Beachcasting for carp

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

Flying tench....big tinca............school is now open

 

In the diagram it appears the hooklink is fixed between two points on the line. This isnt quite true. Those two anchor points are in fact sliding stop knots tied tot he line with the legs of knots trimmed so only the legs of the knot facing eachother (or pointing toward the hooklink) are left about an inch long. The legs pointing in the other direction are trimmed as close to the knot as possible.

 

The hooklink slides up and down the mainline on a swivel.

 

When you cast, you cast more upward than outward (aiming for roughly a parabolic trajectory) so the lead and float go tearing off into the distance dragging your mainline through the swivel attached to the hooklink due to its poor aerodynamics. The swivel passes over the first stop knot (the side you trimmed neatly) and then hits the leg of the second one thus setting your hooklink between the two stopknots.

 

You then place your rod upright and tighten up until your bait just sits on the surface of the water as in the diagram.

 

When a fish takes your bait, he hooks himself as he tries to submerge with your bait, but due to his weight he pulls the hooklink over the stopknot so as you pick up and reel in, it feels at first as though no fish is on until reeling in the free line brings the lead and float up to meet the fish. Then its simply a case of playing the fish as normal.

 

For big changes in water depth, you simply lubricate the knots and slide them up or down the line......obviously the deeper the water, the further away from the float and lead you want them. I've fished it in around 30 feet of water and had no problems once I had the knots in the right place.

 

You follow that ok?

Edited May 4, 2006 by Brumagem Phil

[Dick Dastardly]

Well explained Phil I shied away from that one big style!

[Andy Macfarlane]

I think it illustrates the principle well enough to answer Andy's question. It's the first one I found with a Google images search.

 

Yes, it did thanks Steve.

[PIKE]

One of the pools I hammered last summer now has a right raft of rules attached (it previously had next to none) but the one that irks me is that beachcaster rigs have been banned. Why are some places so anti this style of fishing?

 

Is there a genuine reason that its not liked or is it just the old envy thing that they dont like a method that works really well?

 

Any thoughts gents?

 

 

Boycott the water.

There must be other waters near you where you can use the the beachcaster method

if you still want to use it.

Edited May 5, 2006 by PIKE

[Anderoo]

This is precisely why I started this thread, to see what REAL objections there were tot he technique rather than some of the myths or personal objections rather than bonafide fishing issues (if you see what I mean).

 

- it's noisy and OTT ............this is just the kind of wishy washy non issue I come accross all the time! How is a bomb and float splashing into the water any different to a method feeder wrapped in groundbait?

 

When you speak of fixed rigs, are you speaking of teather type rigs because a beachcaster set up isnt that at all as I explained to colin below.

 

I partly agree with your other two points.......yes if you get 3 or 4 casters on a smallish pool then they do take it over a bit. On the other hand despite showing literally dozens of people how to do it, the 120 peg lake I normally fish has just me (and one of my mates) who actually fish this method. Its odd that given how good it is (and how involving a fishing method it is) that more people dont do it.

 

I personally find it far more entertaining than waiting for a baitrunner to go whizzing off.

 

Stalking the margins is another fave of mine anderoo......not always a practical prospect on all waters though.

 

Stimulating little debate this.

 

I did say 'some objections COULD be'... not necessarily my opinion. I've used it before and it work very well. I have seen people (usually kids) fishing variations on the basic rig that are fixed rigs - like any rigs, there are safe and unsafe ways to set this up. Stalking is often not an option, especially on busy waters, and I'd have no problem someone using this on a big water.

 

Any bans are annoying to the responsible angler - but bans are usually there because some anglers, unfortunately, are not responsible.

[gozzer]

I don't intentionally fish for carp, (as some may have guessed ). But some of the rigs you guys use amaze me. I've no doubt they work, but the complexity of some of them leave me opened mouthed.

I know I'm old fashioned, but everything I do, I try to make as simple as possible, and the thought of casting and playing a fish, with a rig that resembles a Heath Robinson sculpture, would detract from the pleasure I get. This is not a criticism, (I don't know enough about big carp angling to be that presumptuous) just an observation.

[The Flying Tench]

Flying tench....big tinca............school is now open

 

Thanks ever so much BP. I think I understand, though there seem to be a lot of things that could go wrong (in my case!) I shall certainly try it though - on an easy water initially, then for the biggies.

[Ken L]

A few years ago, I saw an alternative to the breachcaster rig using a big controller float with a carbon fiber arm built into the float.

When the float sat upright, the arm would be about 35 degrees to the surface and had a length of line and a hook left hanging from the end so that the bait would just rest on the surface.

 

The bait isn't really achored in the same way as in a BC rig but it would seem to let you have some of the advantages of a BC without breaching the ban.

[Dick Dastardly]

Thats a "suspender"rig that I refered to Ken. The comercial ones arnt much cop but homemade ones can work really well for a limited period.

[Guest Josh Iddon]

Budgie, with the suspender rig how far can you get your bait from the float?

 

Ive seen various diagrams but the all seem like the bait is only a couple of inches away frowm the float.

 

Josh