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What weight for my bait caster

L

Lukehooper111

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I’ve just gotten into sea fishing so don’t know alot. But I’m going to be fishing from shore. I’ve just bought a rod with a max casting weight of 80-180g. So what weights do I use? Everywhere I goggle it says 2-3oz if not higher. But does the casting weight mean anything on the end of my line can’t way more then 180g?
 
Welcome to the forum i use mainly 4oz grip leads rarely do i go up to a 6oz,i fish mainly the solent from ryde to bembridge just so you know it's 28g to the ounce,if you need any further advice just ask,somebody on this forum will have the answer.
 
Wolf said:
Welcome to the forum i use mainly 4oz grip leads rarely do i go up to a 6oz,i fish mainly the solent from ryde to bembridge just so you know it's 28g to the ounce,if you need any further advice just ask,somebody on this forum will have the answer.
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So I just don’t want anything on the end of my line like my lead, bait etc to exceed the maximum casting weight?
 
Welcome to the Madhouse Luke!

A little more info would help - what rod have you bought, what reel are you going to use, (you mentioned Bait Caster) what end tackle and what are you hoping to catch?

Same as Wolfie, I only use 4oz leads, grippers most of the time, on my Continental beach rods.
I wouldn't go over the 180gm rating of your rod, but that means you could use up to 6oz in 'old money'.
A lot of rods tend to have a 'sweet spot' below the maximum casting weight rating, and I would guess 140gms would be about right for yours.

Don't forget to allow a bit for the weight of your bait if using big baits, and unless you are using heavy Braid right through, you will want a shockleader tied to your mainline. Usually about twice the length of the rod so that you have a couple of turns on the reel when preparing to cast.
The rule of thumb is 10Lbs of shockleader strength for every ounce you are casting, plus 10Lb safety margin, so a 5oz (140gm) weight will need a 60Lb Shockleader.

Feel free to ask us if there's any other questions. 👍👍
 
You don't mention what rod you have purchased, or reel. I fish the Solent and never go over 5oz.

Ian.
 
I do wish rod makers would rate their rods in oz instead of feckin grams. :(

Ian.
 
Starting at the reel end you'll need your mainline, 15/18lb breaking strain will do from the shore, (most of the time).
Attached to the mainline is the shockleader. This should go around your reel five or six times, more won't matter, up through the rings of your rod out through the tip eye by a foot or so and end in a link of some description, a swivel rated at 80/100lbs or a similar lead link . Onto that you will clip your rig which should be rated at the same or stronger than your shockleader. I use 70lb for my SL and 80lb for my rig body, but I always build my own rigs. The hooklength, or 2 or 3, should be fixed to the rig body. That will mean the weight, 5 or six ounces, gripper or plain , is effectively pulling all the way back to the reel on the heavier line when you cast.
If you try and cast using the mainline you will snap the line and the lead will fly off at high speed in an unpredictable direction and potentially bury itself in the skull of a small child, causing some anguish to it's parents.
Knots are really important, they must be tied properly or your line will be weakened significantly.
A good angler, on the beach or in the tackle shop, will show you this stuff and get you started safely. Don't be afraid to ask.
 
Thanks guys, for those asking this is the rods I have bought. My friend have me 30lb mono line. Is that any good? I know a lot of people say braided is best for sea, but apparently mono can be good. With a line that heavy would I still need a shock leader? I’ll be fishing mainly bass. B31DC63F-740D-4D59-8E09-9BE4BA5D017D.png
 
Lukehooper111 said:
Thanks guys, for those asking this is the rods I have bought. My friend have me 30lb mono line. Is that any good? I know a lot of people say braided is best for sea, but apparently mono can be good. With a line that heavy would I still need a shock leader? I’ll be fishing mainly bass. View attachment 61385
Click to expand...

That looks like quite a good deal for a starter set up. It's got some good reviews too, but I am always wary of reviews on retailer's sites.

With the rod having a top casting weight of 150gms, I wouldn't go over a 5oz weight (140gms) - a 4oz would probably do you. It's what I use most of the time.

30Lb mono should be fine, but you will need a shockleader. Using the rule I mentioned above, I would go with 60Lb.
I use 28Lb mono with a 60/70Lb shockleader. I did try a cheap Braid but couldn't get on with it on my beach reels, kept getting wind knots.
I've now got a better quality Braid, but haven't put it on a spare spool yet.

If you are in need of some fishing Rigs, our very own @kevothefish will sort you out some quality rigs.
Give him a shout - he's got his own thread in the "tackle questions & reviews" section. His website is https://www.seaswestshop.uk/

Also our very own @Dustybin is good for quantity fishing weights, but I usually only order a few at a time, and find this guy on eBay very good:

 
Last edited:
Lukehooper111 said:
I’ve just gotten into sea fishing so don’t know alot. But I’m going to be fishing from shore. I’ve just bought a rod with a max casting weight of 80-180g. So what weights do I use? Everywhere I goggle it says 2-3oz if not higher. But does the casting weight mean anything on the end of my line can’t way more then 180g?
Click to expand...
Try using 2oz (48gm) lighter than with the bait. Then see how it goes
 
Trampster said:
That looks like quite a good deal for a starter set up. It's got some good reviews too, but I am always wary of reviews on retailer's sites.

With the rod having a top casting weight of 150gms, I wouldn't go over a 5oz weight (140gms) - a 4oz would probably do you. It's what I use most of the time.

30Lb mono should be fine, but you will need a shockleader. Using the rule I mentioned above, I would go with 60Lb.
I use 28Lb mono with a 60/70Lb shockleader. I did try a cheap Braid but couldn't get on with it on my beach reels, kept getting wind knots.
I've now got a better quality Braid, but haven't put it on a spare spool yet.

If you are in need of some fishing Rigs, our very own @kevothefish will sort you out some quality rigs.
View attachment 61400

Also our very own @Dusty Bin is good for fishing weights, but I usually only order a few at a time, and find this guy on eBay very good:

Click to expand...
Thank you mate👍
 
Ianpick said:
If you try and cast using the mainline you will snap the line and the lead will fly off at high speed in an unpredictable direction and potentially bury itself in the skull of a small child, causing some anguish to it's parents.
Click to expand...
That is obviously dependent upon how irritating said small child is.😎
 
Trampster said:
That looks like quite a good deal for a starter set up. It's got some good reviews too, but I am always wary of reviews on retailer's sites.

With the rod having a top casting weight of 150gms, I wouldn't go over a 5oz weight (140gms) - a 4oz would probably do you. It's what I use most of the time.

30Lb mono should be fine, but you will need a shockleader. Using the rule I mentioned above, I would go with 60Lb.
I use 28Lb mono with a 60/70Lb shockleader. I did try a cheap Braid but couldn't get on with it on my beach reels, kept getting wind knots.
I've now got a better quality Braid, but haven't put it on a spare spool yet.

If you are in need of some fishing Rigs, our very own @kevothefish will sort you out some quality rigs.
Give him a shout - he's got his own thread in the "tackle questions & reviews" section. His website is https://www.seaswestshop.uk/

Also our very own @Dustybin is good for quantity fishing weights, but I usually only order a few at a time, and find this guy on eBay very good:

Click to expand...
your £100 in used notes is on it's way.... :)
 
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