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Author Topic: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?  (Read 20907 times)

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Offline REEFMAN

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LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« on: July 02, 2011, 08:46:34 PM »
How do you measure your cast?

Having the ability to cast far can have a definite advantage in certain conditions - being able to put in as best a shot as you can is an important facet of any angler's armoury. So, as we train and practice, one wants to ascertain whether a certain technique change actually has an effect on one's casting distance, or not. It therefore becomes necessary to measure these changes in order to evaluate them as improvements or not.

Obviously a laser measuring device is tops, but 99% of us don't have the luxury of having access to one of these. A simple, cheap device is sold at most Tackle shops - called a depth finder - due to it's cheap nature, many have questioned whether these little devices are any good at all...

Just to put this subject to bed once and for all....

Homie and I pulled line out of my new reel attached to a sinker and walked out approximately 100m. We then took a 20m Tape measure, and measured the line laid out, precisely, all the way back to the rod flip up guide. This distance measured 102m exactly. Then we placed one old Line meter and one brand new one out the box onto the rod about 20cm apart. We then reeled the line in through both line meters... with the most amazing results (Yawn!).

Measured distance with Tape measure = 102m
Line metre 1 measured = 101.5m
Line metre 2 measured = 102m

Now fancy that!! (Something the GP anglers have known for years... 'cos we get to practice so much)... Surprise surprise!! Line metres work  duh ... not only work, but are are as accurate as you would want on measuring the arbitrary distance of a cast!
This is about the third time I've done this experiment over the years, but the first time I've had a witness...

So next time you want to measure a cast, feel free to use the Orange and black line meters with the greatest of confidence.... they work perfectly. To determine your improvement in Practice, you don't need any fancy equipment to measure your cast accurately.
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Offline John F

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2011, 08:56:35 PM »
That's interesting...

Now a question from someone who has never used any of those meters.... Wouldn't those line meters interfere with the casting and the potential distance?
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Offline MIKE PIKE

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2011, 09:12:52 PM »
Marcos , we attach them to the rod after casting and then reel the line/ sinker back  and then check to see the distance on the line counter when all reeled in , basically up to the drop you had before you cast . :-) 
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Offline John F

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2011, 09:18:21 PM »
Makes sense, thanks Mike!
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Offline Half-Pint

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2011, 09:22:39 PM »
Just look after them and don't bash them too much. My very first social I whipped mine out to be used in the casting comp and when the first cast measured 270m kumz mentioned mine could be busted having said that this did live in my bag of sinkers getting bashed around for 2 years
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Offline MIKE PIKE

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2011, 09:24:42 PM »
Cool , u can also use them as depth finder/counter same method , put the line counter on the rod , lay line in the wheel , zero the counter and freespool the line out to the seabed, just make sure there is constant tension on the line as it rotates the wheel / counter on the way down or up. :-) 
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Offline Habib

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2011, 09:51:49 PM »
line meters were always and will always be accurate.
 
i still cant see why some okes cant seem to reason and understand/beleive a guy when he says he measured his cast to 170m with a line meter.
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Offline Toppie

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2011, 10:16:26 PM »
Some perhaps dont want to believe the measurement of a spanking brand new line meter because it cramps their ego's. Perhaps they just thought/think/thunked that they cast much further!
« Last Edit: July 03, 2011, 02:16:33 AM by Toppie »
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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2011, 12:22:18 AM »
Quote from: MIKE PIKE on July 02, 2011, 09:24:42 PM
Cool , u can also use them as depth finder/counter same method , put the line counter on the rod , lay line in the wheel , zero the counter and freespool the line out to the seabed, just make sure there is constant tension on the line as it rotates the wheel / counter on the way down or up. :-)

Great idea Mike. Never thought of that one!!! :appr:
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Offline REEFMAN

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2011, 07:43:58 AM »
Quote from: J-Rock on July 03, 2011, 12:22:18 AM
Great idea Mike. Never thought of that one!!! :appr:

The Counters we buy in the shops are actually called "Depth finders"... originally designed for offshore use.
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Offline Kumz

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2011, 09:45:30 AM »
 :shre: Reefer... Some of them have been faulty ...
 
@ Brad ...Straight line across dam is about 210 m ... from where we cast to pump house ...  w;k
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J-Rock

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2011, 01:57:59 PM »
Quote from: REEFMAN on July 03, 2011, 07:43:58 AM
The Counters we buy in the shops are actually called "Depth finders"... originally designed for offshore use.

 :tkx: Reefz
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Offline REEFMAN

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2011, 02:37:08 PM »
Quote from: Kumz on July 03, 2011, 09:45:30 AM
:shre: Reefer... Some of them have been faulty ...
 
@ Brad ...Straight line across dam is about 210 m ... from where we cast to pump house ...  w;k

Straight line across dam from where I cast to the other side is 250m... measured very accurately on Google Earth.
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Offline MIKE PIKE

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2011, 06:13:24 PM »
When i hit the pump house its 251m... :hyst:   :hyst: .. :creep:   :creep:
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Offline Kumz

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2011, 06:29:40 PM »
Quote from: MIKE PIKE on July 03, 2011, 06:13:24 PM
When i hit the pump house its 251m... :hyst:   :hyst: .. :creep:   :creep:

 :shk ...... (clap) ..  :hehe: :hehe: :hehe: :hehe: :hehe:
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Offline WalkersKiller

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #15 on: July 04, 2011, 08:35:09 AM »
Quote from: MIKE PIKE on July 03, 2011, 06:13:24 PM
When i hit the pump house its 251m... :hyst:   :hyst: .. :creep:   :creep:
:rotfl
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Offline Marthin

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #16 on: July 04, 2011, 09:12:24 AM »
Regardless of what you use to measure, remember if you do use a the line meter,

Wind in all the slack till the line is tight, and then only ad the line meter(the pic bennie put on the penn 40 thread explains why.  In cape town a Strong SE would take an additional 50 metres off your reel in the bow of the line easy.  The reason i don't use the line meter, is that my sinkers usually end up about a foot into the ground on the polo field we measure, and you have almost no chance of dislodging it with the rod and reel.  Plus DJP happened to have one of those laser thingamabobbies.
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Offline Homie

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #17 on: July 04, 2011, 09:44:58 AM »
Agreed Marthin,
Thats exactly how its always done !
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Offline Sylvester

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #18 on: July 04, 2011, 09:57:41 AM »
What about the stretch in the line when you winding back in....the line does stretch up to 40%!! I didn't believe that stat at first as I am in the elastic business and work with Nylon in various forms...it is true though!
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Offline Homie

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Re: LINE METERS - How accurate are they?
« Reply #19 on: July 04, 2011, 10:06:01 AM »
Quote from: CVDP on July 04, 2011, 09:57:41 AM
What about the stretch in the line when you winding back in....the line does stretch up to 40%!! I didn't believe that stat at first as I am in the elastic business and work with Nylon in various forms...it is true though!

I dont think this affects anything... we measured the line, and then wound it in, and there was no difference ????
If stretch was a factor, the line meter would have read higher ?
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