# anchor casting



## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

I fish for kings off of Cherry Grove Fishing Pier in SC. Part of the king rig is an anchor rod, most of you probably know what that is. For all who don't: a long casting rod used to put a 4-8 oz anchor sinker way the heck out off the pier. I just bought a 15' Silistar Bigwater Graphite LIMIT rod rated for 3-10 oz and 15-35 lb line to use as an anchor rod. I would like to be able to cast a 4-8 oz sinker 100+ yds. I have cosidered the Ambassadeur 6500 C and the Sealine X-50 as far as reels go. Any advice or reel suggestions are welcome. Also, what is the baseball rig used for?

Evan

PS. Does anyone on this forum know David Lee?


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## BlaineO (Jan 22, 2001)

Hi Kingfisherman23,

The X-50 is a bit large to thumb during a really hard cast, and the 6500 does not have the drag capacity to reel in multiple drop rigs, more than 4-5.
Many times 8-12 will need to be reeled in, if you are dropping hangers instead of recasting the anchor rod each time.

The Penn Mag 525 works well spooled with 17# line over clean bottom, it is relatively easy to lock the spool because of the small size and has a capable drag of bring in multiple rigs.
Use a good shock knot, and leader, (10#s breaking strength for every ounce of weight being cast).
The 15' rod is a tad long, but you should not have a problem getting you baits to slide down. The 525 is also a great surf fishing reel outright. 

On a pier, a Brighton style cast or Unitech would probably be best, you should be able to get the anchor out 120-130, maybe more if you casting technique is good.

Good luck,

Blaine


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

Thanks Blaine. usually 15' would be too long for me, but the Silstar model is designed so well that the rod feels like a 12'-13'.

I hadn't enev looked at the Mag 525, but from your description, it sounds like the prime choice.


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

I don't mean to sounf stupid but how is this method done. I have never fished for Kings or seen anyone do it.


Thanks


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

*No problem Orest*

This way of fishing is used to get the bait as far away from the pier as possible.

First, it requires three rods: an anchor rod, a fighting rod, and a bait rod.
The anchor rod,as described abouve, is used to throw a sinker that looks much like a treble hook out as far as possible. the hooks dig into the bottom and hold, keeping the line tight. The fighting rod is baited, usually with a live pogy(menhaden) or bluefish. Next comes the connector. This is basically a lenght of line with a snap swivel on one end and a release clip on the other. the swivel is attached to the anchor line and the release clip is clipped to the fighting line. The connector slides down the anchor line, carrying the bait with it. when a king hits the bait, the fighting line pops out of the clip and the connector slides down to the weight and is kept on the by the hooks until reeled in and removed. Meanwhile, the king is fought without the problem of a dragging weight, which could pull the hooks out of the king's tissue paper-like skin.


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## BlaineO (Jan 22, 2001)

Orest,

The only dumb ????'s are the ones not asked.

The link below should help.

Blaine 

King rig info/Avalon pier


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

Thanks.

It sound challenging. How does DNR count all 3 rods? Can you have more than 1 set of rods fishing for Kings?


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

Kingfisherman23 and BlaineO -

Thanks for the replies.

Lots of info on the link.


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## demonfish (Mar 31, 2002)

king rigging is my game also. i use a 12'6"breakaway with a 7500 abu. but this year have switched to the 525. more then 12'6" is over kill . 20-25lb line is usually required on the anchor rod as sometimes the anchor is hard to get out of the sand especially if you have 2 or 3 rigs down at the botom of it. ive seen all kinds used from 7 ft spinning reels to 15 ft'ers with sloshes. watch the guys who are on the pier all the time and you'll learn alot. the farther you cast your anchor the more control you have over your live bait as in hoiw far out from the pier and how deep you run your bait. ive seen many kings caught 5 ft from the end of the pier. kings will run up the beach and around the end of the pier but will not swim under it.


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

I have always been a fan of longer rods. I started on a 12' a few years ago and I was casting 60 yds or so. then I bought a 14' from a small no-name tackle shop and have used it for probably two years. Recently I was surfing eBay and I found the Silstar 15' for a steal. In stores I had seen this rod for $60-$80 but the rod was up for bid at $5. I ended up winning it for $11.50, but it was still a good deal.

About the reel, how does the Shimano Trinidad TN20 measure up to the 525?

Evan


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## BlaineO (Jan 22, 2001)

Kingfisherman23,

The Trinidad probably holds 1.5 times the line as the Penn, and it can be more than double the price, depending on where you get it.

Demonfish,

I usually use 17# Big Game, or Sufix. Both probably break well over 20#'s. I find that smaller line will allow the cast go further and it takes less weight, (Anchor) to hold things steady. I've had more than a dozen rigs come in, and if I break off it usually because of a bad knot. I also use a float on my rigs above the bait to make them easier to see, and that helps counter some of the weight of the anchor and rigs as well. 

