Design Flaws in Fishing Gear

[alluring]

Hi all,

I'm a final year Industrial Design student, about to apply for and take on a year long Honor's project next year. I'd love to do a research project related to fishing or outdoor design, and I'm really keen for some ideas for a potential product or even just to get an idea of the general problems or faults you have with your gear!

At the moment I'm tossing up over a new form of kayak (I find mine to be quite uncomfortable spending more than three or four hours in), or perhaps even some kind of new reel or something. But I'd like to gather as many as ideas as possible on here. Not limited to any paticular style of fishing either!

Cheers

Alluring

[fishesh]

Maybe it's just me but I was find my reels always rust. I don't know what's with the designers logic since fishing you are exposed to salt water often and salt water accelerates the rusting. If possible it would be great if the reel can be made from stainless steel or other non rusting material

[SgtBundy]

I put up an idea in a previous thread about a fishing tote on wheels - livebait tank, tackle trays, rod holders, cutting board, lighting, rod holders etc. Bundle it all together on something with some decent sand wheels and can be stowed in a car boot. Turn up at fishing spot, wheel all your gear down, setup and fish. Wheel on to the next spot etc.

[DeanFish]

I like sgtbundys idea. I also think if you can invent the ultimate wheel bearing that dosent require annual replacement you will be a rich man.

[NaClH2OK9]

Back in the UK I saw things similar to what sgtbundy suggests. Looked a bit like a golf bag trolly but with balloon tyres

Edited October 1, 2014 by NaClH2OK9

[luderick59]

a portable cleaning table made from old ironing boards [collapsable ones]

[Guest no one]

Back in the UK I saw things similar to what sgtbundy suggests. Looked a bit like a golf bag trolly but with balloon tyres

Same here Steve... in fact I used to use one. It was basically a Trolley where you'd fit your seat box, rod bag, bait bags too and drag to your peg. fishing in the UK required a lot of gear and quite difficult to carry. I've not seen anything similar here!

We had these seats which are also tackle boxes... on the bottom of them they had "legs" which you could adjust so if the ground is uneven you're still sitting flat and not rocking. Check them out in the pic below... awesome inventions but nothing simialr out here from what I've seen. FYI - you sit on the tackle box! They also included build in rod holders, Keep net pegs and umbrella stand - basically you never had to get off your ass!

Also I had to get my old man to send me a rod holdall from the uk as I couldnt find one here... These can fit up to 7 foot long rods, sand spikes and nipper pumps with a lot of protection. Design something like that and stock it in stores here and I'd be a happy boy!

Edited October 1, 2014 by tef1on

[Nolongeramember]

Well a flaw which really annoys me that I've found in all my spinning reels is the pivot on the bail arm wears and the arm becomes stiff over time even with lube. I've got some perfectly useable old reels that are unusable because of this problem.

The painted coating on the pivot wears off and it's no good once this happens. They need to design it with a bush of some kind on there. It's not practical to replace the parts involved as this would be the entire rotor, the bail arm and another arm on the opposite side.

Would be a good fix but maybe not a great option for a uni project I don't know. Just thought I'd have a whinge anyway hahaha.

[Holls]

We had these seats which are also tackle boxes... on the bottom of them they had "legs" which you could adjust so if the ground is uneven you're still sitting flat and not rocking. Check them out in the pic below... awesome inventions but nothing simialr out here from what I've seen. FYI - you sit on the tackle box! They also included build in rod holders, Keep net pegs and umbrella stand - basically you never had to get off your ass!

What, no TV? Where's the bar? Have to say, I'd feel like a right dick setting this up on the beach. Might work in the UK.

[cameldownunder]

Telescopic Kayak ? Folded, less then 1.5m, expanded 4m. ( Inflatable ) Boat Bow Tent ? Boat Caravan ( rigid platform with inflatable chambers to hold up the weigh you pull behing boat, and expanded is a small floating house)? Kingfish tractor beam?

[Guest no one]

What, no TV? Where's the bar? Have to say, I'd feel like a right dick setting this up on the beach. Might work in the UK.

You might feel like a dick... but keeping all your tackle out of the sand, having a comfy place to sit... maybe someone has a disability or a horrible sporting injury like a slipped disk in their spine and cant stand for long periods. Your idea of looking like a dick... Someones comfort to enjoy a sport they love - It's not all about you!!

