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Sea Angling for Spearos

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
I just went back & re-read some of this thread - its too easy to forget all the advice that has gone before. Our friend AtomicHaggis mentioned a video on catching record conger on light tackle, so I went and looked it up & thought I'd post the link for everyone to enjoy:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68-1FKRVETE]YouTube - Sea angling light line record attempt for Conger Eel[/ame]
 
Baitcast Reel

I was hoping to get a cheap/used baitcaster for use with my car-boot sale Browning baitcaster rod - a kayak reel can have a hard and short life:(. However, baitcasters are still relatively few and far between on "this side of the pond" (UK). Rather than delay, I decided to order a baitcasting reel last night. Veals.co.uk had a surprisingly competitive price on what seem to be the most common product of this type in the UK,the ABU Ambassadeur Blue Max, left-hand wind, which is ABUs low-end model. ABU's round BX 5601 - more like a traditional multiplier - was another possible contender with slightly higher capacity but although similarly priced "stateside", it is significantly more expensive in the UK). Veals also gives a small discount to members (like me!) and I needed to get some shock leader too (lost my last barely used reel of it :() and I wanted to try some of their lighter fluorocarbon leader line (I currently use Varivas #5/20lb, so order some Varivas #4/15lb).

Foxfish pointed out some limitations of baitcasting rigs on my public mail (such as range). I think those are acceptable for a kayak rod - the American's seem to use them mainly/entirely from boats (I was likely brainwashed by Saturday morning Bass fishing shows on TV in the US!). The nice thing about investing in(/splashing out on) the baitcasting reel is that, unliked the fixed spool alternative, it will hopefully allow single-handed use.

LINE FOR BAITCASTING?

Baitcaster reels are supposed to be good with heavier lines (mono or braid). It appears to be spec'd for 12lb, so I'm thinking of using 12lb (perhaps some of Podge's Berkley Trilene) or perhaps the thin, strong 15lb line that has been our general purpose sea fishing line for the last couple of years (its got a smokey tint, I'd rather have clear line but apparently some of those are actually white rather than properly clear). [I'm open to thoughts/suggestions on the line - we'll only every get to sample a few lines, so your insights are appreciated]
 
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I would stick to a low tech 15lb mono as you will find the line easier to control on a bait caster & as distance is not an issue.
Depending on the build tolerance of the reel - thin lines can get between the spool & the frame - braids might be ok in the heavier versions but with their lack of stretch could result in lost fish when matched to a baitcasting rig.

I used to have an abu 5000 with a thumb control matched with an 7' abu trigger handle rod but that was 25 years ago in the hey days of quality abu equipment! I still own a 484 beach rod & a 20s big game boat reel, both are at least 25 years old.
 
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Good point, the baitcasting rod is quite stiff, casting the rated 1oz was remarkably easy (my 11ft 65g/2oz rated rod bends considerably more). Mono it is then. Actually I notice some of the "Bassmasters" (American pro bass anglers) express a preference for mono over braid - perhaps for the very reasons you mention (or sponsorship concerns:D).
 
Treble Hook Size Guide for specific lures / lure-types

Monster Tackle in the Channel Islands have kindly produced something I have long sought:
A guide to treble hook sizes for lures.​

It's pretty detailed too:)


By the way, Monster Tackle have some interesting looking soft mono for spinning by Yo Zuri.
Hybrid_Ultra_Soft_Mono.jpg
Rather more expensive than I normally use but not extortionate and perhaps just the thing for baitcasting? [Surely we have some American baitcasting bass fishermen out there who can advise!:)]
 
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Casting my baitcaster for the first time

Tried my new Abu Blue Max baitcaster reel out at the local recreation ground last night. Great fun - certainly there is a bit more too it than a fixed spool reel (fixed spool reels seem to be the best all round reel to me). I got my first birds nest while reading the instructions before even attempting a cast:D. It's all about the thumb isn't it!

