Fishing a park lake weed is coming up debating slack or tight lines,worry with slack is there is too much line out there giving fish time to get into tht weed and drop me or will fishing it tight pull the lead into the weed pulling my presentation with it ?

In reply to Post #1
definitely do not fish slack. as you have mentioned, the fish will just use any slack line to go ploughing through weed.

fishing tight would not pull the lead anywhere as long as you are careful not to move it

In reply to Post #1
Depends on several factors, such as the type of weed and its distance, its density, whether you want to fish in the middle of it or around the edges and from what direction you're fishing it. Its a very broad question this way..

In reply to Post #3
Agree

Don't want to sound all health and safety but anybody fishing in or near weed or reeds or fishing in general needs to do a risk assessment in their heads before putting a baited rig out. This is not a knock at the original OP at all and he is asking the right questions for advice but the number of muppets I have seen fishing over the years in swims where they don't stand a single chance of getting a fish out is unreal

Casting a lead around is a good starter to see how thick the weed is, as is understanding where a fish will head for when hooked, they know every single bit of that water, trust me!

In reply to Post #4
The other factor to ask is whether or not there is access to a boat as this sometimes moves the goal posts a bit. Most of my fishing is done in weedy waters and it does take a bit of getting used to, bit as Scozza says, doing a full risk assessment of the swim and working out what you need to do should you hook a fish to give you every chance of safely landing it is essential

In reply to Post #1
Fish tight unless very close in. Use a nice big heavy lead that willl 1, stop you moving it and 2, will be easier to drop on the take

Dont worry about the fish spooking from the line, they will be bashing into stuff all of the time

In reply to Post #6
Gonna use Korda heli safe on a helicopter light as poss leads spinner rig low lying into the weed with the top bead high on the leader

In reply to Post #7
If we're talking about low lying weed fish however you normally would line-wise. They arent getting stuck in it

In reply to Post #7
Ditch the Heli safe. They are anything but safe

In reply to Post #9
No less safe than any other rig

In reply to Post #9
Welcome back IP, and true to form immediately

In reply to Post #10
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one

In reply to Post #11
Still as snide as ever I see. And btw no I haven't been here in another form like you posted elsewhere.

In reply to Post #13
It was genuinely meant in good humour. But never mind, the welcome back still stands

In reply to Post #12
Ok, playing a ish and the line breaks 10ft from the rig etc. whats the difference between a heli safe with no lead, and a lead clip with no lead? Both are still towing 10ft of line, only the helisafe rig still has a chance to get rid of the line should that end get caught in anything

In reply to Post #15
The difference is (when fished the way the op says) is that the Heli setup isnt actually towing 10 ft of line, it's towing a few ft of line and a few ft of far stronger, more abrasion resistant leader ,therefore creating more of a hazard than just line. Leaders shouldn't be used with leadclips imo so the 2 don't really compare in the way you say. Fish them naked and there's no difference like you say , but with a leader they are a no no imo

In reply to Post #15
In my view if using a helicopter rig keeping the lead on the end of the leader makes it a safer rig. If you get snapped and the fish is towing I feel that as long as you have the bead set correctly (I'm a big advocate of the safety beads for this) then the weight of the lead will help with the rig sliding off the leader and ensuring that the fish only has the much shorter rig attached than a longer length of line. This is why I personally don't like the Heli safes as I do feel they make what is one of the safest setups going less safe to fish

Helisafe is fine in my opinion, I set it to not drop the lead ( it still will but less easily ) the no trace system is really good, I have retrieved loads of leaders when taking spots and never had a helisafe with the hooklink still on the leader. Good enough for me.

In reply to Post #17
Got to agree with you there

In reply to Post #16
A thorny subject for sure and one i agree in part with as the reason i use the helicopter so much is that if set up correctly, if the unfortunate happens and your snapped off then they are just left with the rig. The lead is the anchor point for this to work properly, heli safes don't allow this to happen but perhaps the name is a bit misguiding as they certainly have their place. I was fishing a big gravel pit last autumn and to get to the accessible deeper water your fishing accross numerous really high bars etc and due to the range involved and the nature of the bottom in these areas a helicopter is by far the best presentation. I unfortunately lost the 1st one on there as i simply didn't get the line high enough from the get go. After a lot of tweaking including line diameters and components i ended up using a locked up clutch and the helisafe as a way of ensuring they come straight up in the water on the take in theory . The next take was landed with zero issues, i haven't been back since but will employ this method this season

In reply to Post #17
Agree. The fish needs to be attached to as little as possible if the mainline parts.

Anybody using helicopters should be using the marvellous no trace beads as standard for me, little bit of genius and it was right before everybody's eyes all the time, beats spaghetti through the bead and snipping a bead does not work sadly. Left with a hooklink and swivel

I understand the reasoning for ditching the lead with a helicopter in heavy weed, but again, ditching the lead all the time as I understand it! If the line parts it's trailing a leader, a swivel and a hook link

Idiots who force tail rubbers on lead clips are just as bad. As before if the lead comes off, leader, lead clips and hook link, if it's an idiot, add lead!

Run rigs are a safe bet for not tethering a fish but t is still left trailing leader, swivel arrangement and hook link

All rigs have pros and cons. Enter idiots, i can see why some waters state barbless hooks!

One question to ask, can you sleep at night if the worst happens

The helisafe doesn't automatically drop the lead

Regards to tail rubbers I wish people made them out of softer plastic so couldn't be over done, if you can cast out a large golf ball sized bag with either set up without feathering it to within an inch of its life I don't think it's as safe as it can be

In reply to Post #22
The only time I've ever had a problem with lead clips is when using a pva bag attached to the hook, the drag making the lead detach on impact. The only way to correct this I've found is to tie the lead on with pva string to secure it to the lead clip.

