Sea Fishing Tackle - Heavy Thinking

We all have used lead weights of different shapes and sizes and yet many Sea Anglers don't know the proper use for them, they just grab any old weight out of the tackle box and sling it out. This is a big mistake as you are not increasing your chances of catching. In this article I will go through some basic leads and their uses and also ways to improve your catch rate! The Designs Starting with the basic "Beach Bomb Lead" or known as a Pear Lead. This fishing weight is used by a lot of anglers it's fairly aerodynamic and has smooth sides and has multiple uses. Most common use is for sticking on the end of a set of feathers in the summer!

Sea Fishing Tackle - Mind Boggling Bait Clips

There are many bait clips on the market. Everyone including myself seems to be asked which is the best bait clip and what makes it different from the rest. Well in this article I will go through the pros and cons of bait clips and how they may improve your fishing. What is a bait clip? A bait clip is a device that allows you to clip down your snoods or trace lines on your rigs thus reducing the risk of tangles and also to present baits effectively at distance. The use without a bait clip can result in your bait being thrown off the hook during a power cast or even worse hitting the water's surface and coming off the hook without realising and then you sit there watching your rod tip for bites thinking the bait is presented nicely on the bottom when in fact it's been eaten ages ago by a school of Bass.

Sea Fishing Tackle - Hook Sizes Explained

Hooks are hooks in most anglers' minds. They figure they either need a big one or a small one, depending on the fish they are pursuing. Lots of anglers go through life completely missing the importance of using not only the right size sea hook, but probably most importantly the right type of sea hook. It's not just pure fishing luck that makes the difference in all sea anglers catching more than you. Most of the time it's the hook choice you make on the day. A thick forged hook is not the right choice for small fish, fish with small mouths or soft lipped fish. A thin Aberdeen wire hook that can penetrate quickly in the inside of the mouth would be a better choice however you would also need a hook that holds its strength and shape.

Sea Fishing - Smash Grab Wrasse

If you have never done Wrasse fishing then you're missing out on some great sport. Multi-coloured Ballan Wrasse including the famous Cuckoo Wrasse hunts among the thick kelp and rock outcrops in search of its main food source crustaceans: such as crab, prawn, and other shellfish. For this fish crabs and other hard shelled creatures don't stand a chance with its famous thick lips and powerful jaws of shell smashing teeth. If this wasn't enough it also has deep down in its throat another group of equally pharyngeal (throat) teeth designed to finally grind down its dinner. Wrasse are found all over the UK coastline and in a diverse range of colours to suit the surroundings for maximum camouflage.

Peeling a Peeler Crab

Shore Crabs are around the whole year, and are generally classed as a pest because of their bait robbing behavior. As winter turns to spring and the water temperatures start to increase, the shore crabs will start to peel or pop. When the crabs start the peeling process then they are probably the most productive and favored bait by sea anglers. Many crabs peel 3 times per year usually in their juvenile stages of life. Peeling is when a crab sheds its current shell to allow it to grow. Crabs do this by drinking and storing large amounts of sea water, which in turn swells the inner body, forcing the shell to crack, revealing a new soft one underneath.

Uptiding Knowhow!

Uptiding is a method of boat fishing which was developed in the early 1970's ideally suited for the Bristol Channel due to it's success in shallow waters. Due to the strong tides in the area a 9'6" 6-10oz rated rod coupled with a 7000 or 7500 size multiplier loaded with either 30lb mono straight through or 18lb mono with a 60lb shockleader. Braid is also starting to become popular but the drag setting needs to be lowered as due to it's no stretch quality there is nothing to absorb any dives made by the fish resulting in the hook pulling free. Weights need to be 7-10 oz grip leads, ideally the fixed wire type as they have the best hold on the sea bed due to the actual weight being behind the wires.

Sea Fishing Targeting Ray

The Bristol channel is well known for it's ray fishing being home to four main species Smalleyed, Blonde, Thornback and Spotted. The most commonly caught of the four is the Thornback Ray which can be landed all year round but March to November being the main months and April to July being the best of these. The average size for the area is around 8lb with a good specimen topping 14lb the welsh record being 31lb07oz this is also the UK record. They can be caught over most types of ground sand, mud, shingle and light rough and prefer shallow coastal waters. They can be caught on a variety of baits but mackerel, squid and peeler crab work best.

Sea Fishing King Rag As Bait

King Rag is killer bait for most species of UK fish, most tackle shops sell King Rag by the quarter. King Rag is a marine Ragworm member of the Polychaete family. It is found in a greenish or reddish colour and has a set of pincers called Chitinous jaws that could open a tin of beans! The average worm length is between 6 and 9" long. Much larger worms to 18" are not uncommon, and specimens to 24" can be found in North Wales and occasionally elsewhere. Along the sides of the rag worm's body are locomotory feet that look very similar to a centipedes that aid its swimming abilty.They are also used to circulate water to retain fresh supply of saltwater, and to bring food to the worm via the water drawn into its burrow.

Sea Fishing For Pollack Power

Devon, Cornwall, Wales, west coast of Scotland and the Irish west coast produce some of the best pollack fishing around from the shore and a boat. These places are jagged cliffs falling almost vertical to the tide line, sea-scarred headlands defiantly forcing their way westwards over rough ground. The best places to fish are over rocks, uplifting peaks, weed beds and scattered sharp edged rocks that once stood proudly part of those cliffs behind you. This ground is rough which means you will lose gear, but fear not, quality fish will repay your losses. To get the best from shore pollack fishing, you need to be mobile you need some good boots with plenty of grip and good ankle support.

Casting and Leader Tips

If you want to improve your catch, (and who doesn't). There are many things you can work on. But you've got to start somewhere, right? So let's look at your casting technique. This is one of the most common reasons for a poor catch. Does your cast end up with the leader collapsing into a tangled heap, If this is the case, first check your back cast. It should unroll in a neat, tight loop and then fully straighten out, before you start on the forward cast. Also what length of leader should you be using? If you have plenty of space, a 12 foot leader is great for keeping your line well away from the fish, but only if you have the skills necessary to get it to turn over and straighten out.