I got a few cast to go almost as far as with my longer rod & fixed spool reel but never quite as far, as Foxfish predicted. No doubt things will improve a little with practice (as you can turn down the clutch).

BALL-BEARING SWIVELS & SWIVEL CLIPS
BTW Most angling swivels don't actually swivel in use, they are much too sticky - it astounds me that the trading standard office allows their sale. The solution is supposed to be to use bearing swivels but they are hard to find - Veals don't carry them, nor any of the angling stores I have visited. However, I just got some very nice ball-bearing swivels and clips from Harrissportsmall.com. One packet will be used on the lure rods - they are black, Berkley bearing swivel clips and fairly small:
16575.jpg

Some others (yet to arrive), are larger, silver Savage swivel bearing clips and will be used at the end of the shock-leader on my 2-4oz bass rod (thought this was frowned on but saw Sea Angler suggesting this recently:))
16716.jpg

Then some black swivels, larger than I normally use, will likely be used on hand-lines, flashers and perhaps some bait rigs:
16715.jpg
 
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ABU Blue Max baitcaster review/initial impressions

I'm frequently frustrated by lack of info. on the products I am interested in, which can result in poor or sub-optimal purchasing decisions. With than in mind, I thought I'd share my impression of my new reel:

A few initial impressions of the new reel, an ABU Blue Max, lefthand wind, baitcaster reel. It's superlight, even compared to the small German DAM fixed spool reel (2500 or less) I picked up at a car-boot sale last week. It fits the Browning baitcaster rod superbly. Overall I like it and look forward to using it more.

It's a bit plasticky. Not so much the body, although that probably is, but disappointingly the reel arm is not very substantial and could do with being a good inch longer, for me anyway. It struck me that this reel might end up being my birthday present (or half of it) from the family, in which case perhaps I should have gone for a fancier model(!) with more bearings; it is supposed to have 2+1 bearings (2 bearings and one roller bearing) but strangely I counted 5 or 6 bearings on the included diagram of this specific left wind model. However, as this is for kayak fishing, it is already at the high-end of my price range.

It felt quite jerky reeling in but I think that was because the cast weight was resting on grass, however the subsequent rod tip movement & reeling suggested something I have long suspected: this short rod & reel set-up imparts some extra action/movement into lures that is(/could be) attractive to fish.

The retrieve ratio is 6.2:1, which sounds like a high speed retrieve but it's not :(, especially not compared to my lower ratio fixed spool reels. Presumably this is because the inner circumference of the spool is quite small, so the 6.2 spins of the spool that I get from one turn of the handle is considerably less than I get from one turn of my lower ratio fixed spool reels. You need to wind a lot to bring the (shorter) cast in. [This oft quoted ratio seems particularly useless - a much more useful measure would be the length of line retrieve by a single turn of the handle - this is what we really want to know and it would take into account all those other variables (ratio, circumference, width, etc.). The catch, of course, is that it increases as more line fills the spool, so perhaps the measure should be taken when the the spool is filled to half depth.]


This is a right-hand wind model:
file_5051.jpg

The amount of engineering/technology in such a small package is truly impressive. The spool is solid and smooth. Casting, with practice becomes a joy - although minor bird-nests are still fairly common for me, and will likely mean that the line will need to be replaced more regularly. There are 2 adjusters to help with this, the first is set for the lure in use (it should slowly fall 10-30cm when you waggle the rod tip) the other is a magnetic dial which you set high to start with and reduce with experience. Setting it high reduces the overruns that cause the birds nests but also reduces cast distance. Multipliers are more difficult for beginners but this is a welcome challenge for me:). Was hoping that kids could use this from the kayak but that might take a while:( (fortunately there is the Shimano spinning combo to fall back on:)).

