Using big baits and summer beach thornback tactics

10 TO 1 ON!
Big bait means big fish! We've all heard that one, and there is a lot of truth in it. But what is a "big bait" and how do we judge when enough is enough.

Look through the fish kingdom and most major predators can swallow, with ease, a tenth of their own weight in one go. Take a 10lb bass. With a mouth half the size of a bucket it's easy to see a 1lb mackerel slipping down there pretty darn easy. Double figure cod also have a massive mouth for their general size and again can take whole herring, mackerel, pout and whiting straight down. Rays, huss and conger all have the same capability.

Using big baits

Most cod anglers are baiting up with a single whole black lug for cod. Okay if there are lots of codling about, but if you want the chance of a 10lber, then think about bunching up three or four black lug, add a couple of splints of razorfish or squid and then you start to get a bait that will fill a big mouth. Baits for big conger should be whole cuttlefish at least 4-inches across, or put two or three squid side by side and bind the whole lot up with bait elastic.

Also notice that presentation goes straight out the window here. Big fish don't give a hoot whether it looks pretty. If it's their expected food and smells right then down it goes, and all the better if there's lots of it. You don't get big by being picky about your grub.

Another rule for specimen sea fish is to have a bait in the water as long as possible. This on the basis that the longer it's in there the longer the scent trail has to find a passing fish. Your time limit is how fast the essential bait juices wash out. Small baits wash out quickly and you'll need to change every 15 minutes at longest. Big baits can take double that time. That extra 15 minutes of scent can track down a big fish that is a slow moving solitary hunter. The other advantage with big baits is that they put little fish off. If little fish constantly nibble at a big bait, no problem, that's just increasing scent and vibration, which will home a big fish in.

Everything is relative. Big baits mean fewer bites, and some anglers just haven't the patience. Those that have reap the rewards of the 10 to 1 rule.

TIPS AND TRICKS
This is one for the juniors and newcomers to fishing. Dogfish have rough skins and can graze a bare arm or hand badly when removing the hook if held by the body only. If you gently fold the tail of the dogfish up alongside the body and hold both body and tail in one hand, you'll avoid getting grazed and keep the dogfish happy and secure until released.

Also use a pair of long nosed pliers or forceps to gently ease the hook out. Dogfish have rough mouths with very fine teeth and can scratch your fingers with deep cuts that take ages to heal.

SUMMER BEACH THORNBACK TACTICS

Summer thornies!

Spring and early summer rays come closest on the big tides in flat calm weather. If the atmosphere is a touch humid and thundery, all the better. The key to getting it right for shore thornbacks is to fish a couple of days after a decent wind has stirred up the sea then flattened off. Coloured water after storms encourages them inshore.

Thornbacks feed best during the early hours of the flood. They advance with the tide feeding as they go. Time your fishing to coincide with low water in to darkness, as the rays are less likely to come within casting range during daylight. On the shallow surf beaches they rarely come in closer than the mid tide line and you'll need to hit long range to find them. As soon as the ebb tide begins they will disappear as they move out quickly.

The best shore baits are actually peeler crab in the early summer, backed up mackerel strip or sandeel. Thornbacks will also take lugworm in coloured water, especially if it is tipped with squid.

Rays capture their bait by flopping over them, then shuffling around to get the bait near their mouths. This shows as trembles, bumps and slight knockdowns on the rod tip. Only when the rod tip fully pulls over or the line falls slack as a ray moves off with the bait should you wind in any slack line, feel the weight of the fish and pull the hook home. Thornbacks will suction down on the seabed and you may need to apply steady pressure to move them. Keep the pressure on and they will eventually move. Expect short runs from them and heavy pressure as they deflect the tide off their wings.

The best tackle is a standard 5-6oz beachcaster and reel loaded with 15lb line and 60lb shock leader. Choose a one-hook clipped down rig with an Impact Bait Shield to maximise range. Best hook is either a Mustad Viking 4/0 or a Varivas Big Mouth 4/0. Snood strength needs to be 35lbs.

Thornbacks often travel in small groups, usually a female with several attendant males. Catch one and you should catch more.

Most shore thornbacks average between 4 and 7lbs, but 10lbers are frequent in some areas and should be considered a good fish. When you hold a thornback for a photo before returning it, balance the body of the fish on your knee to support the ray's weight.