Getting started - intial help needed

I'm seriously thinking of getting more involved in sea fishing having done a few bits over the year - bit of beach fishing for mackerel last summer, a couple of mackerel trips from Cornwall and one deeper-sea excursion catching haddock off Land's End. I've got another boat trip booked for this summer from Littlehampton too.

I don't have any equipment at all but thinking about getting something that would cover me for some fishing whilst on holidays in the UK. I suspect this would mostly be beach fishing although potentially from piers or rocks, or even boats, depending on where I am - all likely to be south coast, Devon and Cornwall.

My plan is to pop into my local angling shop and talking to them but I would like to do a bit of background research beforehand to make sure I don't end up getting stuff I don't need, so thought I would ask you guys.

So what would you recommend I get - what rod type/length given the potential mix of fishing types, what reel and what sort of budgets on this (cost isn't a massive factor but want to make sure I'm not buying complete rubbish but also not overspending on a new hobby I might not get on with, and with reels from £10 to £1,000, it's hard to know where to pitch things). And then there's all sorts of gubbins needed with lines, hooks, weights, leads etc etc. It's perhaps worth saying that I'm only really interested in things I can eat.

I also have some more general questions on what sort of fish I might reasonably and more easily expect to catch from the beach - say Littlehampton/Worthing and Weymouth areas? Will anything be inedible, other than the expected prophylactics?

And are there any recommended things to read on the web - there's a lot there and I simply don't know where to start, what's important to know as basics, what setups would be usef for what fish etc etc.

Help!!!

Many thanks!

Hi bezza,
to the site. You're idea to go to your local tackle shop is probably the best advice I could have given you, if you have more than one shop go to all of them and see how much different advice you get. The chances are they will want you as a customer in the future so they SHOULD, in theory, all give similar advice.

Good thing on here is we all have opinions so PLEASE, dont be frightened to ask questions. We have ALL been where you are at the moment and it seems bewildering, but honestly once you sort out the basics, sea fishing is generally the same all over the country(within reason).

So, tackle shop, and ask away!!!!!!!

And the most important thing is...................................ENJOY it!!!!!!

Not too sure about what you will catch off Littlehamton but I would imagine shops will help you there too.

Your basic requirement is a 12 foot rod and a decent fixed spool anyhow that's a good outfit to get into the sport, and can be used at most venues

Thanks for the comments.

I'll definitely have a chat in the shop about what I might need. I am a bit of a cautious person and want to make sure I'm not oversold stuff - would £30-40 on a rod and £50-60 on a reel seem reasonable to start with? Don't want to waste money on useless gear but recognise that I'm only starting out. I'm then assuming another £20 on the little bits.

Anything I definitely wouldn't need to buy straight away that they might try and sell me?

bezza wrote:Thanks for the comments.

I'll definitely have a chat in the shop about what I might need. I am a bit of a cautious person and want to make sure I'm not oversold stuff - would £30-40 on a rod and £50-60 on a reel seem reasonable to start with? Don't want to waste money on useless gear but recognise that I'm only starting out. I'm then assuming another £20 on the little bits.

Anything I definitely wouldn't need to buy straight away that they might try and sell me?

Dont think you'll go too far wrong with those prices although 30-40 on reel and 50-60 on a rod might be better but yes thats fine

to the forum bezza, some good advice been given to you there.
When i started i spent £60 for the lot inc bait, same set up today would be about £90.
I learnt fast that the rod was way too stiff at the tip. When you have cast out and go to tighten your line there should be a slight bend in the rod from the tip down. Well this rod was that stiff it would be back straight in less than a minute
If you stick with the first rod you buy you're a very lucky man. I would buy secondhand, let someone else pay to take the raping off your rod will need to cast a weight of at least 5oz. I am sure ianbass can sort you a reel out for £15-£20 that would cost around £50-£60 in the shop. Any more help needed just ask.

