salokcinnodrog

I have used Shimano reels for years (20+), and I honestly would not look at any other manufacturer for a fixed spool reel. I have gone from 3500 Baitrunners to 4000's, to 6010's, onto Aerlex's, onto the new size DL10000's and back onto Beastmaster XTA's with the front spool baitrunner system, all carried on working with minimal care. I have played a number of big fish on all of them (big being from doubles to 30+), and never has any reel missed a beat. I will be honest and say I have had an Aerlex, which I use as my spod reel, the bail arm mechanism has worn and the bail arm came free, which I was able to fix on the bank by fashioning a rubber grommet from a big rubber bead I can only put that down to repeated heavy use and abuse over 10 years! I do get to play with a number of reels at work, and I would say an ST Baitrunner is as good as the next range up DL, the difference is you only get one carbon plastic spool compared to an aluminium spool and a carbon plastic one with the DL, which may be a consideration when playing catfish. My DL's have played a number of 30lb fish, agin, ( I know) no problems, and some of those were from snaggy areas where I needed to lock up to get the fish away from trouble. The DL 10000 size reels I have used on Nazeing lagoons, and I would say that the maximum casting distance with 0.35mm 15lb line is around 90 metres, due to size and depth of the spool, the line can't pull off any further as you have taken too much off the top layers. I recently purchased a set of Beastmaster XTA's, with the front baitrunner spool and clutch, and that has increased the casting distance, they are a big pit, big fish reel at a budget price, can be got for around £55 if you shop around. The first fish I played on them was a very wild 8lb Sea Trout out of Nazeing with no problems, and had other carp since no problems. I don't mess about with line colour, well, other than a dark or light dependant on water colour. Daiwa Sensor brown, Gardner Pro in light or dark are my line choices, they take the abuse, regular casting, on spod and fishing rods, and playing big fish. Another important consideration is that a spool of line costs less than a £10, which if I do frag a line up on gravel or snags (which the Gardner is very resistant to!), it is cheap and easy to replace. A good reliable line is probably one of the most important items of tackle!

I use Amnesia regularly as part of my combi rigs, usually tied to Merlin, and I honestly don't know how many fish I have caught on that set up, it is very productive. I will say, after EVERY fish, change the hooklink, as Amnesia knots are notoriously bad after they have been tensioned and the line has stretched. I also use it in heavier strains (30lb) as a shock leader with my marker gear. In the long distant past I have used it as a mono hooklink, and have been thinking about it again recently as on gravel it is perfect. I would always tie on a softer hair on the hook, and use a (Rapala) loop knot at the mainline-hooklink swivel, and when tieing the hook on, use a 3 or 4 turn blood knot. Please note I test my knots, and these have shown the most consistency in giving best strength. As part of a combi rig, the overhand loop to Uni knot of the Merlin (Merlin going through the overhand knot and then uni knotted back down the Amnesia) is easy to tie, but as I have mentioned on other threads, not changing it after every fish has cost me another fish when the knot has given way. This rig, also pictured on one of my PB threads, has landed a couple of Pb's (d'oh), and on that thread has complete directions on tieing it

I found the PVA bag with a braided hooklink very effective in weed, although on gravel, the lead did tend to increase the landing speed, pushing itself out of the bag, still damaging the swivel. The hook pushed through the corner of the bag meant that most of the free bait stayed around the hook and bait in weed as or if the lead came out. The lead was positioned in one corner, the hook in the other. To slow the bag down, a few floating dog biscuits, corn/PVA nuggets or pop-ups could be put in it. A bright pop-up or dog biscuits floating up gave you a target to aim at if you want to fire a few baits around it.

