bait presentation

[anth]

is there anywhere that recommends how to bait up? i just clag me gear on and hope for the best but i reckon something more tactical may work....pleeeeeasssssseeee help me as ive struck out every fishing trip since me first one!!!!! ( i blame the weather mind not me sh** skills)

cheers!

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Well Anth ,I hope you\'re using elasticated thread for crab ,shellfish etc. baits,
To quote a certain man on a certain boat ( who seems to catch more than the rest of us ) \" It\'s all about presentation \".

[Charlton]

bait presentation does have a lot to do with catching fish, so does having the best bait you can get. So does making sure you do not cover the end of the hook with bait. Sorry for all you lot that use elasticted thread for putting bait on, i do not agree. I use a soft cotton thread, found elasticated bites into the bait.

[Stores]

Ah, sent on a mission to nick a cotton bobbin out of your mams sewing box... which colour will work best tonight? - I go for red at Eyemouth.....Owww - mam catches youngster - ear warmed up - dad laughing in kitchen ...happy days.

[willywetegg]

Lol David, that cunjure\'s up a great picture mate.

Jim.

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Hehehe ,nice one David ,it does cut into the bait a bit Alan you\'re right ...I\'d never given it any thought really.

[Edited on 7/2/2006 by SIXFOOTSTEVE]

[anth]

how many mussels would you put on a hook? lol silly me realises it depends on the size of said hook and mussels.....

[BIGCHRIS]

not such a silly question if its just mussell your fishing then for cod you want a healthy amount on your hook but make sure you dont cover the hook point this is vital,for tipping off again just make sure you dont mask the hook point.
bait presentation is important and also very difficult to achieve as casting and heavy tide pulls not to mention the crabs do everything they can to mess things up,try getting a bait needle for your worms there great easy to use and dont put unneccesary puncture holes in your bait saving ripped baits apart from that mate its just a case of getting your bait as natural as possible.

[Lowrider]

Oddly enough i was reading a old fishing book my wife bought me.
In there it also advises using wool and that red seems to work best.
I use the elastic myself and have found that a little time preparing the bait on the hook correctly gets results.

[anth]

a few weeks ago on my first trip after 15 yrs ( im 30 btw ) i could hardly remember how to cast, me knots were poop and all i did was just push the hook thru me ragworm in a kinda zigzag up its body....but i caught a biggish dab .....

ive been out about 7 or 8 times since then and now i can cast loads better, i kno a couple of knots, i made meslef a load of lubly rigs, and im trying to be fancy with me bait.....what have i caught? a persistent crab and a hagfish!!!

i hope i get a decent bite soon or its back to sloppy casts and clagged on worms i reckon !!! lol :P

[YoursTruly]

Sorry but have to disagree with Alan, nowt wrong with elastic thread. if its cutting your bait up i would suggest you buy some of the good stuff and not the super thin that rots before you get anywhere near the bottom of the spool.
Crab and mussel are the baits i use most and dont have any problem with thread cutting my baits.
Terry

[tony.codling]

I buy the fine knitting elastic from the wool shop in shields
market square its not cheap £1.99 but its less diameter than
the official fishing stuff so it lasts about 3 times longer.
with this stuff being so fine i think the secret is applying the right
amount of pressure so as not to cut the bait
and not snap the elastic neither
thus giving you perfect bait presentation
every bait i use gets lashed on i think it keeps the bait compact and easier for the fish to swallow
have you ever saw a fly caught in a spiders web and watched the
spider wrap it up

[JW]

I am also a fan of the fine bait elastic, i think it should be left to personal preference upon which method you use, if it works for you it\'s right. I also use the fine elastic for binding crab, mussel and mackerel etc to the hook, i have to confess i don\'t have to much bother with the cotton \'cutting the bait up\' i suppose it depends again upon how much pressure you\'re exerting and the thickness of elastic you\'re using. I use the fine Mustad elastic which also comes with its own dispenser, however i\'ve had bother with the dispenser in that the elastic thread tends to jump of the spool and ends up clogging up the small dispenser hole. Cure - a urine specimen bottle from work, not used of course, i use a bradawl to put a hole in the top of the cap and the jobs a goodun.

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Yeah my neighbour gave me a specimin bottle with a hole in just the same ,his wife is a nurse ,I took it to be nice ,can\'t see me using it to be honest.

[JW]

Steve the only other reason i use the old specimen bottle is that it also keeps the elastic dry, essential to stop it from rotting and snapping straight away everytime you apply any pressure to it, this used to happen to me frustratingly in the past when i\'d got the stuff wet with sea water. Are u fishing the weekend Steve forecast looks good at present, hope u catch a few decent fish