how do you use feathers effectively?

browner · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:17 am Post subject:

My 2 pence for shore feathering.

With feathering I like to keep moving, so light gear is essential.
I use a medium to heavy 9ft spinning rod. My choice of reel is either a baitcaster or Daiwa Regal (fixed spool).

For tackle I would suggest using blue feathers with smaller hooks, as apposed to the oversized hooks you tend to get with the larger hockeyes people are using for mackerel.

As for weights, I tend to use a 1-2oz lead or a spinner.
IMHO the spinner tends to give the look of a small fish chasing in baitfish (feathers).

I gave up with casting a 5 feather 4oz rig out with a 12ft beachcaster a couple of years ago.

If you're not catching for bait, I would advise investing in a tidy spin set up and spin for mackeral, a great bit f sport.
Catching 1 mackeral at a time, they put up a bit of a fight on a spinning rod!

sniggle · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject:

Casting a full set of feathers and a 5oz lead off the beach can be hard work so i often use a 2 or 3 hokei rig with a dexter wedge on the bottom which is easily fished with a carp rod.If using a full string of feathers from the boat use at least 6 ozs of lead to hold it all straight and don`t drop a full string of fish down on the deck unless you enjoy a good tangle.In the boat it is best if you take turns having one featherer and one unhooker/despatcher , the person with the rod grabbing the lead and holding everything tight till till the unhooker has done their stuff.Reminding people that if they stick a hook in you ,you may respond in the same manner improves saftey a lot.

shannock · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:24 pm Post subject:

sometimes i find the feathers are to big for the hook nad that theres about an inch or two two long so i just trim the feather a bit so the fish dont grab the end of the feather and miss the hook the probably wouldnt anyway as they take the feathers so fast but im always on the safe side

fisherben · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 12:32 am Post subject:

hiya,

feathering from a boat, jigging, i always make sure that i also count on the way down, as i have had a lot of fish as the feathers go down. not just on the way up.

i used to miss a lot of fish and get tangles on my reels i used to free spool the line to the bottom and get hits on the way down. now i control the speed of the drop with my thumb over the reel spool. this is with multiplier reels.

ben

rabbi2 · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 5:56 am Post subject:

Several reels have a built in depth counter and if you look at the depth that they are hitting you feathers, then it is a simple matter to drop precisley to that depth again.

rabbi2 · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 6:05 am Post subject:

When fishing from the shore with feathers from the shore a lot of folk use the sink and draw method ie lift your rod up, lower and wind. This way I think is a sure way to disaster as the line tends to go back on the reel slack thereby coming of the reel in a jerky movement on your next cast. A far better was is to vary the speed of your retrive, that way your line is under constant pressure and goes back on the reel more evenly. Hope this helps. keith