Help with beach tackle please - for Spain

[silkweed]

Guys, I have decades of freshwater angling experience but not a lot when it comes to sea fishing. Years of match fishing (pre Carp yuck), specimen hunting for Chub and Barbel then onto split cane stuff. I have been out on the odd boat trip but never done any beach casting.
Im after a lot of advice about beach fishing, both tackle and skills.
Im going back to Spain in September and would love to do some beach fishing. I would love to have some sort of guidance for beach casting rods and would rather use a muliplier (although I get the feeling they are old fashioned?).
What length rod, which multiplier, terminal tackle etc please? I know it's a can of worms but I have no experience since my fibreglass boat rod days!

Oh and I will be fishing in the Nerja, Torrox region of southern Spain. I know there are a couple of tackle shops down there but the rods looked very basic and expensive so thinking of taking one out there in a tube to leave at my friends villa.

1. Rods, (not travel ones, normal two or three piece - which makes etc
2. multipliers, again which ones
3. line, braid or mono, which breaking strains
4. leads, hooks etc

Please.....

Thanks

Paul

 

[john step]

I have only ever done the holiday type fishing in the Med. Not much tide although there is a little that far down. I dont think you need too beefy gear. Only enough to cast the distance you want. Whether there is anything left in the water is another matter.
The mullet fishing off boat moorings can be fun on lighter gear.

 

[silkweed]

There are not any boat mooring as far as I know.
Its all beach fishing, yes I have used a **** rod from a beach but it's just not enough to get out into deeper water.
I have seen Spanish anglers but not seen what they have caught although its meant to be good fishing.

 

[103841]

If you don’t find the info you need here Paul take a look at this forum there’s a guy who lives and fishes in Lanzarote and is well informed on all Spanish fishing matters.

World Sea Fishing Forums

 

[John Keane]

There is a growing movement in the UK for Continental or Conti fishing. This involves the use of longer rods than the UK standards of 14 - 15ft+ and fixed spool reels, sometimes loaded with braid. Most of the Conti brand rods like Grauvell, Vercelli and Yuki originate in Spain, Sunset are French and they all have have ringing patterns that favour fixed spool reels rather than multipliers. UK manufacturer Tronixpro make great Conti style rods too. As much of the Conti angling is in and around the Med, which has virtually a zero tidal range, the tackle has evolved to throw 2-4oz plain leads a LONG way using a fixed spool. Not much need for Breakaway grip leads in the Med.

Different kettle of fish on the Atlantic coasts of France, Spain and Portugal though.

I like multipliers but it’s horses for courses in the Med and a 15ft Conti rod and a big fixed spool holding 12-15lb mono or 20-30lb braid is the outfit of choice.

Beware of rods like Sonik Vader 15ft or Penn Rampage 15’9” as they are more like a standard British beachcaster that’s been made a couple of feet longer and happily throw 5 & 6oz leads which, to me anyway, defeats the lighter delights of Conti fishing.

Hope some of that is of use.

 

[silkweed]

Thats perfect info John, thanks very much. Not having doen any beach fishing it's odd to get my head around but now I can see your point about the longer rods and fixed spool reels. I have to ask if you could recommend a good one please?.
Seems strange using a 2-4oz lead when I used to have to use that sort of thing in AT Winter Leagues on the Thames back in the 80's. I had no idea they used such relative small leads out there.

Yes great info John, which fixed spool real would you say?

 

[John Keane]

Thats perfect info John, thanks very much. Not having doen any beach fishing it's odd to get my head around but now I can see your point about the longer rods and fixed spool reels. I have to ask if you could recommend a good one please?.
Seems strange using a 2-4oz lead when I used to have to use that sort of thing in AT Winter Leagues on the Thames back in the 80's. I had no idea they used such relative small leads out there.

Yes great info John, which fixed spool real would you say?

Grauvell do a great range of Conti rods and you can look some up on YouTube. The Vertix Azores looks a good one, as does the Vertix Gamma. Personally, I’ve gone for a 14ft Tronixpro Viper GT that throws an optimum of 4oz. I’ve got myself an old Shimano Aerlex GT8000 fixed spool (because I love the reel) loaded with 14lb mono and a 15-15lb tapered shockleader. A lot of the Conti guys are going for the Penn Surfblaster 2. One word of warning, don’t load it with line to within a micron of the spool lip or you could get the reel throwing loops off on the cast and easily get a crack-off.

