Tired of plastic booms that bend and snap? Take a look at these new metal beauties from Shamrock Tackle.
Shamrock Tackle have added a strong metal tube boom for boat fishing to their expanding range of terminal gear. Used to stand off long bottom traces, tube/running booms are a boat fishing essential item. But quality varies tremendously among the standard plastic versions that are commercially available. Some tube booms are too flexible and struggle to hold their shape, while others are formed from thin and brittle plastic that routinely shatters or snaps when stressed. The new Shamrock stainless all-metal booms are thoughtfully constructed and kiss snapping problems goodbye.
The central clip-swivel for the lead weight is ordinarily at the root of other problems. Traditionally, a length of boom plastic is fed through the top eye of the swivel, which is then part-compressed to secure the swivel permanently in place. The problem lies in how much compression is applied. Too much pressure and the central aperture through which the line runs is forced closed or nearly closed, rendering passage sticky or impossible. Not enough compression often leads to the swivel becoming displaced in use. Avoidance of these common issues lies in coming up with a simple alternative that involves no swivel ‘crimping’ in the first place. Shamrock’s answer is to solidly solder the swivel in place on the boom.
The boom ends are collared and won’t split as can happen with plastic versions after sustained use. I would happily use the Shamrock booms for everyday fishing, and wouldn’t hesitate to throw them at bigger fish such as reef and wreck congers. A generous aperture ensures that movement through the boom isn’t impeded, offering absolutely minimal resistance to any fish. Even 250lb long-liners commercial mono is accommodated with room to spare, making these perfect for big fish applications such as common skate and blonde ray. The clip-swivel ably carried up to 3lb of lead without any component issues.
Another not quite so obvious attribute of a metal body/solder/nickel swivel cocktail is the electrolysis element. A very quick explanation would be that when two different metals are placed in direct contact with each other in a conductive liquid such as saltwater, a current-emitting battery effect attractive to fish is the result. I have long put a certain store in the electrolysis theory and the draw for cartilaginous fish such as tope, dogfish, skates and rays in particular.
The Shamrock stainless booms measure 8 inches overall: equating to a 2 ½ inch back and a 5 ½ inch main portion ahead of the clip-swivel. They come in packs of three and are very economically priced at around €3 a pop. These booms are brand new on the market and availability at this time is limited. For stockist details etc contact Shamrock direct.
