leads.

Right geejay, with all these rigs what size and type of lead are we looking at ?? BB

billy barbel wrote:Right geejay, with all these rigs what size and type of lead are we looking at ?? BB

aah, now there's a question.
i s'pose the biggest factor are the conditions at the venue and how you want to fish.
aside from the free line rig (by definition - no lead) most of the rigs described so far are for fishing baits on the sea bed.

so- youre gonna need enough lead to cast the baits effecively to the distance required.
enough lead to keep the baited rig on the bottom and prevent the tide or wave action lifting it to midwater(piers, boats and fishing down tide from rocks etc) and/or throwing it back on the beach.
though some species like a moveing bait and a smaller lead which drags slowly around in the tide.
often works well searching out the sea bed for fish or being carried into a gulley where hopefully the fish will be waiting for food items which get brought to rest there by the tide.
out of personal preference id do this in daylight for 'sight' hunting species,
at night or in very coloured water i'd nail the bait hard to the bottom so as the scent hunting species can find it easier, though letting the rig get swept into a gulley is an option.

the other thing of course which dictates lead size is the casting rateing of your rod,
unlike fresh water rods beach and uptide rods are rated not by test curve but by how many ounces(or grammes) they have been designed to cast ie- 3-5 oz. 4-8oz . these rateings are optimum sizes for that rod lighter leads can be used safely but if you go heavier there's a big risk of breaking the rod.

lead types-
plain bombs or torpedoes,
streamlined for max distance when casting .

flat, watch, star and all kinds of odd shapes-
don't cast so well but are designed to offer more grip on the sea bed and not drag or roll about so much. ( plain bomb+big hammer=flat lead )

grip or wired leads-
to anchor you rig in strong tides, really there's 2 groups here.
1, fixed, either with long curved springy wires or soft shorter ones , i've never used them, these are the boys, they should keep your rigs out where you cast them but getting them back can be a problem. use strong tackle especially mainlines , hopefully a gert big fish will take the bait and free the lead off the sea bed for you.

2, breakouts, mostly i use these, with these leads the wires are pre tensioned with beads or clip into plastic cutouts in the lead nose when the tension is exeeded by strikeing/ too much tide or weed on the line or a large fish takeing the bait and moveing off the wires swing back out of the way freeing the lead, giveing a classic 'slackline bite'.


sorry 'bout the crap image , can't get the hang of close ups with my cam yet.

fore ground- a selection of breakout grip leads.

mid- a watch lead and a flat lead ( the flat lead incorperates a bait clip within the yellow cone of plastic, as does one of the grip leads)



far- a selection of plain bomb & pear leads.



piccy of impact lead, showing bait clip
https://2img.net/h/i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk305/geejay_2008/5ozimpactlead.jpg

Cheers gee jay nice one...