My problem with inline leads is that the damage that gets done to the hook-link, hooklink swivel, lead insert or tulip bead, especially on harder lake beds. I used to fish inlines regularly, and found I was killing swivels, tulip beads and the top end of my hooklink as it crashed onto gravel in water less than around 6 feet deep. Kryston Braid was less likely to be damaged than mono, but Dacron and mono could get fragged. If the swivel got marked and nicked, it could eventually cut through the hook-link. The tulip beads I was using as the lead insert regularly got broken, so I switched to a neoprene sleeve or catapult elastic over a length of stiff tubing running through the lead.

For fishing semi fixed use a run ring and tight line. For fishing a running lead fish a run ring and slack line. Keep it simple. Especially as I think lead clips are the spawn of the devil and should be banned

Something like this you mean A length of stiff tubing, and a Tail rubber at the end, and a large ring swivel. The beads are soft rubber beads, and under LIGHT pressure do release, so there is no way that the fish should get snagged up and be left trailing any more than just a rig. The length of tubing can be used as a short length shown, or can be used longer if you would like a more Silt style set-up. As can be seen from the second pic, the lead is held onto a quick link swivel by the wide end of the tail rubber. The beads do pull free, so that the rig can be ejected If you use it with a leader, please make sure that the top bead can slide over the leader knot and that the rig swivel can also go over it, although any leader increases the chance of a tethered fish. I would suggest that if there are any snags or weed then the leader is dispensed with.

I reckon it can, especially over gravel or smooth hard sand or clay lake beds. Not just hemp, it can happen with boilies! I was sitting in the snags at Brackens hand feeding boilies, and watched a carp swirl off that I hadn't originally seen as I dropped a boilie on its nose. It didn't spook spook, but as it moved away before coming back, it's tail swipe lifted a number of boilies off and up into the water, which then dropped back down in a random manner to the bottom; I say random, but you could see the current created by the carps tail. A very critically balanced hookbait and rig may then be ignored as it didn't behave in the same manner, being tethered by the lead, compared to the boilies that looked like an explosion going everywhere. I actually got to the stage that I preferred over weighted pop-ups! A total contradiction of the paragraph above, about the tethering and movement, but that does often work better with a bed of particles or groundbait, sitting very low to the deck where fish are taking mouthfuls of bait by close vacuuming, just taking in mouthfuls of detritus as well as food.

What's a wafter? Critically balanced to me. Seriously I bet no matter how you think your hook and bait is sitting, the reality is very different, unless you place them in by hand! I honestly don't bother with how a wafter sits on the lakebed, as long as the hook sinks the bait, just! I have actually tested some that took almost a minute to sink in a full bath, seriously critically balanced Actually what rigs you use may occasionally change the hooking potential; I think pop-ups and wafters are far more critical to be rig savvy than bottom bait rigs, because a bottom bait rig most important is the hair length. With pop-ups and wafters you aren't likely able to rely on that as you aren't feeding or fishing the same.

Like you, I prefer in keeping it simple, and a running lead on the line is as simple as it gets. I do sometimes play around with rigs, usually dependant on circumstances, but again, I try to keep it as simple as possible. I posted this from a few years ago, it's probably as Tim will tell you on updated pictures more recently, still how I fish:

Indeed if using a leader that is a major risk, be it leadcore which I think despite someone's presumed typo, going to break around 40lb, (not many fish can break that), a fluorocarbon or shock leader is going to leave a fish trailing a mile of line if the mainline knot gives way. That I think is the time you definitely need a weaker hooklink. As it happens I use Kryston braids, Merlin in 15 or 25lb, in the knowledge that: A) the braid is not thin enough to cut lips, and is strong enough to land most fish I hook. B) the mainline to hooklink swivel knot will give way. That leaves the fish trailing a maximum of 30 cms of hooklink. I have had a combi rig knot give way, on only two occasions. One last week, was when I felt the hook pull into a new snag, the knot from Amnesia to Merlin pulled, and once with a fish on, when after landing a 20lb+ fish I was too lazy (or stupid) to check the combi link knot, and the same thing happened. I basically lost around 5cms of Merlin and a hook. By the way though, and I think others have said it, in print, (Ken Townley I know) knots in Amnesia can be suspect, so should always be double checked.

