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Uptide rod advice

Timmy1969

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Hi all. I’m returning to sea fishing after a 25 year break and just looking for some advice on uptiding from a charter boat on the Bristol Channel.

I’ve only ever fished downtide from a boat but am going on an uptide charter in the next few weeks so just need some help.

As a complete uptide novice what is my best position on the boat? I’m thinking more about not getting in everyone else’s way than anything else. The boat is a twin hull and only six or seven anglers so plenty of room.

I don’t have a dedicated uptide rod but was looking to use a Shakespeare gx2 12/20lb rod with a daiwa slosh 20 reel. I think I can get a 30 to 40 feet cast with this but no sure if that’s enough distance.

Any advice would be much appreciated and thanks in advance.

Tim
 
I normally do the same and just lob bait over the side with a big weight to anchor it to the sea bed but thought I would give uptiding a try and see if it worked any better. I’m still going to take the penn senator 4/0, a 50lb rod and a load of 2lb bell weights as back up. ??
 
I went out with Chris a few weeks ago and was happy downtiding while everybody else was uptide and to be fair none of us caught very much either way. I was thinking of fishing two rods anyway depending on how things pan out but just wanted to give the uptide a go to see if I had any luck.
I really hate using other people’s gear so was hoping to make do with what I have to hand. If I get on ok I don’t mind spending out on the right gear but want to try before I buy. ?
 
What's the difference..?
Uptiding you cast it away from the boat and uptide.
Using grippers weights and let a bow of line out, which pulls the rod tip down, then bites are usually slack liners.

For want of a better description, the rods are basically shorter beach casters that can lob a bait a reasonable distance.
People usually use a chunky casting multiplier such as the slosh mentioned, although some people use fixed spool.

Can’t recall why it’s ‘better’ but usually works well in fast and relatively shallow water.
It does (usually) tend to pick out a few more fish. It’s also a way of fishing away from the disturbance of the boat.

Someone who does it more than me can probably come up with a better technical description!
 
Hi all. I’m returning to sea fishing after a 25 year break and just looking for some advice on uptiding from a charter boat on the Bristol Channel.

I’ve only ever fished downtide from a boat but am going on an uptide charter in the next few weeks so just need some help.

As a complete uptide novice what is my best position on the boat? I’m thinking more about not getting in everyone else’s way than anything else. The boat is a twin hull and only six or seven anglers so plenty of room.

I don’t have a dedicated uptide rod but was looking to use a Shakespeare gx2 12/20lb rod with a daiwa slosh 20 reel. I think I can get a 30 to 40 feet cast with this but no sure if that’s enough distance.

Any advice would be much appreciated and thanks in advance.

Tim
I used to trying getting in corner at back on Starboard side then apart from hooking myself into corner that way rocking don't hurt back.
Could do either method with my uptide gear going out far and uptide away from others.
Ive a couple of rods Shimano Twinpower 4-10 and Daiwa CWU 4-10 both having a good progressive tip/action coupled one with a 525 MK1 .35 line 5-6oz with something like an up and over rig never had it loose grip i use the Gemini Leads with long wires(not fixed type)and make with the longer main wire you clip on and other end screw head onto hold bottom a treat anywhere.

I also downtide use other uptider with TLD 5 on 20lb braid or mostly MTI 20-40 Braid rod as longer than boat rods with supple tip and Penn torque 100 on 30lb braid with 5-10oz ball or beach shape leads melted bell leads down as useless! then lower to bottom then sink and draw so once on bottom for while lift and feed it back so feel it touch bottom and repeat so you could be 100 plus yards back from boat had so much success doing that
 
You just answered yourself there mate.
??
I suppose but I seem to recall the textbook definition gives other reasons?

Tbh never really found that boat disturbance makes a lot of difference, but perhaps it does for some fish?

Not always, but can definitely pick up more with uptiding though, if the conditions are right.
It can get a bit tedious if you prepare a big cod bait, cast out, etc, then a strap or doggie inevitably finds it!

Mind you, same for shore fishing I suppose…
 
Uptide can out fish downtide. I often fish both methods at same time. I even do it with a spinning rod. Rod will need to be about 10ft but you can actually do with a normal boat rod. The rod length is to help cast & also keep the line which may be out sideways above breaking waves etc. The key is the reel you use as you need to make sure you do not birds nest when you cast as you may well snap off & lose your gear.