[matyg]

a while back there were some spinning reels that had a lever on the bail arm that allowed you to grab the line with your finger to hold it against the rod ready to cast, while flipping the bail arm over. this meant that the whole process was one handed. shimano made it , i think it was called quickfire. only used it once on a mates old set up and was a bit hard to use but could be a great idea if engineered correctly

[Ryder]

a while back there were some spinning reels that had a lever on the bail arm that allowed you to grab the line with your finger to hold it against the rod ready to cast, while flipping the bail arm over. this meant that the whole process was one handed. shimano made it , i think it was called quickfire. only used it once on a mates old set up and was a bit hard to use but could be a great idea if engineered correctly

The shimano symetre had it.

The downfall is too much play in the bail rotor

No propper anti-reverse the bail rotor could turn backwards,

before stopping at the point for casting using the trigger.

Not great for finesse fishing

Edited October 2, 2014 by Ryder

[Jamestown]

What's the point of anti reverse? Get rid of it, fixed gear reel. Got two reels with anti reverse issues that spin backward in strke when a fish hits.

Never use it just another thing to go wrong.

[Sydneyfisher12]

What's the point of anti reverse? Get rid of it, fixed gear reel. Got two reels with anti reverse issues that spin backward in strke when a fish hits.

Never use it just another thing to go wrong.

my new penn spin fisher is like that so much better no worries with backlash in the reel

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[Crossfire63]

Gee I reckon one of the biggest design flaws was the Tufftackle Brawn reel. Which constantly snapped. Designed by a fitter with little knowledge of metalurgy

[adamski]

Also I had to get my old man to send me a rod holdall from the uk as I couldnt find one here... These can fit up to 7 foot long rods, sand spikes and nipper pumps with a lot of protection. Design something like that and stock it in stores here and I'd be a happy boy!

download.jpg

As someome who doesn't have a car and has to use public transport, I like the idea of a rod holdall. Might even get myself one when I'm back in the UK at Christmas.

[Guest no one]

As someome who doesn't have a car and has to use public transport, I like the idea of a rod holdall. Might even get myself one when I'm back in the UK at Christmas.

Adam, make sure you get a waxed lining one! Salt water will tear a normal fabric one apart. Shakespeare do a great range called SALT. It's where I got mine from in the UK wouldn't go without it now.

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[Holls]

You might feel like a dick... but keeping all your tackle out of the sand, having a comfy place to sit... maybe someone has a disability or a horrible sporting injury like a slipped disk in their spine and cant stand for long periods. Your idea of looking like a dick... Someones comfort to enjoy a sport they love - It's not all about you!!

Just sayin teflon. We're all fishers, let's stay cool.

Another thing I've seen used in the UK are those spiked sinkers. Anyone use them here? They're good on the beach, fold back for easy retrieval and can be cast a long way, I'm told. Though I haven't seen them in the shops here.

[NaClH2OK9]

Holls. I used to use break-away sinkers all the time beach fishing in the UK but not here.

I think I've seen them in bcf

[Guest no one]

The sinkers you're talking about have hinges on them so when the sinkers in the rocks it grapnels down, then when retrieving the grapnel snaps back for an easy retrieve. As you, never seen one here. Type in grapnel sinker in google images to see

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[Crossfire63]

Just sayin teflon. We're all fishers, let's stay cool.

Another thing I've seen used in the UK are those spiked sinkers. Anyone use them here? They're good on the beach, fold back for easy retrieval and can be cast a long way, I'm told. Though I haven't seen them in the shops here.

I use them all the time. 8oz breakaway sinkers are ideal for fishing off the beach in big seas and strong winds. Once they're set they don't move

[Holls]

I use star sinkers of different sizes but I might get some 'breakaways'. More aerodynamic for casting and a paternoster rig might be less likely to snag on rocky bottoms!

[SgtBundy]

I could only find them from US stores off eBay. BCF has some crappy ones which I have yet to test out, they are nowhere as nice as Crossfire's.

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[GreyNurse]

Has anyone invented a rear vision mirror system for kayaks? I get a bit unnerved sitting out on the Georges River or Port Hacking and having to rely on my hearing a boat bearing down on me from behind. It's no fun having to cork screw your neck around every few minutes to check on the same. Bad enough reaching around for food, drink, or whatever from the storage crate behind me.