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Casting with a potato cannon

16K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  chris storrs 
#1 ·
I was in Corolla this past week for 7 days of the worst fishing I have ever managed. Weather was fine for everyone else, but fishermen had a real tough time.

Anyway, I saw someone launching their bait with what looked to me to be a potato cannon (PVC pipe with some accelerant sprayed into the capped end). I could not see how far they were getting their bait out, but it seemed like more trouble than it was worth (especially on a day where the conditions all but assured no fish would be caught). Anyone here ever done this? Does it work?
 
#2 ·
I'm sure you could make it work, but potato cannons are now considered weapons of mass destruction. You will likely go to jail if you get caught with one. If you want a bait launcher there is a very nice compressed air cannon made specifically for this purpose, but it's pretty spendy.
 
#5 ·
after my first couple trips to the beach where I fished from the surf I thought about the potato cannon thing, but I never actually tried it because I figured "i've done this a few days & other folks have been doing it all their lives". So, basically, I couldn't be the first to think of this & if it were that great an idea I would have heard of it. So I never have tried it. But as mentioned above someone does make something similar. I watched a video of some shark fishing where they were using something like that, I believe it was called something like Ice Rocket. I'll take a look for it & if I can find it I'll post back in a few minutes w/ the name & a link to the video.
 
#7 ·
If I remember correctly, some esteemed members of our site tried to make a rocket-propelled casting device. I think the end result was very nearly disaterous.

I saw catfishermen in Louisiana chucking big baits way out using a slingshot device mounted in the bed of a truck. Looked fun but potentially deadly.

Evan
 
#8 ·
Years ago I saw a fellow with one out on the beach in Avon.
He was using compressed air pumped into a canister at the bottom of the rig from a compressor in his truck.
He had his baits and rigs frozen into shampoo bottles that he had scored down the sides. As the bait launched almost out of sight, the shampoo bottle would peel back and come off the frozen rig.
It was actually pretty impressive. Whacky, but impressive.
Didn't see him catch a thing, but he was having a helluva time firing his cannon!
 
#11 ·
sometimes on the pier dont always go for broke with the cast....one fish last fall i noticed everyone bowed up was a (younger)teenager ...lobbed me one 20 yds off the pier and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz off she goes

but at the same time i hate to see someones line hit the water past mine haha

can remeber another time just me n chuck i think it was fishing off the side..tryn cast off the front and itd darn near come back at you from the wind..wed hit an outsuck and watch out line gett pulled with the current out...granted dint catch nothin..but felt goodd having a bait a lil more eastward than the front of the pier

and most likely fishing a 10' heaver again this fall so will be fishing a lil closer ....a tree in my friends driveway in southern shores decided to make my stuck together 1 piece inferno into a 4 piece...sadly i hadnt even fished for the 3 days i was down and had been in and outta the driveway ten times in that few days..but the tree only got me as i was pullin out to head to richmond for work
 
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