A very good basic standard beach rod can start off at a good cheap price and if that suits you then great, but i see this regular, people going out and buying a much dearer rod because it has a good name, Abu for one or Diawa, yes good gear, famous makes, very good gear but each company makes different types of Rod / Reel, what is great for one person is rubbish for another, my first set up, and that also included line, hooks and leads and rod rest tripod cost me about £40 and i used it for years,i cannot remember the name of the reel but it was a fixed spool, but the rod was a warbrd, i still have it somewhere cost me a tenner, Happy Chris gave me a multiplier reel, which was transformed by magic in to a Abu 6500 / Ron Thompson hybrid when it needed a repair the tripod was a gift. but now i use a couple of set ups, but the same rods, i have a motorbike or bus to get me to the coast, i live in Blackpool, on the beach i use a 6 piece ron Thompson travel rod or a Shakespeare salt travel rod also 6 piece and both brand new at £55, easy to carry on the bike, the reels are either a Diawa Millionaire £25 from Ian, or that RT / ABU hybrid, that is for the beach, on the pier i still use the same rods or a boat rod if room is at a premium with a Abu 7000 a tenner from cash converters, or an Okuma Magnetix 30, they are both used as winches as the pier can be pretty high up and both will also make fairly good boat reels

Digging up an old thread (but it's also the newest so I'm sure I'll be forgiven): I got a rod!  It's a 12 foot-ish, 3-piece Abu Garcia (I think) rod and reel combo, all for not very much money.  Despite having a bit more budget, I figured there was no point spending more until I really knew what I wanted.

So now the question - what do I do with it!?

Ok, a bit more elaboration on that.  As well as rod, reel and line (whatever was already on the reel), I got a couple of breakaway leads, some hooks, swivels and little multi-coloured beads; and a couple of mackerel feathers and bombs.  I'm assuming all those words are technically accurate.

The mackerel stuff I think I'm fine with: tie it all in a straight line and get casting. Nothing fancy needed there.  But I'm a bit more confused about the other stuff, by which I mean I understand the principles of what's going on (build a rig) but not quite sure I understand exactly how.  For example, I can't find anywhere any real explanation of what a swivel does (ok, it swivels, but why is it important as opposed to just tying a knot?) and what the beads do other than probably slide up and down the line like a fishy abacus.

I guess the real crux of this is knowing what to use and when.  I'll be down Weymouth sometime soon and will probably do a bit of fishing there.  So if I create a single-hook rig of some sort, put some mackerel on there as bait and fling into the sea, would I expect to catch something a little more interesting and edible, or do I need to think about getting different bait.

Then my last question - do I need to get anything else for now?  The one thing that looks to be important is some shock-leader - is that right?  Any thoughts on whether clear or coloured in best and what sort of weight (50lb or 60lb seem the most sensible decisions).

And any books or websites anyone would recommend to get me started properly?

A swivel is there to allow any twists in the line to untwist.
For example you have a swivel from your hook length to your main rig line, because your bate in the tide is twisting and turning.

beads are used one at each side of a swivel on the main rig, this allows the swivel to swivel around the main rig in the tide.

bezza wrote:Digging up an old thread (but it's also the newest so I'm sure I'll be forgiven): I got a rod!  It's a 12 foot-ish, 3-piece Abu Garcia (I think) rod and reel combo, all for not very much money.  Despite having a bit more budget, I figured there was no point spending more until I really knew what I wanted.

So now the question - what do I do with it!?

Ok, a bit more elaboration on that.  As well as rod, reel and line (whatever was already on the reel), I got a couple of breakaway leads, some hooks, swivels and little multi-coloured beads; and a couple of mackerel feathers and bombs.  I'm assuming all those words are technically accurate.

The mackerel stuff I think I'm fine with: tie it all in a straight line and get casting. Nothing fancy needed there.  But I'm a bit more confused about the other stuff, by which I mean I understand the principles of what's going on (build a rig) but not quite sure I understand exactly how.  For example, I can't find anywhere any real explanation of what a swivel does (ok, it swivels, but why is it important as opposed to just tying a knot?) and what the beads do other than probably slide up and down the line like a fishy abacus.

I guess the real crux of this is knowing what to use and when.  I'll be down Weymouth sometime soon and will probably do a bit of fishing there.  So if I create a single-hook rig of some sort, put some mackerel on there as bait and fling into the sea, would I expect to catch something a little more interesting and edible, or do I need to think about getting different bait.

Then my last question - do I need to get anything else for now?  The one thing that looks to be important is some shock-leader - is that right?  Any thoughts on whether clear or coloured in best and what sort of weight (50lb or 60lb seem the most sensible decisions).

And any books or websites anyone would recommend to get me started properly?

The easiest way (without anyone close by to show you) is to buy a couple of rigs from the tackle shop and have a look

As for bait it's always best to ask the local fisherman, Up here everyone says it Crab, Yet i have never caught on it ever! but my opinion it's worm as i do catch and it's free if you dig or pump it, Squid i use for Rays and sand eel for doggies, This is my own opinion as this it what i catch on up here but down there cockles, mussels or limpet could be far better but as i have never fished the south coast my opinions for bait down there is not valid at all as i have no experience to back it up