Beach Fishing

[marks1984]

Hey hey while fishing off the beach i tend to use a trace of about 1500mm while my younger brother uses a trace of 300mm what are the advantages and disadvantages of using a long trace compared to a short trace

[ARC H]

don't know what everyone else think's but i personally don't know any disadvantages except you use more trace at a time.

[blaxland]

Rex Hunt always said a shock leader twice the length of the rod was a good idea to allow casting heavy bait/lead

 

[marks1984]

Lol rex hunt have not heard that name in a while bhaha the rod length is 13ft thats is why i use a 1500mm trace

[Berleyguts]

If you're using a trace below a swivel and sinker, the length of the trace will determine how the bait moves in the water. How much it sits off the bottom etc. Also, the length of the trace can impact on how the bait moves through the air in a cast. A longer trace can be difficult to cast without tangling. I tend to use traces of 50 to 100cm.

[marks1984]

I knew the casting difference would be affected thanks 

[kingfishbig]

Actually a paternoster rig works quite well in the surf, either with 2 hooks/ traces or 1. It helps with casting having the sinker at the bottom and the fish don't seem to mind either.

[marks1984]

yeah thanks mate but ill be using a ganged hook rig

[campr]

Looks to me that there is confusion between a leader and a trace. 

A shock trace is usually heavier than main line and  used to prevent snapping your line on the cast when casting heavy rigs. It should be long enough to at least have a few turns around the reel spool before casting. You should almost always use one when using braid preferably with an fg knot.

A trace lies between your sinker/swivel and hook and can be lighter or heavier.  longer traces allows more natural bait presentation but can reduce casting distance and cause tangles. About 3o to 40 cm is a fair compromise.

Hope this helps. Ron

[marks1984]

Thanks mate

[Berleyguts]

On 5/30/2017 at 1:03 PM, marks1984 said:

yeah thanks mate but ill be using a ganged hook rig

OK then.  If using gang hooks, try running the ball sinker directly above the hooks, with a short trace to a swivel (to prevent twist)..  You'll be able to cast better.  You can run a leader from the main line to the swivel if needed.  I tend to use an Alvey for beach fishing and if I need a trace below the swivel, I run the sinker on a secondary trace between 2 swivels above the hook trace to prevent line twist, if you get my drift.  With an Alvey, you generally need a swivel above the terminal tackle at all times.

[marks1984]

so your saying have my main line ===> swivel ===> sinker ===> hooks?

[Mike89]

On 29/05/2017 at 7:19 PM, blaxland said:

Rex Hunt always said a shock leader twice the length of the rod was a good idea to allow casting heavy bait/lead

 

This is a good length for bait fishing when the cast doesn't matter so much. I find the shock leaders longer than a rod length really reduce casting length when pitching out lures.

That said I used a x2 rod length of leader for all of my bait fishing.

[marks1984]

Yeah fair enough  i understand what you are saying

[Berleyguts]

12 hours ago, marks1984 said:

so your saying have my main line ===> swivel ===> sinker ===> hooks?

Yes, if conditions suit. Use the smallest ball sinker you can get away with, none if possible. The pillie needs to work as naturally as possible. Too heavy and it might not. Too light and you might have trouble getting casting distance. This is why I like an Alvey... they are great at casting light baits reasonable distances.

[marks1984]

What about if i tie a FG knot or a Albright knot to be able not use the top swivel 

[Howdoweplaythis]

FG knot is probably a bit overkill surf fishing. I use a double uni for braid > mono and the only time it's failed in the surf is when i'm intentionally breaking my line after being snagged.  What you're suggesting should work in the surf, but any reason you don't want to use a swivel? The classic running sinker rig works fine when beach fishing but I encourage experimentation to see what works for you 

[marks1984]

Narr man just thinking of different rigs want to try different things

[Howdoweplaythis]

Try a paternoster for something completely different. Or a surf popper 

[marks1984]

Yeah man I'll try it thanks