Thread: Surf casting rig

Had a rush of blood to my head a while ago & not happy with the rigs available.I wanted to retain my running sinker & the trace length .I spent a lot of time trying to work out how to achieve what I wanted,that was the trace length ,running sinker & keeping the bait sinker close to each other to try getting more cast distance with the surf rod.
This is what I came up with ,still needs a little refining but certainly helping with distance & seems to work.
Would be interested in seeing what some of you guys use as well .


The result of the first session with the new rig .


Gets the bait out just a little bit further. Hope I have a few more days like this near future.

Nice effort Chris. interesting rig seams to do the trick thanks for sharing.

Surfcasting has come a long way since I used to partake
I was taught this pendulum type technique and could get quite far, get it wrong and watch your gear fly away!

We used to use a slide rig for getting big baits and livebaits out far, basically like a non-return slide that you put your leader on. You can then cast your big grapnel sinker out miles, once its set you then slide your bait down the line. Haven't seen any here but they worked a treat especially when swimming big liveys.

Looks like your rig works a treat!

Originally Posted by Spudattack

We used to use a slide rig for getting big baits and livebaits out far, basically like a non-return slide that you put your leader on. You can then cast your big grapnel sinker out miles, once its set you then slide your bait down the line. Haven't seen any here but they worked a treat especially when swimming big liveys.

Looks like your rig works a treat!

Have seen that on a fishing show in Africa, and using alby reels

Originally Posted by Gibo

Have seen that on a fishing show in Africa, and using alby reels

What are alby reels? We may have called them something different?

We mainly used overhead reels like Penn 500 Jigmasters and Daiwa Sealines etc. My Old Man will only use a scarborough (wooden wheel on a spline, no gearing) which is an art to cast, he could outcast me most days!

Sorry Alvie reel???

Cant recall where in Africa it was, may have been a Robson Green show??

I spent today making a few ledger traces up and playing with different knots in my little book of fishing knots finally sussed out a few knots and had a play with that figure 8 that gibo was talking about and tried to use that knot to make a dropper but it pulled the loop up and broke the line so went back to the surgeon dropper for my end loops for sinkers, and the standout dropper for the hooks which I have never had a problem with all the years of using it. I might have to have a look into trying out that pulley rig thing you use Chris it looks to be the ducks nuts

Have now closed the long line clip so the doubled trace will run threw it up to the imp shield .

I'm using a pendulum type cast too Gibo ,certainly gets a bit more distance & works a treat with the big rods.

Dad uses a rig set up like that. I reckon its shit I prefer my normal ledger rig. Works for me quick and simple and gets the job done.

Figure 8 wont pull through if tied right

Originally Posted by Gibo

Figure 8 wont pull through if tied right

That's why I am going to practise doing it more before I fish with it because I do not want to be loosing gear

Originally Posted by Toby

Dad uses a rig set up like that. I reckon its shit I prefer my normal ledger rig. Works for me quick and simple and gets the job done.

Put a couple of 5/0 hooks on the end Toby ,get the hook-up rate around 90% .

5/0 nah. I rather 3/0-4/0 4/0 is getting a bit big for me liking. But we dont have much fish here so I rather have smaller hooks and get as much as possible. We had a fishing comp last year 121 rods was under 30 fish easy.

Originally Posted by Toby

5/0 nah. I rather 3/0-4/0 4/0 is getting a bit big for me liking. But we dont have much fish here so I rather have smaller hooks and get as much as possible. We had a fishing comp last year 121 rods was under 30 fish easy.

4/0 is the smallest in my tackle box toby I use recurve/mutsu style hooks and the 4/0 and 5/0 are the only ones I use I do have bigger but only if fishing from a boat or after kingfish and using a livebait. I refuse to use 3/0, suicide hooks etc as I prefer to lip hook than gill or gut hook like you can risk getting with smaller hooks and suicide or octopus style hooks..