Practice and using mock traces

[drseafish]

HI all,

I hope to spend some time this spring practicing casting as the fishing is going through a quite period and its a lot easier for me to escape for an hour rather than 4/5 hrs. I made a few inroads a couple of years ago but things went off the rails due to a ligament strain in my back and I just stopped practising. Well I want to get back into it and this time I made a mock 1 hook paternoster to mimic a real fishing situation. Now with just the lead (5oz) I can easily hit 120 - 140 yards (aerilized off the ground) but this is massively reduced to 80/90 yards with the trace. How much distance % would you expect to lose with a baited trace compared to just the lead. Yes I know my distance is not great but I am working on it. I would like to be able to hit at least 120 yards with a baited trace consistantly. I have managed 150 yards plus a couple of years ago on a regular basis with just the lead.

[MAC]

Normally I would not bother trying for distance with a trace unless it was clipped down. Apart from everything else, the bait get messed up with a power cast, unless you clip it down. If you can hit the 120 mark with a lead then 100 should be easy enough with a clipped trace and bait.

Kevin

[Donagh]

I presume you'd clip down when casting, then the distance will depend on the size of the fake bait. I have thought of trying a mock bait but have never bothered. Advise from Neil Mackellow and others was not to bother. Do you find it is helping?

I did see a few years back in SA John Holden used polysterine but I find the difference in the feel of the cast with bait is the weight of the bait when casting penels for larger fish. What do you use as a fake bait?

When I went to a casting instructor I was told was not to get hung up on distance but instead just get the feel of the swing. I can see the point as it can lead to snatched casts as opposed to what your actually trying to do is learn to cast properly.

Donagh

[eric]

i presume jellyworms would be good for a mock bait, when i have to cast a bait a long way i use a very short up and over single hook clip down, the rig body would be 15 inches, with a snood length of 25 inches, i find short rigs easier to cast for distance than longer clip downs

[Kraken]

would use a pulley rig for practice if anything at all -
wouldnt normally bother as theres less chance of getting snagged up especially where i practice :shock:

john

[JOHN LYNCH]

I think it would be a good idea to practice with a trace of some sort, as Donagh and Eric mentioned use something like polystyrene or jellyworms instead of bait on your hooks.

There is a big difference between a plain lead and casting out a 3 hook clipped down trace. I think I might have to get the jelly worms out myself.

[MC]

used a two jelly worm trace for casting, and managed about 120yrds on it, no hooks on this rig as the snood line was tied to the swivel(safty first) it was Lee of the UCC that made the rig up, he is the man to ask about it

[kstaff]

Muppets!

Use those Muppets that boat anglers use, get your 3 hook clipped down and slide these fellas on over the hook. They are not as neat as whipped on baits but if you get 100 yards using these,the neater real whipped baits will give you 120.

Or get a single clipped down rig and stick a float on the snood, all you want is practice.

[drseafish]

I used a single clipped paternoster with have duct tape wrapped around the hook to give a similar size to decent bait. I don't know if its me but when I go actually fishing the amount of distance I lose is huge. I think its all in my head. This is why I decided to make the mock trace. I also found it harder to cast with onger traces, even though the length of the drop hasn't changed. Yes I am odd :shock: but I hope to get over this mental hurdle.

[JOHN LYNCH]

I think that is pretty normal. You described exactly how I feel aswell.

This is like group theraphy :o :o

[paddyc]

Take a lenght (1-foot) of 80lb leader tie your lead on then slide on a large pencil float then attach this to your leader via a swivel, the float will create the same effect/resistance as a baited rig, this type of set up is often used at casting demo's to simulate a fishing situation

[drseafish]

Why didn't I think of that, very logical. I will give it a try this weekend. All those walkers, sunday drivers looking at me oddly last weekend will be even more entralled by my flourescent orange and white "bait".

[drseafish]

I made the float trace. Fine tunned my 525 Supermag and hit the beach again today. Went back to basics and started with the OTG and after a about 3 casts managed to the the punch pull going and got some distance. It went astray once I aerilised it and I was blaming the wind, sun in my eyes, slightly overloaded reel as the lead was hitting the ground. Anyway I kept at it and realised I was dropping my right arm on the in swing. Keeping it up worked and I couldn't measure it but was easily hitting over 100 yards against a stiff wind with the mock trace, lots of drag.....
Anyway I hope to keep this up for a few weeks to see what happens. I was looking a few pendulum casts on YOU Tube and the basics are similiar but my god there are lots of variations. At the moment I am trying to follow John Holdens verson.

[Kraken]

Nice one Kieran :D

What beach are you practising on ??

might join up with you for a few shots out to sea :D

just refilled my abu and am itcing to give it a lash....

(famous last words :? )


john.

[drseafish]

Kracken

Will try to get an hour our so before lunch on Sunday. I will PM you on Saturday to confirm. I usually go either at Abbeyside down from the soccer pitch or over at the east side of Clonea by the car park.

Regards

Drseafish

[JOHN LYNCH]

I made up a 3 hook clip down trace with jellyworms on the hooks and taped down with insulating tape. Not as aerodynamic as 3 sandeels but worked well. Distance wise I was loosing as 20% over a plain lead. I found it beneficial using the mock trace.

What is a good distance to achieve with a 3 hook clip down trace? Is 150 yards achievable with good technique?

[drseafish]

Went to Abbeyside beach today to keep up the practice, it started very well as I was hitting around 100 yards (paces) with a simple OTG with 5oz of lead. Started hitting the pendulum/aerilised OTG and had a few nice casts to 135 - 145 yards. Clipped on the float and boy did it change things, with the extra drag I found the rod was not coming around as easily. Maybe I was turning into the cast to early and was losing control. In an effort to get more distance I found I was forcing things which made it worse. However, I got a couple of slow casts at the end but could only get just over the 100 yards with the float. I think I will go back to the made up trace as I feel the float has just too much drag and does not represent a rig well enough. Also I will have to change venue as there are too many dog walkers and inquisitive people to keep a steady pace safely. Anyway I am happy enough still making progress and have yet to ease of those mags in my Penn 525 supermag.

[Kraken]

Hey Kieran,

Sorry I couldnt make it down today - got caught up in stuff at home. :evil:

Seems like your doing okay though.

For a change of venue I would suggest going to the Friary College and casting down alongside the long jump track - the field there is over 350 yards long and as wide again.

Usually nobody around there...

PM me and let me know when you are heading out again.

John.