The instructions that come with it are those horrible generic ones. Fortunately there is enough there to get casting and deal with the main controls. However the ON switch is and thumbscrew are not explained. I still don't know what the purpose of the latter is, other than to remove a bar (to what end is not explained). The ON switch appeared to do nothing at first but eventually it clicked. I think it might be called a "flipping switch" or something similar. It changes the way that the neat thumb release works, such that instead of thumbing the spool and clicking the spool ratchet "permanently" off (until you reel in) with the base of your thumb, it is instead releases the spool only while the thumb switch is depressed. Not sure how best to use this feature currently but a little experience and/or youtube will likely explain.

The star drag is cheap, flimsy plastic :( - not in the same class as my old ABU 505 which is also a small, lighweight spinning reel - and can too easily be set too loose or too tight to be useful. Perhaps the least satisfying aspect of the reel. Maybe they think they need to do this keep costs down or to differentiate from higher models but, at this price, it would make me think twice before buying ABU again. Perhaps in practice it will work better than expected (as the nylon line release in the lower end RA spearguns did).

Too early to really know how this reel will hold up. My initial impression is only 4-6+/10*, but it is early days if it lasts well and/or I catch lots of fish with it that might well improve - perhaps considerably:D, I expect it to. It struck me as a little overpriced, a price of £14-£24 seems more appropriate than £28-£34. The poor generic instructions let it down quite a lot although the proper, quality cardboard box (handy size to hold the line when spooling line on;)) and model-specific diagram help offset that somewhat - in the US these are sold in tacky plastic throw-away packaging (albeit at a lower price).

[For comparison, I would give my Shimano Exage 2500 (& my FILs Exage 400) 9+/10, my Leeda Surfmaster60 7/10, my Abu 505 7-8+/10, my used DAM reel 8+/10, my old Ryobi right-hand wind spare reel 4-6.5/10, my old Penn multiplier 4-6/10 and the junky no-name closed face reels we bought as spares 0/10:D.]
 
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Kayak fishing today

Took the kayak out for spin - it has been gathering dust :(. In the end opted not to take the new rod but to stick with my old home-made rod & old Ryobi reel. Just as well really. I did see another kayaker go out with a similar baitcaster rod and identical Abu Blue Max reel set-up (quite a coincidence) but he wasn't out long. No fish caught (the location in question is yet to yield a decent fish) but I did catch a very small edible crab (returned) in the lobster pot which I placed from my yak:D.

SOT kayaks have become very popular. When I first visited the beach several years ago, ours was usually the only SOT yak there, there were a dozen SOT kayaks of various brands and sizes at the same beach today. Most of the new ones (Ocean Kayak & Perception) have handles on the side for some reason.

Thinking of trading in the Ocean Kayak Malibu2 for a single seater, more for the family than me though - they are becoming quite independent. So probably something small and recreational rather than a fancy angling/diving rig. Tried a few eels, gels & lead heads today but the best yak thing to me still seems to be an unweighted, medium size Eddystone trolled behind on a hand-line. Simple, almost hassle-free yet effective.
 
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My youngest daughter (now 22 yo) received a SOT yak from us a couple of years ago for hitting a home run in softball (goal that took her 5 years to acheive). The handles on the side are "okay" :head for carrying but great for securing into the pickup truck for transport! rofl
 
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Weedless techniques?

I found weed to be a bit of frustration while fishing recently, quite a lot of it just floating around. I wonder if any readers had lures/methods for dealing with this? Texas Rig?

Strangely the Eddystone eels with their down-hook seem to handle weed much better than the weighted gel eels that have a (bigger) hook on the topside. The latter seem to grab bunches of weed, while the former hardly any :) - although the weight & swivel up-line do :(.
 
There's not much you can do to avoid floating or suspended weed unforunately. texas rigging an SP would likely help a bit but you will still pick it up.

Weedless rigging refers to being able (most of the time) to pull a lure through weed beds which are growing and anchored to rocks etc.
 
