hooklength BS

[viney]

what is the lowest BS hooklength you would use for trotting? i bought some 24's online but just realised the BS is 0.7lb i was planning on using them on the lambourn but thinking they wont be strong enough if i hook a fairly big grayling opr trout?

[George387]

what is the lowest BS hooklength you would use for trotting? i bought some 24's online but just realised the BS is 0.7lb i was planning on using them on the lambourn but thinking they wont be strong enough if i hook a fairly big grayling opr trout?

Viney it all depends on what your fishing for & where you are fishing for it.

I normally use 3lbs BS hooklength for my general Grayling fishing in open water but if Im tackling one of the many snaggy becks up here then I go up to 4lbs BS.

 

Then if Im tackling Chub, Trout or anything else with a bit more power I change completly again.

[Dales]

what is the lowest BS hooklength you would use for trotting? i bought some 24's online but just realised the BS is 0.7lb i was planning on using them on the lambourn but thinking they wont be strong enough if i hook a fairly big grayling opr trout?

 

That sounds a little light. I never go below 3lb for any of my fishing, I know to some that sounds heavy but I would rather miss out on bites then loose a bigger fish. When trotting I would be thinking of 4lb and maybe 5lb no doubt to the horrow of match man but I always go as heavy as i think I can get away with. When trotting I tend to think the fish has to make a snap decision as the bait floats down stream and do not think they are as put of by a heavy hooklink in the way that they may be when inspecting a static bait on the bottom.

 

Plenty of others have more knowledge of trotting then me and can no doubt offer better advice.

[Dick Dastardly]

1.1 to 1.7lb are my standard hook lengths for maggot fishing.I only increase them if I know carp or big tench are likely or I'm fishing in heavy weed somewhere the fish aren't tackle shy. I use these with hooks down to 22.

 

Only time Ive ever used lighter is when I have been using really small hooks (24-26) with bloodworm but that purely because the size of bait dictated the smaller hook and subsequently the smaller hook needed a thinner line to sit properly.Targeting small fish in winter.

 

I certainly wouldn't use them where trout or grayling were expected as there is simply no need!

[Tigger]

I usually fish straight through and use 6lb sensor. I can't say I've noticed the thicker line has stopped me catching decent numbers of fish of a number of species.

I think fishing a river with no snags and plenty room to play a large fish the lowest I would go would be 3lb and I'd fish direct (straight through).

Edited January 13, 2010 by Tigger

[viney]

ill just use them for minnow fishing with the lad then!

[ayjay]

ill just use them for minnow fishing with the lad then!

 

He must be really really tiny.

[watatoad]

I am a very light angler... (weighing about 12 and 3/4 stone...hehehe)

 

Seriously I use hook lengths down to 8oz (half a pound) and hook sizes to 24 but what are you (EDIT) really (EDIT) after?

 

How heavy is your mainline?

 

How forgiving is your rod?

 

How good an angler are you at gently coaxing the fish into the landing net?

 

Do you want to spend some considerable time delicately playing a fish or just bully it out?

 

I can't see why you could not take a Grayling or a trout but if you are not gentle and careful you are going to get a lot of lost fish.

 

Personally I would expect to be able to land a fish up to about 4lb 8oz (four and a half pound) on it depending on the swim, the weather, how long you are trotting, but if you are a little too heavy on the strike you will loose a bigger fish, if your rod is a little too unforgiving you will loose a big fish, in this weather you will most likely loose anything reasonable say much over 1lb (one pound).

 

So much depends on so many factors for one if the water is cold the line is less forgiving which is why in winter I increase my hook lengths to 3/4lb to 1lb (three quarters to one pound) sometimes even going to 1lb 8oz (one and a half pounds).

 

Looking for a larger trout you may be well advised to use something considerably heavier as many on here have advised.

 

I would say keep them to one side saving them for young Chub, Dace and Roach in the summer and see how you get on with them, before venturing after Grayling or Trout or sell them to a match angler.

Edited January 13, 2010 by watatoad

[Steve Walker]

When I used to do a lot of float fishing for small fish, my opening gambit was 1lb bottom to an #18 or #20. Modern lines are so much thinner, though - I've got a spool of 4lb line here that's as thin as 2lb Perlon, and that's the sort of thing I would probably open with now. For bloodworm or pinkies on a #22 or #24 I would have gone down to 12oz Perlon - that has a 0.07mm diameter, but a modern 0.07mm line can be rated at 1lb6oz or more, so I just don't see any benefit in going thinner.

 

Are you sure that your line is 0.7lb? Seems an unusual strength.

[Guest bbamboo]

Would it not be better to compare dia of mono