Beginners Guide to Sea Fishing Gear…
SPINNING
This is our recommended fishing method for the beginner as all you need is a rod, reel and a lure and you can start to fish!
WHAT IS SPINNING?
Spinning is a hands on, active fishing method that involves casting and retrieving the line in constant anticipation that you will imminently catch a fish!
A lure, feathers or a spinner is attached to the line which is then cast out and wound back in to make the lure imitate a swimming fish that your target species will hopefully want to eat!
The speed you retrieve the spinner will determine where it travels through the water. The faster you reel the line in, the higher the spinner or lure will be in the water allowing you to target individual species, depending on where they are likely to be found.
Sink and Draw
If using a single lure or spinner, sink and draw is the method to slowly raise and lower the rod while retrieving as this makes the bait fish look like it is dying and therefore an easier target for the predator.
Free Lining
Free Lining is similar to spinning as you cast and retrieve in the same way but instead of using a lure, you simply use a hook and bait it with, for example, sand eel, lugworm, mackerel strip or sprat.
Cast the line out gently and let the line out gradually as the bait sinks. When you think it has hit the bottom wind it in very slowly.
This is not a conventional rig but is very effective, especially in the evenings when the fish move in closer to the shore as large bass will venture in close to shore.
Many mackerel, plaice, bass, trigger fish and large pollack have personally been caught using this method.
TYPES OF LURE
A lure is a man made bait that is designed to resemble a small fish or other marine animal. When lures are pulled through the water they look like a small fish swimming and attract predatory fish like bass, mackerel and pollock. Lures come in different forms….
- SOFT LURES
- Soft to touch with realistic colours and markings. Available in a variety of designs to mimic the type of prey to attract your target fish - for example, sandeel, minnows, small mackerel etc
- Can be used for all cast and retrieve spinning methods.
- Available in a Variety of Weights and Sizes - no additional weights are required
- Most brands supply lures with a detachable head so that the bodies can be replaced. The design of the head will determine how the lure acts in the water
- FEATHERS / RIGS
- Rigs made up of a string of hooks with feathers, real fish skin or other materials in varying colours and designs.
- These are designed to mimic a small shoal of fish to attract the predator that you are hopefully going to catch! - therefore, moving the rod from side to side for example will help create this illusion
- An additional weight is needed to take the hooks down through the water
- Rigs are available in a large variety of styles, hook sizes and number of hooks. Some are made with real fish skin to help the illusion that they are real fish and some have glow in the dark capability
- HARD SPINNERS
- Metal lures designed to spin around and imitate a prey fish when retrieved - metal spinners have been proven to be one of the best ways to catch mackerel and are inexpensive compared to soft or hard lures
- These are designed to mimic a bait fish to attract the predator fish.
- No additional weight required
- These are inexpensive spinning lures compared to the soft lures and are therefore great for beginners. Ideal for mackerel fishing
- PLUGS
- These are hard lures - as with the soft lures, they have realistic colours and markings. Available in a variety of designs to mimic the type of prey to attract your target fish
- These are designed to mimic a bait fish to attract the predator fish.
- Many are weighted so no additional weight is required.
- Available in a variety of sizes - some jointed, some whole. The design of the plug will determine how they behave in the water, for example some will dive down to the bottom.