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I take your point. Don't know why I didn't try "Texas-style" at the weekend, as I was at one point trying a Veals Fire-tail gel eel/worm/thing for the first time! To embed the hook tip would have been easy. I don't have any of those fancy special hooks (bent/offset) though. Come to think of it I was using a fairly unsuitable, over-large, ugly (Veals?) lead head. Might look into getting some of the brass & glass rigs & hooks - probably have to get them from the US(?).

More on Texas & Carolina rigging, with weight & line size info: http://www.ehow.com/how_2046659_use-texas-carolina-rig.html
 
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I took a "shore fishing" mate out for a trip in my 15' boat last night, great fun although with a few small issues!
To start with, he weighs quite a bit, maybe 18 stone?
This factor caused quite a list on my small boat!
However, while underway (although at reduced performance), we sort of straightened up a bit!
Anyhow, it was a big tide with a 5' swell & a force 4 offshore wind, hardly ideal in a small boat but tucked in behind a headland it was manageable (for a couple of tough Guerns!)
Plenty mackerel about but my friend had brought along some live sandeels with the hope of catching a bass!
First bass came to be, only small but a welcome change from the forever biting mackerel, next up were a couple of nice Pollock around the 3-4 lb range.
Then my mate boated a 4lb bass, then a couple of small bream came to me but the finale was a hard fighting 7lb bass to my mate (now promoted "first mate")
So the tally was 20 macs, 3 bass, 2 bream & 2 Pollock :friday
 
Good tale Foxfish. Yes 14lb to the stone, 18st 252lb. I'm just a little under that myself these days. Fred Flinstone:D

You can keep your rough seas :yack. I'd come back several pounds lighter:D Coincidently, I saw on the weather forecast this morning that seas on the south and west coasts of England & Wales are forecast to be very rough today.

Live sandeel, that's got to be the absolute best bait for bass and probably pollock too. How could they resist! How did he catch the sandeels - net/tiny feathers?
 
I take your point. Don't know why I didn't try "Texas-style" at the weekend, as I was at one point trying a Veals Fire-tail gel eel/worm/thing for the first time! To embed the hook tip would have been easy. I don't have any of those fancy special hooks (bent/offset) though. Come to think of it I was using a fairly unsuitable, over-large, ugly (Veals?) lead head. Might look into getting some of the brass & glass rigs & hooks - probably have to get them from the US(?).

More on Texas & Carolina rigging, with weight & line size info: How to Use a Texas or Carolina Rig | eHow.com
Fancy bent hooks are not vital to weedless rigging, you can use a normal straight shank hook as well, bait holder barbs can help, just feed it in the head, out about 1cm in, then twist and through the bait at the right position to allow the bend through the bait and nick the hook slightly to keep the point covered. You can also peg the hook with a cocktail stick through the eye of the hook if you get the eye further into the plastic so it is sunk right in. Hope that makes sense!! The Jersey bass guys have written some articles on that method recently if you want to google it, or just look up weedless rigging or straight shank worm hooks (or something similar) on some of the US freshwater bass sites as they have been doing this for some time.
 
Live sandeel, that's got to be the absolute best bait for bass and probably pollock too. How could they resist! How did he catch the sandeels - net/tiny feathers?

You can catch the larger variety of sandeels (Greens -greater sandeel - launce) on feathers (even mackerel feathers) but the smaller variety (Common - reds - lesser sandeel) are trawled daily, kept alive in special tanks and sold by local tackle shops. Anglers transport them in live bait buckets with portable battery operated aireators. That's what Mart's mate did.

Seriously dedicated boat anglers buy live eels direct from the trawler and keep them alive in on board tanks with permanently circulating sea water. A few still use the old wicker containers (couges) towed behind the boat (slow boats only).
 
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Thanks AMD. I'll take a look later. I did try with the big ol' 1oz lead heads but just end up breaking the gel fire tail :(. A smaller, finer hook would probably make more sense.
 
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