Mackeral set up to cast further

wicklow_hunter

Hi All,

I was out mack fishing of the wexford coastline last week. There was one guy able to cast out maybe 70 80 yrds and was catching loads. Most other people incl myself fishing on the rocks could get out 40 - 50 yrds and were getting nothing.. . So what are the variables to casting out that little bit further and catching fish?.


Three variables that i can rule out are:

Lead weight was pretty standard 3oz like the rest of us
Trace was pretty standard - silver feathers
I was fishing on the bottom - i would count to 10 and let the trace sink

Does the cross section of the fishing line effect the cast?
Does the spring in the rod affect the cast?
Does the reel make any difference?
Does the reel need to be full of fishing line to encourage it to fly off the reel?
or is it down to technique?


Any comments or suggestions on set up are welcome:D

viper123

I always use a 12 foot carp rod, 2.5 lb test curve (equivalent to a bass spinning rod), 10lb line and 2 oz lead. I will easily outcast anybody on a pier (including most seasoned anglers) by at least 20 yards with that setup. Thats the upside. Downsides are that the weight of lead and the height of the pier mean you're always pulling the feathers towards the surface, therefore I let the lead hit the bottom on cast, and then after every 5 or so draws, let the lead bounce again on the bottom. The other downside is that you won't pull up a string of mackerel with 10lb line so either only use 3 feathers, or add a length of 20lb leader so that you can get the extra strength needed.
Also long casts aren't usually needed, the macks are quite often under your feet drawn in by the continual casts of feathers so so long as you are down the currect depth in close you'll still catch.

stylie

11-13ft 4-6oz rod, 15lb main line, 30-40lb shock leader(2.5 rod lengths),4oz lead = 70m+ casts

You could even switch the main line for braid and get greater distance.

Always ensure your spool is filled correctly and the bale arm is wide open, the line should not be hitting it as its going out. The bale arm can get pinged of rocks and get bent out of shape. Also nice big bottom rings will reduce the line slap and therefore friction.

Everyone using 2oz of lead up should be using a shock leader. Its safer, doesn't effect the cast that much, and easier to haul fish up heights with.

redzerologhlen

wicklow_hunter wrote: »

Hi All,

I was out mack fishing of the wexford coastline last week. There was one guy able to cast out maybe 70 80 yrds and was catching loads. Most other people incl myself fishing on the rocks could get out 40 - 50 yrds and were getting nothing.. . So what are the variables to casting out that little bit further and catching fish?.


Three variables that i can rule out are:

Lead weight was pretty standard 3oz like the rest of us
Trace was pretty standard - silver feathers
I was fishing on the bottom - i would count to 10 and let the trace sink

Does the cross section of the fishing line effect the cast?
Does the spring in the rod affect the cast?
Does the reel make any difference?
Does the reel need to be full of fishing line to encourage it to fly off the reel?
or is it down to technique?


Any comments or suggestions on set up are welcome:D

What kinda kit you using op? Surely you were casting more than 40 or 50 yard, I wouldnt regard myself as a great caster but stepped my cast on the beach one day and cast 120 yards to my suprise.

wicklow_hunter

Im using 3oz weight on 20 lb line , 13-14 ft shimano rod, reel is a 'leeda' beech caster and its a pretty decent size

Might try lighter line - problem is there is loads of rocks where i fish nd i 10lb line could be a problem

Zzippy

wicklow_hunter wrote: »

Im using 3oz weight on 20 lb line , 13-14 ft shimano rod, reel is a 'leeda' beech caster and its a pretty decent size

Might try lighter line - problem is there is loads of rocks where i fish nd i 10lb line could be a problem

You simply have to use a shockleader when casting anything over 2oz - the rule of thumb is 10lbs breaking strain for every ounce of lead, so 5oz = 50lbs.
Shockleader shoule be about 20-25 ft long for a 13-14ft rod, enough to go from the lead to the top of the rod, and back down with a few turns on the reel.
20lbs mainline might slow down your cast a bit but not significantly, most guys would use 15lbs for distance casting, or use braid on a fixed-spool reel to really cut down on line diameter. But please use a shockleader - the last thing you want is your line to snap mid-cast and a lead to hit someone at high speed!

redzerologhlen

wicklow_hunter wrote: »

Im using 3oz weight on 20 lb line , 13-14 ft shimano rod, reel is a 'leeda' beech caster and its a pretty decent size

Might try lighter line - problem is there is loads of rocks where i fish nd i 10lb line could be a problem

I use 25lb line where I fish because it is very rough and snaggy and I dont use a shock leader but it would be safer, saying that I dont remember having any snap offs this year. 4oz lead or 5oz if the sea is rough to get it to sink faster, 12ft beachcaster and an okuma reel. One thing I noticed with my expirements on the beach is that I was casting further with a more gentle type cast letting the rod do the work then trying to force it too much, hard to explain really.

dbrock

if your to fast your loading the rod to fast and probably jerking the cast,which will reduce your cast, you will need to use leader to try any sort of distance casting, use a 50lb leader and you should be covered, try a good slim mainline like ultima power steel or ultima f1in 12 or 15lb , very smooth casting lines, as long as you keep the cast smooth you should notice a difference, 20lb line will most def affect your distance,

maybe get out and practice a bit of casting and see what works for you, also remember most feathers these days have very light main line on em so be carefull and choose a set with bigger main line, personally if im using a beach caster and going out far for macs i re tie all my feather rigs for casting.

paddybongo

I use a 12ft shimano 3 to 5 wait rod,three feather trace,three ounce distance lead,fifteen pound main line and thirty pound shock-leader.

Properly fill your spool,shock-leader should only be round tree times around spool so a twelve foot rod would take about fifteen feet,and knots should be small and cut tight,Use smaller lighter feathers like shrimp or hooki,use smaller swivels.

A mistake a lot of people make is casting with one hand even when two hands are on the rod,when casting with right hand over the reel and left hand on the but push with the right and pull with the left to snap it out.
Also trace should be hanging three to four feet from the top of the rod.;)

uvox

I think it's a question of balanced tackle and technique. Sometimes mackerel are in close. They're fast movers in open water, chasing fry everywhere.

I use an ABU 403S with ABU 6500C and 12 pound line with a 28G lure and can easily clock 80-90 metres with it if I have a bit of elevation and the wind isn't against me...