I use a normal running ledger but with a break away uptide lead ( size depends on the tides - so take a range from 3- 6oz). Cast up the tide and let the line run out when it stops for a second - the lead is on the bottom. Let a bit more line go with it - then tighten up.

The bites are often a bit different but the theory is that the fish hook themselves against the anchored lead and all you do is wind down to the lead - and then onto the fish. If the lead does not come out , you may need to give it a pull but more often than not the fish does it for you.


Not very good in weedy conditions.
 
I used to uptide fishing in about 25-30ft of water. I used an Abu 9ft rod and either 2 or 3 oz weight. Casting at about 2o/c toward the front of the anchored boat with a running ledger and let it drift past the stern. Repeat and caught loads of fish that way.
 
I went out with Chris a few weeks ago and was happy downtiding while everybody else was uptide and to be fair none of us caught very much either way. I was thinking of fishing two rods anyway depending on how things pan out but just wanted to give the uptide a go to see if I had any luck.
I really hate using other people’s gear so was hoping to make do with what I have to hand. If I get on ok I don’t mind spending out on the right gear but want to try before I buy. ?
That was my point exactly, you can try and make do with what you have and not get the full benefit or borrow the correct gear off the skipper and that will give you a better idea if uptiding is for you.
 
Uptide can out fish downtide. I often fish both methods at same time. I even do it with a spinning rod. Rod will need to be about 10ft but you can actually do with a normal boat rod. The rod length is to help cast & also keep the line which may be out sideways above breaking waves etc. The key is the reel you use as you need to make sure you do not birds nest when you cast as you may well snap off & lose your gear.

I use a normal running ledger but with a break away uptide lead ( size depends on the tides - so take a range from 3- 6oz). Cast up the tide and let the line run out when it stops for a second - the lead is on the bottom. Let a bit more line go with it - then tighten up.

The bites are often a bit different but the theory is that the fish hook themselves against the anchored lead and all you do is wind down to the lead - and then onto the fish. If the lead does not come out , you may need to give it a pull but more often than not the fish does it for you.


Not very good in weedy conditions.
That would last about twenty seconds in the ground that I boat fish in. 10 oz weights minimum... but if the weight hits the bottom and starts to drag with the drift.. you have snapped up in seconds.
 
Uptiding you cast it away from the boat and uptide.
Using grippers weights and let a bow of line out, which pulls the rod tip down, then bites are usually slack liners.

For want of a better description, the rods are basically shorter beach casters that can lob a bait a reasonable distance.
People usually use a chunky casting multiplier such as the slosh mentioned, although some people use fixed spool.

Can’t recall why it’s ‘better’ but usually works well in fast and relatively shallow water.
It does (usually) tend to pick out a few more fish. It’s also a way of fishing away from the disturbance of the boat.

Someone who does it more than me can probably come up with a better technical description!
If I recall from a Cox and Rawle book on boatcasting they stumbled upon the effectiveness of boatcasting and then had to construct the theory. They came to the conclusion that the anchor warp and the boat created a scare zone , particularily in shallow water so more fish were caught by the boatcasters. In my experience the further your bait is from the boat the more bites you get. By the way if you cast straight uptide your bait will settle quite close to the boat , in the scare zone.

Final point is that it can be dangerous if the rig and lead is swung on the deck before casting , I have seen traces and hooks slip off the gripper lead during the cast. Never take your eyes off it when you ( or someone else) are casting.

 
Thanks for all the advice guys. Really appreciate people taking the time to post.
I’m going to buy a cheap uptide rod and use the slosh reel but I’ll still take the downtide gear as a back up.
Back corner sounds like a good shout too?
 
Some last safety tips & apologies if you had these already :

The rule in my club and boats I skipper are:

1. If you are uptiding you must forewarn the rest of the crew that you are about to cast. Make sure all have heard!
2. Check there is no rigging above you for when you cast
3. I always loop my bait onto the uptide lead either with the hook over the wire grapple or fish/ squid poked onto the tip of the wire. This protects from flying hooks on the end of trace & puts less pressure on the bait when being cast.

I used to fish with Bob Cox (no relation) a couple of times a year out of Bradwell uptiding for big tope with chunks of eel. He was a real uptide advocate.
 
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