & chipped,they always seem to handle everything fine,but still get tangles on braid till i switched to using a shimano 6000,the slim metal perks work well for bass cos i rig 2 of them on an outrigger boom have you ever tried it, it seems to work, i say that cos it looks like a couple of sandeels that have gone AWOL from the main shoal

[ADM]

I use my Shimano 2500 for spinning with 14lb braid. Would only have a problem if I hooked something big at max range. Can just see the spool on a big cast with a 28g spinner like a toby which casts very well.

Can't recall the capacity, somethign like 110yd of 8lb mono.