Bait Cannon!!

Les White

Les White

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Ok, so it's just a glorified potato cannon.

I needed a cheetah for the trailer tires, and I've always wanted a bait launcher for surf fishing. So I got both.

A Chinese $90 bead seater and $5 worth of PVC.

It'll launch a potato out of sight.

20220413_194831.jpg


I rented #10 next month and will get to try it out. I really wanted 107 or 108 but they were booked; they're IN the water at high tide.

obm-beach-units-web.jpg

Now I gotta make some bait molds.

😁😜😝
 
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@David Hall showed me a spud cannon he used for surf fishing in the late ‘80’s using hair spray. Highly entertaining when used next to pier. The folks on the pier watch the bait strip the reel and go past them.
Let us know how it turns out!
PS, skrimp makes it about 50 yards as it’s ripped off the hooks.

Edit- Wait a dern minute! I know you have access to slow burning powder! Step it up to a metal pipe burn chamber, then sched 80 PVC to keep the weight down.
 
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Les White said:
Ok, so it's just a glorified potato cannon.

I needed a cheetah for the trailer tires, and I've always wanted a bait launcher for surf fishing. So I got both.

A Chinese $90 bead seater and $5 worth of PVC.

It'll launch a potato out of sight.

View attachment 462221


I rented #10 next month and will get to try it out. I really wanted 107 or 108 but they were booked; they're IN the water at high tide.

View attachment 462222

Now I gotta make some bait molds.

😁😜😝
Click to expand...
I once looked at doing this and was told that the real trick is to freeze the bait on a hook and leader in a cylinder of water. The best mold seemed to be the same pvc that the canon is made from.
 
Get Off My Lawn said:
@David Hall showed me a spud cannon he used for surf fishing in the late ‘80’s using hair spray. Highly entertaining when used next to pier. The folks on the pier watch the bait strip the reel and go past them.
Let us know how it turns out!
PS, skrimp makes it about 50 yards as it’s ripped off the hooks.
Click to expand...

You put the bait already rigged to tackle in short sections of PVC (same ID as the barrel) leaving only a swivel exposed, then fill it with water and freeze it. Bait ice bullets. Just hook your line to the swivel.

Youtube bait blaster or bait cannon.
 
I would definitely make bait cups and full rigs and pour them full of water and freeze. Just leave a swivel eye out of the cup to tie to. A buddy tried it one time and the only way to get it to stay on the reel was spool about 100' off and zig zag it across the sand before he launched it. Good luck!!!
 
Infamous1 said:
I would definitely make bait cups and full rigs and pour them full of water and freeze. Just leave a swivel eye out of the cup to tie to. A buddy tried it one time and the only way to get it to stay on the reel was spool about 100' off and zig zag it across the sand before he launched it. Good luck!!!
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Never done this with bait but have done similar launching lines 100+’ over trees with sinkers for antennas. Unspooling/laying out line was the only way I could reliably get good launches with a saltwater reel without breaking the line. This was using 100lb braided line. That initial shock from the rapid acceleration taking up the slack is tough on the line.
 
hp468 said:
Never done this with bait but have done similar launching lines 100+’ over trees with sinkers for antennas. Unspooling/laying out line was the only way I could reliably get good launches with a saltwater reel without breaking the line. This was using 100lb braided line. That initial shock from the rapid acceleration taking up the slack is tough on the line.
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Hmmm? I've never had a line break using mine....well....except for the many times that I forgot to open the bail on the reel!
What's your projectile? Maybe it's flying too fast? Mine has a 1.25" bbl and the projectiles are 4" long 1" pvc double capped and filled with sand and a 1/4-20 eye bolt in one end. Never unspooled line.

Edit....It's 620' from my house to the road. I fired mine just to see how far it would go with 70# of air in a 2" PVC tank roughly 18" long....I can dang near hit the street! My house is high...road is low...probably a 50' drop in elevation. I think the "instant trigger" helps with that.
 
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2oz lead sinker... I actually use a wrist rocket now and even then it will still snap it occasionally. It’s likely traveling too fast, unspooling helps a lot. @BatteryOaksBilly got to see it in action.

I’ll take note of what your using and see about giving that a try.
 
Anybody got an idea for a small cheap portable tankless 120v air compressor? I've got an old fridge compressor I might try to convert if I have time.
 
A fridge compressor would probably work, seen a number of people build silent air compressors with them.

A scuba or high pressure scba tank with regulator would be nice if you could fine some cheap.
 
hp468 said:
2oz lead sinker... I actually use a wrist rocket now and even then it will still snap it occasionally. It’s likely traveling too fast, unspooling helps a lot. @BatteryOaksBilly got to see it in action.

I’ll take note of what your using and see about giving that a try.
Click to expand...


I always use light monofilament with the wrist rocket, then pull over the haul line, then the antenna wire. I should paint the sinkers a light color. It would look like Christmas out there with all the sinkers that have gotten tangled up in the branches.

I've adopted a rule that if I miss the intended branches, I always let the sinker down to the ground, remove it, then retrieve the line. Otherwise there 's a high likelihood of the line getting whipped around a branch and forever snagged while retrieving the whole mess for another shot.

I know I provide endless entertainment for the neighbors ("look, Martha, he's fishing in the trees again!")
 
I still have the ones my buddies and I built in high school, we would buy used tennis balls at play it again sports and they would never be seen again....but what beach is that @Les White.....looks awesome!
 
JohnFreeman said:
I always use light monofilament with the wrist rocket, then pull over the haul line, then the antenna wire. I should paint the sinkers a light color. It would look like Christmas out there with all the sinkers that have gotten tangled up in the branches.

I've adopted a rule that if I miss the intended branches, I always let the sinker down to the ground, remove it, then retrieve the line. Otherwise there 's a high likelihood of the line getting whipped around a branch and forever snagged while retrieving the whole mess for another shot.

I know I provide endless entertainment for the neighbors ("look, Martha, he's fishing in the trees again!")
Click to expand...

We're a strange group, fishing for squirrels and whatnot.
 
motoman247 said:
I still have the ones my buddies and I built in high school, we would buy used tennis balls at play it again sports and they would never be seen again....but what beach is that @Les White.....looks awesome!
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It's in Buxton on Hatteras Island. About 2 miles north of the point.
 
Les White said:
Anybody got an idea for a small cheap portable tankless 120v air compressor? I've got an old fridge compressor I might try to convert if I have time.
Click to expand...
Pawn shop usually has them pretty cheap. If not maybe horror fraught.
 
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