Setting up a Centrepin

[Muffin]

Hi everyone,

I have just bought myself a new Okuma Aventa pro centrepin (my first pin) and was looking for some advice as to the best way to set it up?

What strength lines do people recommend for general trotting?

How much line do you put onto the pin?

Do you use any backing line?

What knot is best to attach the line to the drum?

Any other useful tips or davice greatly received. Roll on June the 16th!

Thanks in advance, Simon

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Line strength depends on what you are trotting for. Use whatever strength you normally use.

I use a standard slip knot to attach to spool and put anything from 50-100yards again depending what i am fishing for. No backing line required.

I also carry some Fly Dressing spraythis helps to keep the line floating.

Hope this helps

 

[S-Kippy]

Muffin

Never mind waiting for June 16th.If its your first one it will take a while for you [and your hand] to get used to.I would get out on a stillwater that's open as soon as the weather settles down and play about/practice with it.Nothing like a decent commercial full of obliging carp to get used to handling the reel and how different it feelsto playa fish on a pin.Nothing like it.

When it comes to attaching the line to the drum I've never yet found a knot that I could actually tie that didn't slip.I just use a bit of insulating tape ! My mate says I'm a yobbo but its never let me down yet !

Dont overfill it with lineas itmight bed in.I generally guess about 40 yds which is more than some use but them old carp can pull a bit.Keep the reel clean...nothing mucks a pin up more [apart from dropping it] than caked on maggot dust or general tom tit.

Enjoy it.Theycan be awkward bloody things and a bit highly strung but do persevere.

Good luck.

Skippy

 

[Red6]

Yep, I agree with a combination of what Bryan and Brian are saying here and can add the following:

If you generally hold the rod in your right hand, fit the reel so that the handles are on the left and the lines pays off the bottom of the drum up to the first ring. That way you can quickly retrieve line by a technique called 'batting' which is where you strike the front edge of the drum with the tips of the fingers of the left hand in a downward direction thereby turning it in an anti clockwise direction and retreiving line.

50 metres is plenty of line, (no backing),I use Drennan Float Fish 4lb for most of my general river chub work and have never snapped the mainline, (lost a few hook links though)

Can't stress enough - keep it clean. A quick brush down after every session and a single drop of light oil on the bearing surfaces will keep it in good order for yonks.

You will get hooked (sorry about the pun), I use mine for almost everything that doesn't involve chucking big chunks of lead into a puddle - you can't beat the sensitivity and control over the fight - it's all in the thumb !!

Ian

 

[Trisantona]

6lb would be a good starting point for a mainline.

 

[Alan Tyler]

NO!!! Tie it on! Then use tape if you need to... I still get cold sweats remembering a Match Aerial falling into the tidal Thames about 33 years ago... pulling in yard after yard of line, unable to remember if I'd tied the end on or not!

(I had, and still have the reel).

 

[S-Kippy]

Hmm...I think I might go a bit lighter than 6if I only had the one.

That's one of the biggest drawbackwith pins.Unless you plan to use it solely for onespecies/method you will inevitably find yourself changing lines often which very soon becomes a terrible chore.

I've currently got 5 ready for use loaded with lines rangingbetween 3 and 10lb and others which aren't "lined" at the moment.They are terribly addictive if you get on with them but not everybody does...and they are not suitable for every situation.

I love em.A good pinis such lovely thing I am convinced I fish better when I'm using it.

Skippy

 

[S-Kippy]

Alan

But reels dont fall off rods like they used to since we got rid of them old sliding alloy rings.Same happened to me with a mitchell 300 but the tape held !

What knotwould yourecommend ? Mine <u>always</u> slip.

Skippy

 

[Alan Tyler]

I never catch anything big enough to spin the whole body of line on the spool.

ButI use the four-turn sliding barrel knot that everyone calls the Grinner, (but probably isn't).

Either you were bloody lucky with your tape, or your "bit" is at least a full turn round the spool!

Sliding rings - I curse them, but I use them, so that I can have my reel flat, with the rings vertical - especially if it's wet and windy. Inner tube and insulating tape help, but I'm afraid I usually rely on prayer, curses and paranoia.

 

[Red6]

Can't agree more with the statements made regarding tying the line on to the drum.

I have always applied simple mechanics to this process - Abog standarddouble granny has always been reliable, SO LONG AS, when winding the line onto the reel, you keep your finger on the line tied to the drum, until such time as you have got a few turns on the drum, after which friction takes over and you are away.

My comment regarding 50 metres of line is based on the fact that the further you allow the float to get away from you when trotting, the less contact and therefore control you have over the terminal tackle. At the end of the day, pin fishing is all about presentation of the bait in it's most natural form, and it follows therefore that if you fish too long, the less control you have.

Ian

 

[Chris Bettis]

Just one point about lubrication.

Do not use light oil - what you need is sewing machine oil - many of these light oils, like 3 in 1 and that sort of thing do not do the job very well.

I would suggest removing the muck the manufacturer used with white spirit and then lubricate it properly.

 

[Ray Roberts]

Don't even think about using WD40 to lube it. You can get away with using a slightly lighter breaking strain than you would use with a fixed spool, as a pin has more "feel". Use a floatant on the line, fly leader floatant is good.If the wind gets up and line control becomes a problem then swop to a closed face or a fixed spool. I think the reel you have just bought is not a true pin and runs on bearings, check the spec as the bearings may be sealed and not need lubricating.

 

[Morespiders]

Arbour knot ,look on animatedknots.com, for attaching mainline to drum, or spools

 

[Muffin]

Thanks to everyone for all the info, very much appreciated.

Will probably be posting again soon after I have had my first attempts at using the pin, asking for more of your useful insights to resolve my problems!

Thanks again

Tight lines

 

[DZ]

/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gifThis is the pigeon/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

 

[Steve Spiller]

Simon,

Seeing as I know where you will be fishing ish? I would go with 4lb Drennan floatfish, you could safely go up to a 3.2lb bottom knowing that the hooklink will give before the mainline. As Red6 said "it's all in the thumb".

There are some video clips aroundshowing how to do the wallis cast, but I'm useless at links!

I've also heard about anglers loading two lines onto a pin side by side?

I've never tried it but I can see the advantages if you wanted to go onto heavier line.

Anyone tried it?

Good luck with the pin mate, you're gonna love it!

Just downstream of the bend are some lovely trotting swims /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

 

[S-Kippy]

Ah...the alleged mysteries of the Wallis cast.I was going to have lessons until one day I suddenly realised I was doing it.It all seemed to work when I stopped thinking about it and slowed everything down.

And who is foolish enoughto ignore advice on knots from a spider!

Skippy

 

[Red6]

Just to come back on the point made by Chris regarding lubrication - Totally agree, sewing machine oil / light oil, same horse different jockey, you can't get much lighter than the old Singer machine oil.

As a user of the Okuma Aventa, I can confirm that this is a twin sealed bearing setup, but the oil mentionedhas such a light viscosity that it will act as a good protective layer on the inner race surfaces. Mine is 3 years old now and still spins like new, if not better, now the bearings have settled in.

Ian

 

[Royffey]

as 4 knots i use a slip knot followed b y 2/3 normal granny knots. ive landed carp upto 23lb 12oz from a relief channel floater fishing and yes it emptied the spool, but once again the knot held, although u obviously have 2 reel line on to the spool. its scary when u hit the knot, so now i use 100yds minimum on all my pins.

 

[Andy "the Dog" Nellist (SAA) (ACA)]

I always use a 4 turn grinner to attach the line which is invariably W B Clarke Match Team. A few of the fm'ers will vouch for the 5.5 lb being pretty tough /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif