The Dvice. Tackle review.
The importance of distance
Imagine two anglers, one can only cast 50 yards, the other 150 yards. Both go fishing to a mark where the best place to cast is a hole 40 yards out, both anglers can hit the spot easily. Now imagine going to a mark where the target area is 90 yards out, only the long caster will hit the spot. In a nutshell if you can cast 150 yards you can fish any distance UP TO 150 yards i.e. longer casters can fish a wider range of marks, from a short lob from the rocks to a powerful long distance cast on a shallow sandy beach.
Bait it’s a drag
Go to the beach and cast as far as you can, now try again with a baited hook and see how much distance you lose. The reason is simple the bait adds drag reducing the distance, the bigger and bulkier the more distance you lose. That’s why you can cast a single worm further than a peeler crab.
Bait clips. The old solution
These are used to clip down the bait close to the rig body keeping things as aerodynamic as possible. The are cheap or easily made from old hooks and pvc tubing and most importantly work most of the time. There are a few problems though. You must get the tension right, too slack it will come free, too tight it won’t disengage on hitting the water. Also, even though they improve distance they won’t let you cast as far as lead alone.
The dvice
So lets put the bait inside the weight. It’s an old idea, you get the benefit of long distance casting and the bait is protected so you can use soft delicate baits without them exploding in mid cast or wrapping them in elastic bait thread. The baitsafe has been around for many years has been unkindly nicknamed a flying coffin due to its shape but has its fans. I’ve not tried one as my local tackle dealer does not stock them so cannot comment on them. Recently I was contacted by a company selling a rival product called the Dvice asking me to road test it and give an honest opinion.
| First impression It’s a simple plastic tube with a 5 oz lead weight at the bottom with optional grip wires included. The tube has four holes in the bottom which are said to let the water in causing the bait to be ejected on hitting the water. Optional grip wires are included but are difficult to attach so set up at home before you set off. . |
The casting test
I tested the Dvice on Borth beach in west Wales comparing the distance between clipped down bait, unclipped bait and bait inside the Dvice. I used a Mitchell 450 pro beach caster and a Shakespeare Brutus fixed spool reel loaded with 60 lb shock leader and 15lb main line. A simple off the ground layback cast was used with the line stretched straight back. This technique, whilst does not allow for great distance keeps everything nice and constant. Casting was into a head wind of 15-20 mph. I chose casting into the wind as this replicates good fishing conditions and would limit casting distance( i.e. replicate actual fishing casting rather than tournament casting). Lines were drawn in the sand 5 metres apart to allow easy judgment of distance. It was not felt necessary to measure anymore accurately. After casting the position of the lead or dvice was marked on a map (see photo) .
So is it any good?
| Plain leads fell between 80 to 90 metres which was a little more than I expected casting into a head wind. The addition of a small whole squid (size of my hand) reduced the distance to between 50 to 60 metres unclipped and 55 to 65 metres when clipped. This would suggest clips are of limited use when using large bulky baits and are more suited to small or streamlined baits (to be measured as and when I get the chance). So what of the Dvice, I found it enabled me to cast a whole squid between 70 and 80 metres. Which is almost as far as a plain lead without bait. The Dvice was then loaded and cast into the sea several times and was Found to have ejected the bait on each retrieval. I have tried fishing with the Dvice in different sea states and found its ability to hold the bottom similar to a standard lead. The Dvice rises quickly to the surface on retrieval as advertised but offers more resistance than a standard lead and can bring with it a sample of the sea floor. As it works by water entering the holes in the bottom make sure they are clear before casting. Its greatest feature however is protecting the bait during casting making it ideal for soft baits such as sand eel, mussel, peeler crab etc. It saves a lot of time as there is no need to wrap in elastic bait tread. Live baitfish can be cast long distance and it is worth trying hooking worm baits through centre as the course anglers do allowing them to wriggle. |
Criticisms
Large size can make it difficult to fit in small tackle boxes.
Grip wires are a pain to fit.
Not readily available in the shops
.