The weakest spot is usually the mainline knot to the hook link swivel. This does change if you use a leader, you move the weakest point closer to the rod tip, basically, any mainline knot becomes the weak spot. It is very rare that with most knots you will get 100% breaking strain, with anything except the Palomar knot, (95%+), the average knot breaks at a lot lower rating. With braided hooklinks especially, a fine braid of say 15lb, may cut into a fishes lip, however up the material to 25lb, and it does not cut. Basically the theory is the same, leaving the shortest link possible in the event of a loss. As it happens, I lost 3 rigs to a new snag last week on the lagoon. On checking each line breakage, I had the remains of the 'curly' on the line, where the knot itself had given way.

I have moved this thread into Tackle and Equipment section. In theory, if your Fox alarms have a 2.5mm Jack plug then any Fox receiver system using a 2.5mm Jack should work with that alarm, however it's likely that Fox won't like to admit it... Best suggestion is actually get the Atts receiver system as that does work.

I'd never thought about it... Honest!

I would avoid inline. Although clay is a firmish lakebed, the nose of an inline lead could push into the clay, this could mean your hooklink swivel or quick link is buried, leaving your hooklink looped up from the lakebed, so for me a pendant lead. Starting point on most waters would be a bottom bait, so that makes life simple. Then as Newmarket says, how much are you worried about camouflage? I use Kryston hooklinks, and for the sake of it would get as close as I could to the lakebed, so that would probably mean a Mantis coated braid hooklink. I would cut a length of Mantis, around 30centimetres, and remove the coating of around half of that. Tie a loop for your bait stop in the stripped end, then knotless knot the hook on. As much as I like the knotless knot, I would also add a line aligner from shrink or silicon tubing. I'm not one for the latest fashionable term, 'kicker', I prefer a standard straight piece of tubing with the line exiting from the front of the tubing, and silicon tubing actually saves faffing about with kettle and steaming etc.

Adam, I think that to some extent almost every angler is influenced by tackle manufacturers, what they say, advise and sell, and even to some extent by the name of the tackle. The Safezone range of tackle does not mean that the tackle is safe for the fish, but that there is supposedly a safe feeding zone around the end tackle. Safe zone as in the area is not going to spook the fish by feeling the leader, or safe as in camouflaged so they can't see it. However, in the event of a snap or break-off, the tackle may be a risk if the fish gets snagged. I really don't like leaders of any sort, they create an extra knot, an extra weak spot in the tackle, as the first knot from rod tip to tackle is usually the one that breaks under pressure. So if that is the leader knot, that is where it breaks. If you fish straight through to a swivel or quick link clip, it breaks there, and that leaves the carp just trailing a hooklink only, compared to pulling a leader around with the risk of snagging and tethering that involves. Also a large looped leader, with a bit of weed, or even some au naturale, the lead clip, bead or swivel and rig won't pass over the leader knot meaning a fish is stuck with that lot behind it. This makes another point, a lead clip I don't think is always the safest option. The lead link itself can catch up on weed and rubbish, whereas a sliding run ring is the safer option, it will slide off the leader, even if the line balls up as it snaps, yet a lead clip will be trapped. Lead clips are designed to stay on the swivel full stop, clicking in, being pegged in place, however the manufacturer makes it, yet some manufacturers have been advocating using a lead clip for a running lead, which is a flawed idea to my thoughts. To my mind, the only safe place for a leader is when the lake is snag and weed free, and you need a shockleader to give it a big cast for distance. However as you say, lake rules may mean that leaders are banned, that is where you have to consider the breaking strain and diameter of your line to get the distance you require, or fish short! I guess if you used braided mainline, subject to rules, then to avoid damaging the fish, you would consider a length of leader to avoid cutting a fish up, or cover the last length near the fish with tubing. Again, a leader. I have seen a braided mainline used, then a leader, then a length of leadcore all on one set-up, imagine the mess that little lot could be.

