1 reply to this topic

[joso]

hi there. pretty new to the forum. bit of a random first thread....

Anyway, I just got hold of a heap of tackle ready for piking in the colder months, along with some castng clips for tough skinned/soft dead baits but haven't used them before and I'm not too keen on leaving a big loop of mono on the bait as it can't do the pike any good having that trailing down its throat after the bait. Just wondering if anyone knew of a better way of keeping the bait on the hook so you don't lose the it on the long casts and stuff.

I thought of maybe making a loop with some good quality pva string, so as the bait is on the bottom the loop melts away leaving the bait there with the trebles just nicely nicked under the skin, but i'm not sure if it'd melt once pulled through the root of the tail, anyhow, any thought you guy have would be great.

Thanks

[GlennB]

Hi Joso , and welcome!

Bait elastic (as used by sea anglers for whipping crabs etc onto hooks) works really well. Freely available at tackle shops or online.

Whip it tight where the trace passes over the root of the tail and it will help protect the body of the bait from the stresses of casting. The stresses are transferred from the hook-holds to the tough, bony tail. Soft baits like herring or sprats will still need quite gentle treatment though.

It's a bit of a b#gger to remove, but decent wire cutters will do the trick.

Tight lines !

[ 31. August 2005, 11:19 PM: Message edited by: GlennB ]