Shooting heads?

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]When I lived in Sacramento, CA, I had a 7-8 weight 9' rod that I used for shooting heads. Regardless of the size fish you are after you need some power and backbone to handle the short heavy shooting heads. I used them for fishing the northern Cal rivers for steelhead and salmon...and shad in season. But during the winter I made a few trips over the hill to Pyramid too...with the same setup.
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[#0000FF]If you are up on a STEADY ladder, you will be able to handle the shooting head casting better than just wading. A couple of extra feet above the water makes a world of difference. But once you get the feel of throwing that rig you can get some great distance...just one pump back and then shoot. Not a lot of false casting after you strip the running line back into the shooting head.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]For what it's worth, I used a fast sink...especially needed for the river fishing. And in the lake it got down fast and allowed for a faster strip. I attached the shooting head to my running line with a "nail knot"...then put a few wraps of tying thread to help smooth it out and finished it with epoxy. Slipped through the guides with ease.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Depending on where you fish on Pyramid...and water levels...you don't always have to make distance championship casts. There will be times when the fish are very accessible with shorter and more controlled casts and retrieves. But the shooting heads are still more manageable than a full length of fast sink line.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]The shooting baskets do take some getting used to. Not everybody uses them. But they can help prevent tangles and make for cleaner distance casts.
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