On a weed and snag free lake a 10ft shock leader is not long enough, you need around 12 feet to prevent snap-offs. Again on a clear water where you need a fluorocarbon leader for 'invisibility', 10ft is around right I reckon. Sorry mate, I really think you need to think your arguments through properly. As an aside, and in response to Mooseman, I refuse to use Lead clips for various reasons. I don't often want to eject the lead, I use generic swivels, as in I don't buy one end tackle manufacturers bits, I have a variety that suits, and I don't think that I should be forced to buy overpriced swivels from Korda, Nash or Fox just to suit a lead clip, or I use a tail rubber for more than one purpose, and so have loads of tail rubbers, but why would I buy Nash tail rubbers when I already have plenty just to suit his lead clip. As he says, a lead clip tail rubber can be jammed on by a bit of weed, the leadcore on a pendant or inline set-up is a danger in itself, even if the lead comes off, the leadcore is an inherent trailing weight. Basically leadcore should only ever be used with a heli set-up, and even then, you have to be sure that the beads and rig can be ejected, as a kink can trap a standard bead, stopping the rib coming off the end. On that helicopter set-up, you actually rely on the lead NOT being ejected, so that rig CAN be ejected!

Problem is, you try to snap 6inches of 40lb leadcore from a standing start, then try the same with a 15lb hooklink. It is likely that you can snap the hooklink, but almost definitely not the leadcore. As for the hooklink with swivel on it, the hook can still be ejected, there is minimal inherent weight. Yet with the leadcore, even if only 6inches long, the inherent weight of the leadcore will stop the hook being ejected. A carp can eject a hook, even barbed, if there is no weight on it. As soon as you add weight, this ejection is prevented, as it pulls the hook down in the lip, and it makes a fresh hookhold, or stops the hook lifting up and out.

It only takes 6inches to catch around a twig or snag if a fish swims in a circle! Also a well known angler was advocating a length of leadcore around 10feet long.

I do believe Ian used them in the past: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Sunglasses-Warehouse-Online-Shop/_i.html?_nkw=Fishing+sunglasses&submit=Search&_sid=195197055 This is Eyelevel, but I know some tackle shops sell them (we do) http://www.xxl-sale.co.uk/search/?q=Eyelevel%20Sunglasses&campid=5337249842&gclid=COrRzobc4csCFeop0woddRoMmA

Sunglasses warehouse on ebay, or a company called Eyelevel glasses, which should Google

I picked up this abomination last trip: a shop bought preformed leadcore leader, with the lead clip tight over the hooklink join, but it is the leadcore leader itself that worries me. I had retrieved it from a tree, all tangled up, just above water level. I have no problem with the rig itself, although the plastic hookbait was still held in place by a bait stop, which if it had landed and tangled in the water, would have been fishing continuously and permanently until the hook rusted away, potentially leading to tethered fish Please, please if you use leadcore, don't use it in snags or weedy waters, it is lethal. Personal choice, please, don't use it at all.

If your usual lead set-up is catching then why change it? Even then, as it is working at the moment, I wouldn't think to change the way I attached my lead, but more tweak and fine tune the rig if I stopped catching. If you need to cast further, to maximum distance, then I may consider switching to a helicopter lead, but I don't particularly like them any other time.

I use running leads most of the time, undertow and current allowing. I think bite indication is much better than a semi-fixed lead. You can use the large ring on the swivel straight on the line, my only worry with that is that if that ring gets a scratch or nick in it, it may damage the line, hence my preference for a proper run ring. If you are buying run rings, Solar, Fox and others all do them, most come in a kit complete with run ring, link and protective beads.

The loop does pull out when it snags up, which is why I still use it. A short length of Amnesia pushed in and through, with the ends lighter blobbed to stop them pulling out on the cast, but allowing it to pull out on any tension or snagging