From Mike Thrussell -
2005 World Sea Fishing Limited
The Long and Short of it
There is a lot of confusion over the length of surf rods. Walk the tackle shop racks and you’ll see 12ft rods, 12ft 6in rods, 13fters and full 14ft blanks. It is all very confusing. Here are a few tips that might help you decide.
Remember that many multiplier rods come with reducers, which are removed for casting and therefore will reduce the actual length of the rod being cast. The reducer is replaced when fishing and retrieving. We are talking only about actual casting length.
It’s wrong to assume that long rods will outcast short ones. It all depends on the casters physic and the style and type of the cast used.
If you’re a small slim guy, you’re more likely to be quite fast in your movements but lack massive strength. The shorter 12ft rods should be more suited to you and bring out the best in your casting performance. Your asset is speed and the short length and lightness of the rod encourages this for use with standard casts and especially more powerful ones like the pendulum. Try and cast a 13ft rod and you might not have the strength to move it at speed, nor fully compress it. When you lose speed and compression, the cast falls short. Medium fast taper rods can be a good choice for these casters.
If you’re of average build, height and fairly fit you’ll fall midway retaining a good degree of speed, but also have more in the way of brute strength. You have the physic to move the 12ft 6in to 13ft rods at reasonable speed and still hold them under full compression for maximum casting power with simple overhead casts right up to full pendulum styles. A fast taper rod should be about right for most guys of this build, but not a full power tournament pole for fishing with.
The gorillas amongst us can generally look at the 13fters, maybe 13ft 6in with a stiff taper. These guys are likely to have less speed in the power build up, but have the compensation of strength to compress a more powerful blank. The extra length also gives back a little more tip speed because of the wider arc the tip goes through in comparison to the body. It’s no surprise that this type of guy tends to dominate our casting events. A fast taper ultra stiff rod is well within their capabilities if they have the right style to maximise power potential.
Again it’s a generalisation, but stiff 14-foot rods are not suitable for use by the average angler with fast casting styles like the pendulum. These long rods give their best with the off-the-ground casting style which has a slower build up and gains extra lead speed by using the length of the rod to increase the width of the casting arc.
Performance aside, the 14fters are useful for bad weather conditions as they keep the line higher in the water reducing weed problems.
We are all built different, and there are exceptions to the above rule, but the guideline is pretty accurate for most casters. Go on any popular fishing beach any day and you’ll see anglers struggling with rods that are way too powerful and too long for them. Length isn’t everything!
Tips and Tricks
I was down in Newquay, West Wales recently talking to local tackle shop owner Paul Watts. He’s in to making tackle as well as selling it and he showed me a different way of fishing feathers for mackerel and pollack.
He uses five normal plastic booms positioned equal distance apart on the trace. He stretches the ends of the booms to thin them down, and then whips the boom ends on to the shank of the hook with a silver wing also trapped under the red whipping thread.
He says that using the booms to present the feather lures cuts down on tangles both when fishing and when mackerel are hooked and all trying to go separate ways. I’ve since tried the boom mackerel rigs and they work exceptionally well. I was worried that the booms might put the mackerel off, but they don’t. It’s a great idea and one Paul is currently marketing.
Sole Fishing Tactics
The most common sole caught by shore anglers is the Dover Sole. These can be distinguished by checking the pectoral fins, which should be of equal size that the dorsal and anal fins are joined, and the nostril on the underside is small.
Soles are most frequent from the East Coast beaches, along the English Channel, and on some beaches along the west coast right up to North Wales. Sole can be very localised with only individual beaches in a small area producing. The best time for sole is late July through late September.
Sole like sand or sandy muddy ground and are often near to rocks. They are nocturnal and show a preference for calm humid conditions with minimal wind and flat seas. They are nocturnal feeders and will swim very close to shore tight in to the small breakers as they hit the sand. They are often found in small shoals, so catch one and there are likely to be others, though shoal fish tend to be smaller. The big fish are loners.
Sole have set but brief feeding tides. Expect the two hours before dawn to be good, or during the period when the water is changing from ebb to flood in direction. Expect to cast close during flood tides, but add a little more distance as the ebb tide kicks in.
The best bait by far for sole is black lugworm, though rag baits can also score. The key to successful sole fishing is to use small hooks. Size 4 to 6 Mustad 3261 Aberdeen hooks or Kamasan’s are a good all round choice. A flowing trace rig using two hooks spaced 12-inches apart on a 24-inch trace of 15lb line catches better than any other rig design. Use an Avis Boom tight above the lead to keep the trace neat and tangle free while fishing
Hope it helps.......... demon
