My planned Barbel set-up

dorsalfin

Sealiner
Buddy, those 20/40`s are realy awesome reels, my favourite actually for targetting barbel but in my oppinion, 12`` is a bit to short for casting with them. I don`t know how long you are but I prefer a 13`` rod at the shortest for those multipliers.

It sounds to me though that casting will not be necesary though in your case so the 12`` will work just perfect.

If I can give you a bit of advice though is with the tackle you are going to use, forget completely about the snails, chicken hearts, day olds etc. and use baits from the fish heads and bigger otherwise you will get frustrate with the 2kg cats you are going to catch with that heavy tackle. If you want to use the smaller baits, put them out on your lighter tackle.
 

Ant86

Sealiner
Steve Catlin wrote:
I agree, I will still target the cats with 12lb line, and use the heavy tackle for the big boys/girls.

Ive gone down to 5lb xx on my ultra light rig, send out a single chicken heart on a 5/0 circle and HOLD ON!!!!

Medium rig 12 lb berkley big game / 20 lb suffix 832 

My heavy rigs 30/50 lb jerry brown  braid
 

dorsalfin

Sealiner
Also, I will recommend getting some Team Catfish sircles though as I have fished with the Eagle Claws for a while but getting a propper hookup with them is a bit difficult though which is no problem with the double actions of Team Catfish.
 

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Kosie

New member
Gcvanheerden wrote:
Penn 49 as a casting reel?Imo the spool is way to big.A penn 500 is much better for me with casting.[/quote

I use the jigmaster aswell, nice reel. I suppouse its cause I learned casting with the 49 that I like it, but Ihave seen some oakes get huge distance with it. Only reason I prefer the 49 over the 500 actually is because of the line capacity and the spool seems to be A bit smoother giving more casting distance.. If my spot is 500m away (highly unlikely) I can go and drop my bait there. Its allso just A cheaper option than the Tld. O and did I mention the nice sound its rachet makes hehe cant beat it!
 

Gcvanheerden

New member
Ja I learned with a penn 500.Mine does not have that bad line capacity I have about 50m mono backing to 450m .33braid and 150m .45 xx high abrasion.I want to replace the mono topshot with braid for the zero stretch it helps me alot for feeling what is going on at the bait.One of my penn 500s ratchet is very soft and I want to fix it but my other one has a beautiful noise,what I like to do is use the ratchet to put tension on the line and not the drag itself that way you have a baitrunner kind of.
 

Gcvanheerden

New member
Solid hookup dorsalfin.Is that a 8/0 circle?Here is a pic of a hookup also with the team catfish circle.It is the 5/0 double action.I think you can see for yourself they work!
 

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dorsalfin

Sealiner
Yes, that is the 8/0. I used to love those red ones as they never miss a single fish till exiled was here the other weekend and I lost my 15kg at the net with my Aerocast because I straightened the hook, and that with light tackle and 20lb Suffix 832. Now I only use the 8/0`s when hair rigging the bait as they are a lot stronger and still as sharp.
 

Gcvanheerden

New member
Thanks that is good to know,don't you think the hookup could have influenced it?And how badly was it bent?I tried testing one know by taking the tip with a plier and bending it and it did not bend but the tip broke off.
 

Ant86

Sealiner
Alex123 wrote:
Mustad Demon Circle..

Don't think anything in our rivers or dams will straighten them?

(My 2c..)

:breakd:

From what Ive used my favourites are Owner Mutu , Mustad Zsteels and Eagle Claws in that order.

The Eagle claws are probably the best value for money though...
 

dorsalfin

Sealiner
It was half way open and I saw it was in the corner of the mouth just before the hook pulled. I couldn`t have pulled to hard because as I said, it was with my Aerocast.

The Eagle claws are good value for money but I have missed to many fish with them in the past. I will say you must just sharpen them if you want to use them as some of the packets are a bit blunt but one thing about them, they will never open up on any cat ever.
 

nobbles

New member
Have sent the posts on the circle bending to the supplier, could be one of those hooks that was just a reject, but best to go through it properly to make sure. Dorsal if you still have the hook please give it to cheetha this weekend as i would like to send it over the the factory and let them see what the reason was, it should not have bent straight like that. Also if any one else has had this happen, or does have this happen please keep the hooks and send them to us. Im sure we wont have this again but we stand by our product, any one who has a hook do thi will recieve there money back on that packet or we will send you a new pack of hooks free of charge.

I personally love the hook up on these hooks, i used to soley use gamagatsu circles and missed few fish when i was earning how they liked to be struck. But the off set pattern on all our circles makes sure that we get the proper hook every time. Set them properly and you will always fond the corner as with any circle. Stike them improperly and you should have the hook bury into any soft bit of flesh and still be solid for a big fight. I have even put a 5/0 double circle throught he top bone of a barbel when i rushed my set up. Watch out for our video on why the off set makes such a difference.

Tight lines
 

dorsalfin

Sealiner
Thanks nobbles, and no, I unfortunately don`t have the hook anymore as I was so disappointed that I cut the hookink of, threw if away and put one of your other circles on.

Those circles have the best hookset I have ever experienced. Great hooks.
 

Grunty

New member
The penn's dont like flexy rods, short & firm or long and firm is good. I prefer tossing them at a 45 deg angle as opposed to overhead. I've an old short shark fishing rod with a pulley at the end & penn married to it, came from Paraguay (spelling?) orignally over twenty years ago it's travelled with me many times and caught countless Tiger, Vundu & barbel. Well worth while mastering the cast. 
 
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