Blaine


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

i know david. I used to fish CHerry grove fairly often, but probably not after this year. I went to Apache late in the season and its a lot nicer, and half the price for FOUR rods, bait, anchor, fighting, and bottom fishing. So i can fllounder fish while i'm waiting on the kings.


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## demonfish (Mar 31, 2002)

hey blaine, didnt know you were a king rigger also, we can chat at the next meet in willmington. ive always used 20# ande hi viz because even tho i make my own anchors they get expensive to lose. the hi viz is to keep the birds from running into the line. i also use a small hi viz float so i can see where my breakaway is down the anchor line. but just like everything everyone has their own way and tricks. i learned alot of things from some of the best people in north fla when i started 10 yrs ago and i am still learning here. not only is king fishing a great sport and alot of fun but you meet some really cool people. 

kingfisherman23, i have fished the cherry grove pier and the apachee. both have the ends set up just for king rigging. the obx piers could learn alot from going to those piers in SC. especially love the live bait wells. may get down there again one day.


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## big brother (May 15, 2002)

*hey blaine*

i'm gonna tell you one more $*^@^&* time, don't tie no bad knots. (for you guys who don't know blaine, he is one knot tying cowboy). some of the funniest of my fishing memories are of blaine trying to teach a slightly inebriated cuz'n bill and myself how to tie one of his double loop-half twist-bimini albright guaranteed almost to not break knots while he is walking through a door screen. i guess you had to be there.
charlie


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

Demonfish,
Yeah that is the best thing about the piers. For those of you who are unedikated, Cherry Grove has two sixty-gal or so tubs at the end of the pier. the water in the tubs is constantly cycled to provide oxygen in the water. I've never seen one on an NC pier, but on the suggestions board of a propsed new 1,200 foot pier on the OBX I said they include two or three. Another good thing about CG is the observation deck. It sits above the end oval so king fishermen can rope off the end section and people can still get a great view off the end.

Bluerunner,
I have never fished apache, but you have given me reason to check it out next year. How is thier catch in mid April?
About the CG prices, I used to think they were raised to pay for the reconstuction after Floyd, but it's about time they were dropped again. But you can't beat CG for kings during early May and late September/mid-October. One day last year I saw nine kings brought to the pier and four more lost.

Blaine,
Thanks for the advice. I'm heading to the beach this weekend and I talked a friend of mine who runs a tackle store to let me demo some reels. I have the Trinidad, the Mag 525, the Ambassadeur 7000C3, the Calcutta CT-400, and Penn's Jigmaster and Squidder. I hope I have as much luck with the Squidder as some others on this board .
I also have some large Penn spinning reels and I'm going to spend all weekend casting from the surf and from a few piers.

Anyone who sees me this weekend, come up and say hello. I'll be in the surf or on the end of a pier with a big white rod and a bag of reels.
Don't be discouraged if I'm cursing my casting style or my burnt thumb, I'm really very friendly.

Evan


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

they have tanks at ocean crest and they're putting one in at long beach. I don't know enough about apache to comment, but there is another guy on here who does pretty well, one of his kings is in the gallery, you could ask him


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

the name of the guy i was referring to in my previous post is fisher446


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## demonfish (Mar 31, 2002)

hey kingfisher, whats this about a proposed 1200 ft pier on the OBX????? you know something some of us don't???


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

*Guess so...*

I was surfing the web this summer and found a suggestion board for a 1200 ft pier, maybe not OBX but definintely in southern half of NC, and I believe it was supposed to replace a pier knocked down by Floyd. If I run across the link again I'll post it here. They(not sure who) got lots of good ideas including an observation deck, king bait wells, hexagon king section instead of T, and many others. Like I said, if I run across the link I'll post it.


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

*Okay, here it is...*

I'm not sure how up-to-date this info is or if the pier has been completed yet or not but here is the info.

The pier is to be called Fisherman's Pier. It will be located on the boardwalk at Carolina beach. The pier is basically rebuilding a steel pier that was there in the 70's, except it will be wood. It will be 1000-1200 feet long.

Daniel Ray Norris is one of the builders/owners and he says that the owners have already closed on the land and are applying for a permit.

The poll results can be found here:
http://www.ncoif.com/new_pier_stats.html 

To post suggestions go here:
http://www.ncoif.com/new_pier.html 

To email Daniel Ray Norris go here:
[email protected] 

If I am confused, the pier has already been built or canceled or I have fallen for a major practical joke then I apologize to you all and would someone please inform me?


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

I found another site today that says that the peir is really being built, so I guess I did know something that noone else here knew.



Evan


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