Hey Guys, Thought I would compile a starters g

Naruto

Sealiner
Hey Guys,
Thought I would compile a starters guide on conventional bank angling (papgooi as some of you call it). Now, I am no expert, but what I am about to share was very valuable info I would have loved to be privy to when I started out. I always knew what a reitvlei, baby-shoe and vaaldam rig looked like, and even made some of these when going to Bronkies or Roodeplaat for a weekend or so. But its only in the last 14 months that I had the privilege to go with a decent club and a new world of angling opened up for me. Suddenly I could go to Roodeplaat and actually catch carp. Only thing I ever caught there were canary kurper on earthworm. I learned how to cast better and how the make propper use of baits, dips and tackle.

As previously stated on Sealine, gear is important. But you don’t need the best to be the best. I have seen amazing anglers use average gear with lots of success. What is most important is your mindset. A negative angler never catches a lot of fish. However, try to get the best gear you can afford. There are a few angling shops out there who will be very helpful. Do some homework as well. Some shops can be very expensive. Don’t be hasty, you will regret it!
Rods:
Most guys these day use 12 foot carp rods. If you are using graphite, make sure to have a set of regular, non-graphite, rods spare. Graphite attract electricity from lightning in the air to power-lines nearby.


Reels:
For conventional bank angling it is always recommended to use a reel with a “baitfeeder” system. Try to get a reel that can hold at least 250 to 300 meter 0.25mm line. The baitfeeder is not a necessity, but it makes life a whole lot easier. Some reels come with an extra spool. This is very handy in that you can have spools with different thickness line or just as a backup spool for when you run out of line on your first spool. This can save a lot of time.
Line:
Most guys use a line with a approximate diameter of 0.25mm. The thinner the line, the further the cast. Don’t go too thin though, because it can sometimes give you more pain than gain. Rather start of with a thicker line and work your way up to thin line as you gain experience. One thing I have noted is that cheap line will give you more hassles than anything angling can throw at you. Kraaineste vang nie vis nie.Hehehe!!
Knots:
Learn to make decent knots. Leader knots, Hooklink knots. Swivel knots. Spool knots. Practice these knots while you watch TV. The better you are at making these knots, the more time you will have for angling. You will find a lot of pictures and animations on the internet showing how to make these knots. Different anglers use/prefer different knots as none of us are the same. What works for one person doesn’t always work for the other. Some usefull knots are; clinch, palomar, blood and a knot I prefer for tying my line to leader is “Spyker’s knot”.
 Try this link for all sorts of knots:
http://sealine.co.za/view_forum.php?id=44

Leader:
 Leaders are there to help you cast better and to have something on the end of you line that is abrasion resistant. I myself use 17lbs line. The leader is normally just under twice the length of your rod.

Swivels:
Swivels help prevent line from twisting. Put a snap-swivel on the end of the leader. This makes it easier to attach/change a rig. I am not going to elaborate on swivel sizes as it depends on personal preference. Experiment a little. You will soon find what works for you and what doesn’t. The most common swivels are 2-way, 3-way and snap swivels.
Rigs:
Baby-shoes Rig:
 2 hooks hanging below the weight

 
Rietvlei Rig:
 1 hook above and 1 hook below the weight.
I prefer the gly-rietvlei rig:

s3olqg.jpg


Vaaldam/Bottom Rig:

2 hooks above the weight



Baits:
There are only a few baits that are essential for success. Don’t go out and stock up on everything you can get your hands on. The most important baits are Floaties, Dips, Dough and groundfeed. Floaties can be bought at any angling shop. I normally use plain floaties as this allows you to change the flavor at any time using the appropriate “dips”. Floaties help to keep the hook out of mud or silt at the bottom and can be combined with other hook baits like dough, maize or even worms.
Dips can also be bought at any angling shop but you don’t need every single dip ever produced. As long as you have something sweet like caramel(FX) or banana and something stronger like Gumtree or Vicks you have a chance of catching something. I have about 6 dips that I constantly use and FX is combined with mostly everything. Other favorites include Almond, Cinnamon, Garlic and TCP. Don’t use too much dip at once. Fish can smell pretty good and just a little goes a long way.
Dough is made of cake flour and some water. A basic recipe is; one teaspoon water, add flour while stirring into a nice consistent dough. The dough is ready when it stops clinging to the side of the cup you are mixing it in. I like adding some brown sugar to the water before mixing in the dough. Dough can also be used with worms or floaties. Semolina can also be used instead of the flour. Just mix it until it is still sticky and let it stand for about 10min. Then add just a little more semolina if necessary until  the dough feels right in you hands. Flavours can be added to the water before adding the flour or semolina.
Add some Salt to you dough if the Yellowfish are bothering you too much (Thanks Enigma for this tip!)
Again, experiment a little and you will reap the rewards.
PS: Never dip worms in dip. It will spoil the dip completely.
Groundfeed is also available from all angling shops. There are quite a few brands and types out there but the basics are the same. Mix with water, roll into a small egg sized ball and attach to your sinker or bomb-holder. Make sure to keep on casting in the same spot to build up a nice feeding area that will keep the fish in that spot. This is one of the secrets of success in bank angling. Don’t over-feed, but feed just enough to keep the fish interested.
Hooks:
There are so many hook types and sizes that it’s sometimes very difficult to choose which ones to use. Hooks should not be too big. Some guys prefer size 1, 2 or 3 hooks. I have had some good results with 0.8 Daiichi hooks. If you want to target bigger fish, you can use bigger hooks with bigger baits.
Weights:
I myself have started using M0 weights after about a year of angling more actively. The M-shade or Mushroom weights are designed for supporting the mieliebom when casting. you basically mould the mieliebom around the rig line above the weight and then slide it over the weight until you can feel it being supported  by the weight. For a Bottom/Vaaldam rig you can use a P3 or P4 weight as you will be trying to get distance