In reply to Post #23
Other Option is a solid bag weed isn't deep it's low lying

In reply to Post #24
Used a lead clip today 10 inch esp semi stiff into a spinner swivel

In reply to Post #22
I believe they drop the lead EVERYTIME a fish is on, whether that be in weed (I can understand this a little, pending circumstances) over mud, silt or gravel, which is absolutely and totally unnecessary

Another design that if in the wrong circumstances, I suspect 90% of the time, is absolutely not needed, keeps leads sales up though I suppose

In reply to Post #4
True that. Even when health & safety comes second its worth thinking out your approach long and logically. You're going to loose a lot of fish if you don't. If you can't find a good way to hook and land, dont fish.

In reply to Post #26
Correct, this is why they come with the collar to stop the lead dropping. Take s 2 seconds to put it in. Agree that using them without all the time is unnecessary.

In reply to Post #7
Don't use the heli-safe, because they aren't. In fact I would even ditch anything to do with helicopter rigs in weed.

Inlines, either drop off or torpedo shaped are far better.

In reply to Post #29
Out of interest, would you drop the leader too?

In reply to Post #27
Good advice, I would rather fish near get less bites but get em in,

In reply to Post #15
Sorry that is incorrect.
The line 'folds', so the rig is trapped in the middle of fold.

The 'no weight' on the lead clip rig gives the fish the chance to eject the rig.



Out of interest, would you drop the leader too?

Any weed or snags and I wouldn't use a leader, just accept I can't cast as far

In reply to Post #32
Its not incorrect at all, go and test it. Make the rigs up on a 10ft line, and run around with them. Then come back and tell me how they are different.the helisafe part may hang down slightly, but not enough to cause any bother, and it that part does get snagged, the rig will pull off as per a helicopter rig, with the lead still attached

And the weight comes from where on the helisafe with no lead?

In reply to Post #32
Slightest tension and the bead pops off, nice slick swivel does the rest in my experience

In reply to Post #32
Any weed or snags and I wouldn't use a leader, just accept I can't cast as far

Nice one. Inline with the mainline straight through is pretty safe providing the swivel in not wedged in

In reply to Post #33

Its not incorrect at all, go and test it. Make the rigs up on a 10ft line, and run around with them. Then come back and tell me how they are different.the helisafe part may hang down slightly, but not enough to cause any bother, and it that part does get snagged, the rig will pull off as per a helicopter rig, with the lead still attached

And the weight comes from where on the helisafe with no lead?


Yes it is incorrect, and I already have. The rig gets stuck in the middle of the broken line, it can't be ejected off the line. You do need the lead on for the rig itself to be able to come off the broken line.
That leaves it as a potential double strength tether. Run your 10feet of doubled over line around a snag, or lily root a couple of times.
Now a single length of line 10feet long with a lead clip is bad enough, but it takes less effort to break 15lb than 30lb.

I mention I don't use lead clips; I don't like the fact that even the lead clip itself can catch up on weed, and yes I have seen it happen. The lead clip can get jammed with weed, preventing the lead being ejected, and/or catches up in weed or snag itself. The fine inner bore also can stop the leadclip sliding off a breakage in the mainline.


That is why I have a preference for run rings, which will go over any concertina effect breakage tangle or knot.

A hook attached to a hooklink only can be ejected if there is no additional pulling down weight on it, be that the lead, or leadcore.




Nice one. Inline with the mainline straight through is pretty safe providing the swivel in not wedged in 
I bought rubber tulip beads, they push into the bottom of the lead and grip the swivel for casting. They do pop off the swivel if required, but bullet buffer beads do work just as well.

In reply to Post #36
If the rig is in a position where the line is doubled over the extent your suggesting, the middle, Then the top bead has come off and the rig will pull off the line. The heavier end, being the helisafe end, is most likely going to allow the rig to pull off the line. Its not guaranteed, but then what is in fishing.

You can tell me its incorrect all you like, but just because you say it, doesnt make it fact.

In reply to Post #37
I agree with your original point, there is no difference between a lead clip and helisafe without a lead. Because both have F all chance of shedding the rig, it just isn't riding up a length of line or leader longer and heavier than the end it is on.
Nick makes valid points as always but I disagree that using a leader near snags and weed is wrong, because sometimes it will be the only way to get a fish in without putting these rig ejection theories to the test.
Providing its within the rules, all you can do is evaluate the risks as said and fish how your conscience and common sense dictate.. or use an 8lb hook link

In reply to Post #36
I bought rubber tulip beads

Long time since I have used inlines, can't remember but some had a more rubber type insert than the hard plastic, could have been Fox?

The plastic inserts do not release as easy in experiences and pending swivel size can be difficult to release. Should make them as standard with the rubber inserts for me

In reply to Post #39


Long time since I have used inlines, can't remember but some had a more rubber type insert than the hard plastic, could have been Fox?

The plastic inserts do not release as easy in experiences and pending swivel size can be difficult to release. Should make them as standard with the rubber inserts for me 

I hate the plastic tulip beads, they held the swivel too tightly, or would split with a 'larger' swivel. Not all size 8 swivels are the same size.

I can't remember the last time I bought inlines either, I was given a load of leads by a mate at work, I removed all the plastic inserts and swap them for rubber ones as I use them.

In reply to Post #1
I would never fish slack lines, weed or no weed. Might look fashionable to have your bobbins resting on the deck in shot of a steaming kettle and reel handles folded but not practical at all.

In reply to Post #41
Might look fashionable to have your bobbins resting on the deck in shot of a steaming kettle and reel handles folded but not practical at all

Made me laugh that