I wonder how many of these will actually be seen on the beaches?
£650 IS a lot of money but there are a lot of rods that are VERY expensive and still don't give you any gain in distance unless you work on your casting. And yet people still queue up to buy them hoping for a few extra yards.
I've read peoples comments about safety and whilst I agree mainly, I think a rod casting 6oz of lead can be even more dangerous. This gadget fires where you aim it, if you have a crack off in the middle of a Pendulum cast the lead can go anywhere, including straight along the prom, etc.
I don't think these gadgets are the best thing ever and I can't see me using one, but i'll be intrested to see how many people take them up.
I guess they use a pound of lead as you can't use grip wires and I guess a pound will hold bottom in quite a strong current?
Baits will be destroyed as well, unless you use some kind of PVA bag?
Casting to me is part of the enjoyment of fishing, and I read people saying this is the end of fishing as we know it but people have been trying to get distance other than by casting for ages. People use ballons to drift out, and I have read of tope anglers casting out at low water with braid and retreating with the tide untill they have as much as 350 yards of line out (obviously no bait changes). I bet some tope anglers take these up.
Bite detecection will be a problem as well (I imagine) at 300 yards. I guess you would have to use braid.
I look forward to seeing one of these in action, but i'll be sticking with my rod. How often would you cast 30 yards into a gulley with this, if 300 yards was on the cards.