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Thoughts on shooting heads from the beach.

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from heads on
3K views 24 replies 10 participants last post by  Deceased 
#1 ·
Thoughts on shooting head for beach fishing:
I stuck a 200g Commando head on my beach rod today and fished the usual spots!

Hooked 5 or 6 fish (despite the wind) and landed 3, but I was really experimenting with casting, fishing and landing a fish with the shooting head system.

Previous to this I used a SA full integrated intermediate line and a regular 10 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Today: 200g OPST commando head, with a 55g RIO sink tip (slow). Mono running line and a 5' fluorocarbon leader

Pros:

1. You can shoot a mile of line with a regular overhead cast or a single hand spey cast.

2. It can deliver pretty heavy flies out to distances I probably can't reach consistently with my double haul.

3. You can switch up tips and go from sink to intermediate with ease.

4. Using a single spey or snap-T, you can comfortably cast without the repeated hauling of line (I have elbow tendonitis)

Cons:

1. Stripping the head back into the guides is super annoying. I had a loop to loop connection and it would consistently get caught and interrupt the stripping in. I have hooked fish pretty close to the beach and this is hard to keep smooth.

2. After stripping all the line in, you have to either roll cast or shake all the line out and set up for another cast.

3. The waves/wind push around the floating head more than an intermediate line. (Not terrible but with wind and current, it changes the path)

4. The sink tip sinks too fast. (not the problem with the head, but an intermediate tip or combo tip would work much better.)-also a shorter tip would work much better- like the OPST 5' tip (which NO ONE has in stock)

5. Mono running line isn't super fun to handle in the salt water.

6. Setting up a spey cast without current isn't always easy.

Thoughts:

1. I wish I could try a head/integrated line with the same density as the 200G OPST. Ideas??

2. Any ideas for a running line to head connection knot that will hit the guides less?

3. Any thoughts on tips or densities of tips?

4. Next test is my trout spey….to be continued…

Brian
 
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#4 ·
*But its nice to cast 80' when needed.

*Nailbender is right, this topic was covered recently with some good info.

*Connections heavily attracts the sea salad (seems when salad present) ...... with continuous/integrated line you can usually slap it off in the water or at minimum quickly by hand....unlike the connections which intertwines itself and becomes one with the line (kinda) :(
 
#5 ·
I picked up a rio outbound short a floating line that has a intermitate head for my son's trip to do some coho fishing. I took it for a spin before he got here to see how it cast. I liked the way it picked up and cast, but after getting two good hits and never making contact with my strip set I got to thinking. With the wind blowing one way and the current going the other way, there was a big bow in the line that would not let me strip set and make contact with the fish. Can't wait to try the new full clear intermitate, head and running.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Al,
That is one of the real downsides of a floating running line.
Current and wind waves can really mess with it. It can be a salad catcher as well.
That is the reason most folks like a intermediate running line. It gets below all the surface crap that can affect your line.
SF
 
#7 ·
I'm not much of a PS beach fisher (yet) but I definitely prefer an integrated line for flats fishing or fishing for anything from boat. I don't want anything catching in the guides.

BTW, when I read the thread title, my first thought was "Yes, it's very tempting, but the fines are pretty steep if you get caught" (assuming this was another sea lion thread). ;)
 
#9 ·
On the head connection to the runner........ You could use a traditional runner with a loop connection. In fact I would turn it around so you are connecting to the small loop. Then I would take a chunk of heat shrink tube and thread over the connection. Then heat with a gun or a ghetto hair dryer. Once hot and soft but not runny you roll on a table or counter to get a nice round seamless connection. Then cut away the tube. Presto your own integrated head with all the strength of being tied at the core.

On the tips......... Go see Bjorn at The Flyfisher and get a couple furled leaders. They are perfect for your application. He makes different ones that sink at different rates including a density compensated one (purple package). The flouro ones sink faster than an intermediate tip (light blue pack). Let him size you accordingly. It's a little touchy getting it right but it's bliss when you do.
 
#12 ·
Awesome advice!
More experiments to come!
Feel free to pm me with specifics on welding lines and what not. You will need clear polyolifin tube. May not have spelled that right. Also you will have to thread on the runner before joining the head. You need it snug to start and the head is fat. I think you're onto something. I'm also curious of any feedback you come up with on that beach rod. I'm really interested in one for distance coho fishing in tidewater.
 
#19 ·
10 years?!? I need to meet Simon. He clearly has some great weed.

I'm pretty sure the average Rio fan boy fishes about 3-6 times a year, so yeah, maybe that's possible.

But for people that actually fish, not a chance. 10 months out of a Rio line would be a pretty big improvement on my end.
 
#22 ·
10 years?!? I need to meet Simon. He clearly has some great weed.

I'm pretty sure the average Rio fan boy fishes about 3-6 times a year, so yeah, maybe that's possible.

But for people that actually fish, not a chance. 10 months out of a Rio line would be a pretty big improvement on my end.
You misunderstood, he prefers tweed not weed.

I kid, Simon is good people.
 
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