I have posted this on MatchFishing Scene but for completeness here it is on my blog!
I have mentioned these whips in my blog on numerous occasions but have put together a rough (very rough as video is not my forte!) video of almost 7 minutes dealing with my use of the whips. In terms of cost they are very cheap in comparison to whips in this country, as an example the 5 whips in the video cost less than £25 in total. I have just ordered a 7m carbon version for £10.50 delivered!(This does include a coupon plus discounted “Singles day” price – real price now £15.60 delivered. If you can get past the differences in action they are very suited to UK style fishing and versatile – I use these whips at Port Talbot Docks with floats up to 5g.
Well whip turned up , well wrapped in sturdy bubble wrap, taken a bit longer than usual because of Black Friday and Singles Day (11th Nov) sales. Unwrapped and found extra top 2 sections, float, rig winder set up already, two packs of float stops, a plastic donut(?) and a handle wrap similar to what you would put on a badminton racquet. Obviously not tried it out yet but on scales it went 233g but then I realised that I had left the bung in place, that weighed 22g so weight of whip itself is 211g. Butt diameter is 23mm and tip is 0.9mm. Closed length 780mm.
On investigating the extras further the packs that I thought were float stops are actually a complete rig making kit.
In the packet are float stops, a green float adapter a swivel, a plastic in line boom and a thin lead strip. Unwinding the made up rig you can see how it all fits together. The float stops for the float and weight make it a very versatile rig in terms of depth and the hook length is attached via the swivel. I can see me setting a rig up in similar fashion but using either a loop or a mini quick change swivel in place of the swivel. I have since discovered that the “donut” is used to put on the whip when it fits into a Chinese seat rest to prevent it being pulled in!
The whips are designed to bend right through and are “floppy” by European standards but they work! The flick tips are very fine and the whips are never elasticated as the whip does all the work. The action at first seems odd but you soon get used to it!
wheatnotcasters 
I’ve never really been drawn to the pole/whip malarkey, but I can see some advantages (it is just an alien method to me) and you make a more than convincing case on cost here! I think you’re doing yourself down on the videos, as they work to illustrate your text and you’ve enough inflexion in your voice to ensure the voice overs works are interesting (I guess as an ex-teacher you’d be disappointed at anything less). Okay the BFI may not be knocking down your door begging you to direct a re-make of Lawrence of Arabia, but I think you’ve achieved what you set out to do. Tbh other than Graham Pullen over on You Tube, I’m not necessarily convinced the video blog thingy isn’t over done. That said there’s a blogger (vlogger?) called Fishing Fiend who makes me laugh, but he benefits from a straight man in the form of his mate Phil.
Anyone if we don’t ‘speak’ again before Christmas, all the best to you and yours and let us hope for a better 2021.
Clive
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Thanks Clive, have a good one and stay safe (and fishing!)
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Port Talbot docks!! 🙂
Fished there in the late 50’s/60’s when it was still a working docks and I was pre-, and into my, teens.
My grandparents lived in Taibach and so annual holidays were spent there and a session or two in the docks was always on the cards with my Dad. Dad used to go dig ragworm from the banks of the Afan in low tide for bait and we’d fish for whatever in the docks themselves… a favoured point being at the outlet of a pipe through which water was pumped into the dock from the Afan as, when the water was being pumped, the area around was alive with ‘manic’ mullet (an adjective not usually associated with that species but with the incoming plankton, etc during the pumping they lost all caution!). Happy days!
Whips…. I’ve a 6m chinese whip … also a chinese 8m elasticated pole … which to me feel fine … if only I could get used to them. Whip fishing is not really my style but I bought them for catching livebait for my piking endeavours BUT I seem to get myself into all sorts of trouble using them (probably because my usual pike swim is in a line of trees and keep catching the tip on the lower twigs/branches) … and with the elasticated pole I tend to bounce the fish off when unshipping the butt sections. So I tend to end up using my standard flota rod… 🙂
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Bass and mullet still there but loads of roach and bream now also along with the pike!. I’m from Swansea originally so almost on home territory! If you are bouncing fish of your pole then it may be your elastic is either too strong or set too tight.
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I think the problem is more me ..,. tend to ‘bang/wang/bounce’ the pole about when swinging in and trying to unship lower sections and shake the fish off. TBH I’ve no idea what elastic I’ve got fitted but I think I have a top section with 20+ for carp (never used), 7 or 8 for general stuff, and 4/5 for down the canal (again never used).
TBH I really cant see the point in a pole – a rod/reel is far easier to handle, more accurate in placing the bait, land fish in 1/4 the time it takes on elasticated pole as you’ve little or no control on applying pressure (with rod/line you can lock down and give zero line or let line go totally free with no restriction or anything in between) and can fish anywhere from 12″ from bank to over 100 yards out with no fiddling with tackle, etc…. so even for my intended sole use of the pole for livebait catching I usually pack it away and get the rod out within an hour 🙂
Love Swansea – my heaven on Earth 🙂
Often camp out at Horton on the Gower (Bank Farm) … fish off Mumbles Pier …. 🙂
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I think the lightest elastic (4/5) would be your best bet for catching live bait as it will keep the tension on the fish better and be less susceptible to any “Bounce”
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