Bite Indication ?

[lopex]

I was on Brighton marina last night catching mackerel with feathers on a pike rod and I noticed that most of the other anglers who were not fishing for mackerel had some sort of bite indication device on the end of their rods. Being totally new to the wonderful world of sea fishing could someone help me out as to what these things were? They had LEDs and some kind of bell too. Can you fit them to any rod?

 

Another thing I saw that I didn't recognise was the main line being used by a couple of anglers. It was more like string and was a bright yellow? What is this used for? Is it better than that 20-30lb mono lines I was using?

 

Thanks for any advise.

[Steve Coppolo]

I was on Brighton marina last night catching mackerel with feathers on a pike rod and I noticed that most of the other anglers who were not fishing for mackerel had some sort of bite indication device on the end of their rods. Being totally new to the wonderful world of sea fishing could someone help me out as to what these things were? They had LEDs and some kind of bell too. Can you fit them to any rod?

 

Another thing I saw that I didn't recognise was the main line being used by a couple of anglers. It was more like string and was a bright yellow? What is this used for? Is it better than that 20-30lb mono lines I was using?

 

Thanks for any advise.

 

What you were seeing last night were wallies, or danglers as they are sometimes called.

 

The LED's are an O.K bite indicator in the dark, but anyone caught using a bell, (or extra thick yellow line), should be banned from angling for life!

Edited July 15, 2006 by Steve Coppolo

[Dave Godwin]

Whats wrong with my thick yellow line then?

[Zigs]

calm down steve , he didnt say extra thick, just more like string.

 

i'm not a braid user ( never even seen it ) but could this have been braid ?

 

braid is thinner & stonger than mono & has very little stretch lopex, you dont really need 20/30lb mono for summer fishing, try 12/15lb, you'll cast further as its lighter.

 

check an earlier thread about shock leaders though, you need several yards of stronger mono to cope with the stress of casting out - 10lb strain for each oz of lead, so 5oz weight = 50lb shock leader.

 

steve is right about the bells though, don't use one down the chesil if you want to leave the beach intact

[n4lly]

The yellow string could have been dynabraid, nice but gives a papercut

like nowt else

 

I use 12 lb mono from beach, pier & boat, landed every thing so far

 

I tip light is handy on a realy dark night.

The best being a .....

 

[lopex]

It was not braid. I am a carp angler most of the time so I know what it looks like.

I imagine it was like fly line would be?

 

The bells were only tiny and was next to the LED's on the end of the rod. It was the same bit of equipment.

 

What should you use for bite indication when it is not practical to watch the rod tip all night? I couldn't think of a way to set up my bite alams!! And even if I did they would be going off every time the wind blew!!

 

It sounds like I didn't need to strip of the 200M of suffix xcelon from my bait runner and fill it with some 25lb "specimen sea". I have a spool of 15lb sensor that I will use next time!

 

Had a fantastic time on my first sea night session! Its great when the sun comes up and the mackerel wake up!!

 

 

Also what hook lenghts and rigs should I be using on Brighton Marina in summer? People were catching Bream and Bass last night.

Edited July 15, 2006 by lopex

[M.P]

You can buy bells that have a place to fit a tip light such as a Starlite, an all-in-one unit.

Don't know why anyone would want to use a bell though. Probably as Steve said, DANGLERS, not Anglers.

[Steve Coppolo]

It was not braid. I am a carp angler most of the time so I know what it looks like.

I imagine it was like fly line would be?

 

The bells were only tiny and was next to the LED's on the end of the rod. It was the same bit of equipment.

 

What should you use for bite indication when it is not practical to watch the rod tip all night? I couldn't think of a way to set up my bite alams!! And even if I did they would be going off every time the wind blew!!

 

It sounds like I didn't need to strip of the 200M of suffix xcelon from my bait runner and fill it with some 25lb "specimen sea". I have a spool of 15lb sensor that I will use next time!

 

Had a fantastic time on my first sea night session! Its great when the sun comes up and the mackerel wake up!!

Also what hook lenghts and rigs should I be using on Brighton Marina in summer? People were catching Bream and Bass last night.

 

Soon as you said they were using bells, I just knew they were using 200lb yellow mono! I doubt that Dave Godwin uses line that thick for the big sharks he catches, and I don't think they get that many great whites off of Brighton marina.

 

There's no way around watching your rod tip for a bite I'm afraid, unless you want to hold your rod all night feeling for a bite.

[Dave Godwin]

250lbs for the rubbing leader Steve, after that 50lb mainline maximum!