Casting:
Something I still want to improve myself, but here is a nice link with lots of info.
http://sealine.co.za/view_forum.php?id=73

Just one note: Some of the casts are not really suited for freshwater rods, so stick to the overhead cast if you are not sure.


I hope this adds some value to your angling. And feel free to add any tips or point out any flaws. I am always willing to learn.
Good luck and tight lines!

Naruto
 
Very good and basic overview for beginners. But there are obviously the finer tricks and tips that you learn from a good club like Verref. If you are a beginner, you would realise the vast amount of experience you still have to learn once you start getting more involved in competitive angling.
PS, I dont agree on getting the non-graphite rods to fish with in the lightning. If it thunders, stop fishing. The rod is wet, your wet and lightning is not just graphite-specific.
PSS Naruto: gaan Verref nog in die A afdeling bly?
 

Naruto

Sealiner
Dankie ouens. Dit sal nice wees as ons kan bou op die thread. Daar is baie ouens wat ek dink hierby kan baat. Dit sal ook help dat dieselfde vrae nie oor en oor gevra word nie. Ons kan reel dat dit n sticky word dan bly dit altyd bo waar almal wat wil weet dit maklik kan sien.
 
Yikes! Stickywore? Nog ni van daai 1 gehoor nie. Dog dis n straatvrou in n spookasem masjien.
:-D
So wat moet dan nog bygevoeg word Naruto? Of gaan dit n FAQ forum word?
 

papgooier776

New member
great advice naruto

well concerning reels-my all time fav.reel would have to be the Night Hawk but will only recommend it if your a bit more experienced.Because of the way you have to play the line as you reel it in its a bit slower that a good baitrunner but with experience you can nearly match a baitrunners speed
rods-i would recommend that a spare set of 10ft rods be part of your gear as dept can play a big part of a good catch,for closer fishing the 10 footer comes quite handy and very effective.

this is probably a stupid question but i have several times heard about gummys on the trace,what are they exactley and whats theyr purpose as i have alwaysed only used beads?
 
A gummy is a rubber "bead". It does not slide up and down the line freely, but fits tightly onto the shaftline of the trace so that you can adjust them. You can then make a Vaaldam trace with the swivels of the hooklines sliding on the shaftline.
Maybe Naruto can post a photo-set of the application of the gummies on a Vaaldam trace.
 

Naruto

Sealiner
Any angling shop should stock them. Gummy are also used by artlure and float anglers and I am sure a lot of other facets.
 

AMG1

Senior Member
Rods
Don’t just buy because you think the rod looks nice. If possible try and get a cast or 2 in with a rod before you buy. I agree that one needs a set of shorter rods for casting nearer. I use 13ft rods because I am quite tall but I also ha a set of 10ft rods (I mainly use them if we are targeting muddies).

Reels
Also find out about parts availability on the reels that you want to buy…Noting lasts for ever and you may need to repair the reel later on. If there is a R100 difference between the Mazda reel that you want to purchase and the BMW then rather save a bit more and buy the BMW. Don’t go to big with the reel, I don’t exactly know how the sizing works on the reels but found that with a Simano you don’t really need more than an 8000.

Line
I agree start of with 0.25 mm and work from there. Most of the guys in my club now use 0.18 and 0.20 Awa-shima because of its strength for its diameter.

Weights
I would suggest a beginner to start of with a M1.5 or M2. Get use to that and it will help you with your distance. Ones you feel comfortable start going down in you weight size as your casting improves.
 

Wernerbloem

New member
Great post Naruto, this type of post should be place at the top of the Freshwater section, it will enable newcomers to the phaset to learn the basics.
 

Naruto

Sealiner
Thanks guys,

here is some more pics

Rietvlei trace. The gummy on the main line for the top hook can be moved up or down
 

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Naruto

Sealiner
Single maize kernel as seen done by an experienced angler. Never thought a fish would pick up an exposed hook, but it works.
 

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