Shooting Heads
Shooting heads are exactly that. Rather than traditional lines that can require quite a lot of back casting in order to cast enough line out, the shooting line is designed to minimise this. In fact in a perfect world, the shooting line should require no false casting. Simply ensure you have the head fully out of the rod tip, pick the line up, let it load, and cast.... Enough said.
It certainly takes a bit of getting used to, but with practice and time the shooting head can be a valuable inclusion in your arsenal. And they aren't just sinking lines either. These days the shooting heads can be full floaters, slow sink (or intermediate), or T14 / T17 fast sinking lines. While you can often get these lines with a fully integrated running line, think seriously about your budget, particularly when fishing for big fish on deep structure. A 3o foot length of T14 costs in the order of $30 (a dollar a foot), and can be easily attached to braid backing using loop to loop connections. Compare this with a fully integrated line that can cost upwards of $130, and it doesn't take a university degree to realise which is the "safer" investment.
It certainly takes a bit of getting used to, but with practice and time the shooting head can be a valuable inclusion in your arsenal. And they aren't just sinking lines either. These days the shooting heads can be full floaters, slow sink (or intermediate), or T14 / T17 fast sinking lines. While you can often get these lines with a fully integrated running line, think seriously about your budget, particularly when fishing for big fish on deep structure. A 3o foot length of T14 costs in the order of $30 (a dollar a foot), and can be easily attached to braid backing using loop to loop connections. Compare this with a fully integrated line that can cost upwards of $130, and it doesn't take a university degree to realise which is the "safer" investment.
A nice fingermark caught using a shooting head system