Sea Fishing Tackle, Rods and Reels

Getting into sea fishing can be a little daunting. Unfortunately many tackle shops in the UK appear to be reluctant to share knowledge and walking into a tackle shop knowing nothing about sea fishing can be intimidating for the beginner...

How many of you have tried squid at your favourite restaurant and absolutely loved it? I know I have. I wonder also how many anglers actually fish to purposely catch squid? Probably not that many. Targeting squid is not the norm for most anglers. Bass, Cod, Plaice to name a few are always at the top of most anglers catch lists, not only for their fantastic sport but also because they all taste pretty good too...

The Running Ledger Rig is one of the most widely used rigs in beach fishing. Although it’s not particularly suitable for long distance casting it is very effective for many species of fish including Bass, Codling, Turbot and a variety of other fish that can all be found at just a stones throw from the waters edge. It’s also very popular for targeting large fish from a boat...

A while ago, four of us went down to Sandgate in Kent and fished just behind the Castle. It wasn’t the best day to go cod fishing I have to admit and my hopes were slightly dampened by the steady South Easterly and bright sunshine as we neared the coast. It was cold though, however not cold enough to wear my Fladen Flotation jacket, just the bib and brace and my Mustad fleece. Having unloaded the car, I was glad of the short walk along the promenade and onto the beach...

The Double Grinner Knot is an effective way to join two pieces of similar diameter line together and is particularly effective for joining braid to mono. Make sure that you use at least 5 turns (7 for braid) on each side to ensure that the knot works effectively...

There are two main types of reel for sea fishing: the Fixed Spool and the Multiplier. The fixed spool reel, as the name suggests, has a spool that does not move. Instead, when the handle is turned, a ‘bail-arm’ rotates around the spool laying the line onto the spool as it goes. Imagine holding an empty cotton reel in one hand and using the other hand to wind cotton onto it. The cotton reel itself does not rotate. This is exactly how a fixed spool reel works. A multiplier works the other way around. Instead of the winder moving around the spool, the spool itself rotates. This mechanism is a lot simpler and can yield great casting distances but it does have it’s disadvantages...

We’ve had a few enquiries recently about the best hook size to use when fishing for cod. When I’m cod fishing from the beach I prefer to use a size 3/0 hook. Cod have incredibly large mouths and are capable of eating very large baits. Don’t worry about presenting too large a bait, being scavengers cod will engulf anything from medium size fish like whiting to whole crabs without any trouble. Infact the larger your bait the better chance you have of a cod finding your hook, as the scent trail will be a lot stronger...

From late September through to early March our UK coastline becomes a haven for the beach fisherman with sights heavily set on bagging this highly prized catch. From the shore, the British record for a rod and line caught specimen weighs a whopping 44lbs and 8oz while in deeper waters only accessible while afloat these magnificent fish reach weights in excess of 100lbs! Rod and line caught specimens however very rarely tip the scales over 15lbs and anyone who bags a cod over this weight should count themselves extremely lucky...

The Palomar knot is one of the simplest and most useful knots in a lure angler’s armoury and will work equally effectively with braided lines as it does with mono. It’s easy to tie and can be used for attaching all kind of terminal tackle. When tied correctly this knot should achieve close to 100% knot strength. Make sure that once you have passed the hook or swivel through the loop that all parts of the knot are drawn down neatly together...

Kayaks were originally built by the Inuit people over 4000 years ago for fishing and hunting on inland and coastal waters and the word ‘kayak’ literally means ‘hunters boat’. Traditionally, these would have been built using a skin-on-frame construction which comprises of a wooden framework with a stitched-on watertight skin. Due to vast improvements in materials technology and manufacturing capabilities most recreational kayaks are now made from plastic or composite materials such as fibreglass or carbon-fibre...

A Rotten Bottom Link is a simple piece of tackle that minimises your losses when your line gets snagged on rough ground. It works by providing a strong link to your weight during the cast that opens upon impact with the water leaving a weak link for retrieval. Generally when your line gets snagged, it’s the weight that causes the snag...

The Blood Knot is probably the single most important knot in an angler’s armory and can be used to effectively join two lengths of line of similar breaking strain or diameter together. Make sure that you use at least 5 turns on each side to ensure that the knot works effectively...

The Shockleader Knot also known as the Shore Leader Knot is used to join a thinner casting line to a much thicker leader line. It makes a neat tapered knot that will cast smoothly through the rod guides without snagging. The use of a Shock Leader is essential to minimize break-offs while casting. Break-offs usually result in severe backlash and can be dangerous to bystanders. A rule of thumb is to use at least 10lb of Shock Leader for every 1oz of lead being cast. So if you are using a 6oz lead you should use at least a 60lb Shock Leader. For safety reasons and to avoid loss of tackle, we advise you to use a high quality Shock Leader such as Ultima Powerflex...

Last week we visited Pure Fishing at their annual Trade Show in Birmingham. We had the privilege of spending some time with sea fishing legend and consultant to Pure Fishing Mike Thrussell. Mike gave us a run down on the latest new products including the Surf Blaster 8000 fixed spool reel, Berkley’s new Nanofil line and the new range of lures from Sebile...

The Shock Leader is one of the most important pieces of sea fishing tackle in an anglers armoury. Casting without a shock leader could be extremely dangerous. Without one, your main line could easily snap sending your weighted rig in any direction! Using a shock leader makes your casting much safer and greatly improves the distance achievable from a beach cast. Read on to find out what shock leaders are, the different types available and how to use them...

Beginners to sea fishing often find the range of different rod types confusing. To help you make the right choice you first need to know what the main different styles of sea fishing are. Broadly speaking there are two main ways to catch a fish: by scent or by visual attraction. To catch a fish by scent, you need to present the fish with a baited hook that closely mimics the scent of the fish’s natural food source...

Fishing with soft plastic lures is fun, exciting and at times capable of producing some heart thumping fishing action! One soft plastic lure in particular that is causing a stir up and down the inshore waters of the UK is the Berkley Power Bait Ripple Grub. The Ripple Grub is rather like a ‘shad’ lure but features a curly, rounded tail. Some anglers say that it’s the tail action of this lure that makes the grub so attractive to predatory fish. ..

Have you ever considered fishing over rough, snaggy ground because that’s where the fish are most likely to be found feeding, but have decided not to because of that constant threat of losing tackle and possibly even a good size fish? If you answered “Yes” you are not alone. Fishing from rough, snaggy ground does require specialist fishing tackle and is not for the faint hearted. Heavy breaking strain lines, sturdy 8000 sized fixed spool reels or 7000 sized multipliers are all essential, as well as a fishing rod that has enough back bone to get you out of trouble if you do get snagged on weed, kelp or anything else undesirable...

The Drop Shot Rig is an effective method of fishing a soft lure whilst imitating a target fish’s food source. This could be a sand eel, small fish or even a shrimp. Once your weight has hit the seabed, you ideally do not want to move it again as this will spoil the effectiveness of this rig. Patience is the name of the game when fishing a Drop Shot. By having the hook tied 18 inches above the weight you have ample room to work the lure before picking up the weight...

Beginners to Sea Fishing are often perplexed when it comes to choosing the right tackle. There is certainly a vast range of tackle available to suit the many different methods and styles of sea fishing and if you’re not sure what to buy, you could end up wasting your money. This guide attempts to explain the different methods of sea fishing and the best tackle to buy for each...