Slinky Kate - Hard Ground 30-5-09

[Norman]

Saturdays fishing was kinda different for me ......
I`ve never been a fan of flowing traces (they always seem to get tangled) and many a days fishing Tony and Steve have been whipping the crab on whilst I persevere with lures baited with rag and/or squid.
To be honest my catch rate has never been drastically less than that of Steve or Tony whilst using lures (mainly home made) so i tend to go for the easy quick way , pierce a worm and hoy it ower.
however I did try a flowing trace on Saturday (for the hell of it) and whipped on a few Mussel ...... due to an early take I was hooked (pardon the pun) for the day .... whooo hooo it was certainly flowing baited trace day (as Tony looked on me in curiosity as I had no lures in sight)
The take was so different with a feel only for the bottom and not necessarily for the bites (since the hook was some 8 foot awat blowing in th tide ..... it was felt only AFTER the fish had taken and then done a runner ..... different ... but good

certainly the fish feed differently on these baits as they are generally taken right down rather than just lipped as with many lures .....

Good? yes , best ? .... unknown, decides on the fish and conditions on the day, but on that day ........... brill ...

Norm

[KeithB]

Were you using a pennel Norman? I'd say 70% of the time the fish take the top hook.

That's 2 converts we got Kenny into using shads.

[Norman]

Hi Keith,
I got some pennel rigged but was saving them for the wrecks and big ling, just used a 6/0 on a trace about 8 foot long ...... different kind of take, cant really explain the feeling other than it was kinda later than with direct lures ....

Norm

[KeithB]

We find the fish take on the lift a lot of the time, you proabably noticed the rods being lifted up and down almost if we were pirking.

[Norman]

Aye mate that was true, often went for a refresh of bait and caught on the lift ........... lol as was the one that hooked itself as I took your pics, I`d lifted way off the bottom as snag safety ................ haha only to find a geet big cod on the end (after everyone shouting to tell me )

[The Great Wallsendo]

Were you using a pennel Norman? I'd say 70% of the time the fish take the top hook.

That's 2 converts we got Kenny into using shads.

is the shads kind of the same but different to a flowing trace?

[john/r]

great report pics and vid thanks.

personaly i tend to think if you make the effort to get up early you get the rewards as i used to find best weather is early morning come mid morning dinner time especialy with high pressure sea breeze pics up and spoils it,

do you agree. any opions

[Norman]

aye John, couldnt agree more, early rise catches the fish as the "wake" so to speak ..... always had best catches from early sessions ..... (hope the crew agree)

norm