If you are going to be fishing from predominantly sandy beaches, get yourself a sand spike to use instead of a tripod. Most of the Med anglers use them, the tripod tends to be a British thing.

The only other thing to mention is that you’ll need to lose any British conservatism about the look of your gear as a lot of the rods are very brightly coloured.

.

 

[silkweed]

Funny you mention losing my British conservatism; your right. I have only been into the tackle shop in Nerja once, I was horrified at the colour of the rods, its a culture shock after decades of subtle carbon rod blanks.
I think I will bite my lip and get a closed face Penn Surfblaster 2 reel, its hard for an old school boy who thinks multipliers are the only beach reel.

Sorry to lean on you even mor but I am clueless regarding terminal tackle. Could you guide me as to whats needed please.

General hook sizes
main line
shock leader
leads
etc etc

Thanks John

 

[John Keane]

Funny you mention losing my British conservatism; your right. I have only been into the tackle shop in Nerja once, I was horrified at the colour of the rods, its a culture shock after decades of subtle carbon rod blanks.
I think I will bite my lip and get a closed face Penn Surfblaster 2 reel, its hard for an old school boy who thinks multipliers are the only beach reel.

Sorry to lean on you even mor but I am clueless regarding terminal tackle. Could you guide me as to whats needed please.

General hook sizes
main line
shock leader
leads
etc etc

Thanks John

Two hook, 1 up 1 down, flapper rigs on 50lb clear mono with size 2 hooks should be your baseline. Have a look on YouTube for rig making. They are really simple to make and much cheaper than buying ready made rigs. Hook snoods of 15 or 20lb Amnesia are okay, keep them around 15” and make sure the snoods don’t overlap the swivel or connector above to avoid tangles on casting

Mainline 14 or 15lb mono (colour doesn’t matter) Daiwa Tournament or Ultima Red Ice are good. If you want to go down the braid route then bear in mind that braid does bed in after a decent fish or pulling out of a snag and that isn’t such an issue on a fixed spool but can be murder on a multiplier.

Tapered Asso shockleader 15-50lb, use the whole 15m length.

There is a current trend for brightly coloured pyramid leads that have attracting qualities for flatfish, etc. (I remain to be convinced). You shouldn’t need grip wire leads in the Med but watch or pyramid leads of 3 or 4oz will give you a good anchor.

 

[silkweed]

Many thanks again John, I feel like i just started fishing again after my decades of experience!

I will get one of the rods you recommend and the Penn fixed spool reel as well as the line etc you mention.
I have never tried making any sea rigs so will watch some Youtube vids to get me up to speed. Guess my 0.8 to size 24's wont be up to the job!

Thanks again John, I am sure I will be asking more and appreciate your help.

Paul

 

[John Keane]

Many thanks again John, I feel like i just started fishing again after my decades of experience!

I will get one of the rods you recommend and the Penn fixed spool reel as well as the line etc you mention.
I have never tried making any sea rigs so will watch some Youtube vids to get me up to speed. Guess my 0.8 to size 24's wont be up to the job!

Thanks again John, I am sure I will be asking more and appreciate your help.

Paul

Loads of good Conti rods out there as well as the few I mentioned. Might you be better buying one over in Spain (assuming Brexit doesn’t totally torpedo our currency)? Don’t buy a British or American mainstream make (Penn, Shakespeare, Daiwa, Sonik) that has just been made longer to appear Conti.

Grauvell, Vercelli, Yuki, are the best to look at, and Tronixpro, although British, make good Conti rods.

Regarding length, 15ft is less popular now than 14ft.

Happy tackle hunting and rig building!

 

[mikench]

Be aware that the Med is, in my view , largely devoid of decent sized fish within 100 metres of the shore. It is certainly the case in the south of France. I cannot comment about Spain.

 

[John Keane]

Seen plenty of blokes fishing from the beach on a number of occasions when we were in Andalucia, at Zahora and Zahara de los Atunes and saw some decent sized sea bream type fish caught.