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Terminal Tackle- Getting Familiar With Leads
Lead weights are an essential part of shore and boat fishing here in the UK. Keeping a bait anchored to the sea bed is vitally important when targeting bottom-feeding species of fish such as rays, flatfish and cod. If you’re end tackle is not on the sea bed, you’re not fishing effectively. There are of course those situations where you will be fishing a lure of some description when boat fishing and will need to keep the end tackle at a certain depth. Jansen Teakle takes a look at some of the most popular sea fishing leads in use today.Â
Plain Bomb leads
These are the classic pear shaped lead. They are widely used when fishing from the shore where there is little to no tide. They are aerodynamic so can be cast long distances when required. They can also be used when feathering from the boat or shore as well as casting practice in general.
Pyramid Leads
Quite a new design, but one that has rapidly become popular with shore anglers in particular. Pyramid leads are either shaped like a pyramid or an arrow head, the latter being a fantastic casting lead. Although these leads don’t feature wires, owing to their shape, they will hold bottom surprisingly well even in a modest tidal run.
It’s now possible to buy pyramid leads with a colourful powder coated finish which in some cases is luminous. The jury is still out on whether colourful leads encourage a few extra bites, but it’s generally accepted that they certainly don’t do any harm. Colourful pyramid leads are many anglers go-to when it comes to targeting plaice at long range in clear water. Luminous pyramid leads are also useful to get a rough idea of where your lead is landing in the dark.Â
Cannon Ball Leads
Used almost exclusively by boat anglers, a cannon ball lead can get down through the water quickly without spinning. Anglers fishing on the drift with artificial lures or livebaits will use cannon ball leads, usually in the 4-10oz range, depending on the tide run.
Drilled bullet leads
Often used in the 1/2oz-3oz size as a lead weight to cock and stabilise an inline float. Also a useful lead when fishing a lure on a casting rig. Not as popular as it once was, but still a handy lead to have in your tackle box.
