Deab-bait Sand Eel presentation for Bass?

[FearTheHands]

Oops, sorry I was assuming everyone would know what a 'pennel rig' was, my mistake:

 

Basically it's 2 hooks on the same trace. Hook 1 is simply thread onto the mono while hook 2 is tied to the mono in the normal fashion. Hook 1 is then free to slide up & down the mono.

Thread the sandeel onto hook 2 as I described. Then bring hook 1 down to the top of the bait (so the hook end is nearest). You then wind hook 1 around the mono 3 times & hook it through the bait (winding the hook secures it in place & prevents it from slipping).

Even out any slack between both hooks by pulling each hook away from each other.

 

This does 2 things;

 

1.) Gives better bait presentation & assures a far better 'hold' of the bait

 

2.) Gives you a better chance of hooking the fish as you now have a hook at both ends of the bait

 

http://www.torbayfishing.com/rigs/pennel-rig.htm

 

HTH

 

<small>[ 18. June 2005, 10:39 AM: Message edited by: FearTheHands ]</small>

[Judley]

JeffB:

And don't worry, the Bass will be patiently waiting for you buddy ;0)

 

When you do get that biggy let us know and yes, you're going to know about it!

Well, i fished my spot on the Fowey on saturday afternoon & caught SIX Bass on Lug, but every one was under the legal size limit.

Surely there must be bigger fish about if the number of smaller fish is owt to go by? Should i try using a bigger bait than Lug? Any tips for hooking that biggy appreciated!

[RichardB]

Judley

 

I know every venue is different, but I would advise avoidance of worm baits if your quarry is a bigger bass.

I spent years fishing for bass in my area (Hampshire coast), using ragworm. I caught countless small ones until I started to persist with large fillets of mackeral presented on 4/0 hooks fished pennel style (see Fearthehands post).

By fishing at short range and working out by trial and error the best tides, times, weather conditions etc. I found that small bass were mostly avoided and the bait wasn't immediately chomped by the legions of bloody crabs. The added bonus was that my bait was cheaper too !

Other sizable baits such as squid and crab are good on their day too, although peeler crab is expensive or time consuming to collect.

It's a game of patience of course but the end results were worth it.

[JeffB]

Yep same problem for me this weekend just gone, I had rag on one hook lug on the other and feathers out for the Macky but all I got was Schoolies... I did had a big macky fillet fished un the pier but I reckon the scorching weather put the bigger Bass off...???

[Judley]

Cheers for that RichardB

 

Bigger baits it is from now on!

[yakmad]

i fish in cornwall and have caught most of my bass on frozen sandeel(i also use mak lug rag peelers softies etc)biggest was 7lb4oz1dr.the water is clear down here but that and many more bass came at night in quite large surf so vision would be almost nil i would have thought giving that its dark and bloody sandy that they must have found the eels by sent.when i use them i cut the head off at the front of the gills and cut the tail off at the wrist and pennel it

[Guest sandpipper]

Ive never had any problems with dead/frozen sandeels at baton on sea of the end of the rocks, legered or floating then,as long as the heads have not gone red where theyve thawed out.But they must be fished close to the rocks as possable dawn seams to be best there. ps lights to be kept as low as you can or you wont score