Home | Blogs and Opinion | Mike's Diary Archive 2004 | Does hook snood length matter, rock wrassing tactics

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Does hook snood length matter, rock wrassing tactics

Mike Thrussell 20 May, 2004 03:55:00

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
An interesting e-mail dropped in to my PC the other day from reader Dominic Taylor based down in Chelmsford. He was asking does the length of hook snoods really matter, and if so, what do you decide to use and when.

The easy answer is that in rough seas and heavy surf a shorter hook snood between 6 and 10-inches obviously tends to tangle less. A longer snood up to 24-inches might be worth trying in very calm flat seas as this will add a little more movement to the bait and make it appear more natural.

The length of the snood also dictates how much bite detection you get. Take a short 6-inch snood. This means that a taking fish needs only move a very short distance before the bite registers on the rod tip. I use these short snoods for rough ground bass fishing when I want instant warning that a fish is picking up the bait. Use say a 24-inch snood and the fish can swim, in theory, in a 4-foot arc before a bite might register. With rock bass this can be enough time for them to reject bait if they feel suspicious.

snoods.jpg
How long should snoods be?
The short snoods are ideal for flatfish that tend not to swim off with a bait, but try and swallow it on the spot before moving off. If you're after round fish like surf bass and cod that will swallow a bait and swim off at speed all in one go, then a long trace can be used to give them the freedom to pick up and eat the bait, but more importantly allow them to pick up a little swimming speed before they come up against the weight of the lead. This tactic can be used as a bolt rig and encourages self-hooking.

This bolt rig tactic is useful to remember when fishing just as a tide run starts to fall away to slack water. You'll see some anglers consistently getting bites and striking but not actually hooking many fish. Try doubling the length of your hooks snoods and watch for two or three rattles on the rod tip before striking and pound to a penny you'll start landing fish again. It is just about giving the fish enough length of snood to eat the bait and move away a little.

Here are couple of league tables of some my snood lengths purely as a rough guide.

TIDE RUNNING/ROUGH WEATHER
Whiting 10-inches Dab 6 to 9-inches Flounder 10-inches Codling 18-inches Surf bass 18-inches

NO TIDE/CALM SEA
Whiting 18-inches Dab 12 to 15-inches Flounder 15 to 24-inches Rock bass 6 to 12-inches Plaice 18-inches

TIPS AND TRICKS
You know how rain always trickles down your sleeves when holding the rod or casting in bad weather? Try wearing a pair of those towelling wristbands they sell in sports shops for tennis and badminton players. These stop the rain getting inside your sleeves as the bands soak up the water as it initially gets inside your sleeve cuffs and keeps the inner arm area dry.

ROCK WRASSE TACTICS

wrasse_002.jpg
Rock wrasse fishing
Wrasse are found right along the UK south coast, west coast and down as far as North Yorkshire, so most us have a chance at trying for them.

A 2-4oz bass rod and reel holding 15lb is okay for average wrasse, but step up to 20lb for the bigger fish. Simple 40lb mono rigs with a blood loop to take a 30lb hook snood with a weak link to the lead and split ring for a connector are ideal as losses will be high. The best hook is the Mustad Ultimate Bass in size 2/0. Weights need to be old spark plugs, metal nuts and bolts, or plain leads of 1 to 2ozs.

Wrasse live tight inshore around stone breakwaters, rocks that fall vertically in to the sea, and even over rough ground patches along our deeper beaches. The best of the wrassing though, is off the deepwater rock ledges.

The best wrasse fishing will always be in the least accessible places. Easy access areas and marks will always be over fished leaving just the smaller wrasse to be caught. Be prepared to walk a mile or two further on taking the cliff top paths and looking for potential access down to sea level that others may have missed. These are the marks where the 3lb plus fish are. Low tide is always the best time to be wrassing as there are more rocks exposed and access is easier.

The best marks are where deep cracks push back in to the cliffs with at least 15-feet depth of water over a rocky bottom. Also study the water from high up on the cliffs to locate rock outcrops that jut out to sea, kelp beds and area of submerged rock fall. Chances are the rock ledge you are stood on will have wrasse right below your feet.

The technique is simple. Bait with cut sections of peeler or soft crab and use just a little bait elastic to hold the bait in place. Swing the bait out and drop it tight in to the rock. Hold the rod ready to strike with the line just tight enough to feel the weight touching the bottom. This is basic touch ledgering.

Wrasse bite in a series of fast rattles. Hit them straight away and pressure them away from the snags. Once moving, keep them coming towards you and only give line if absolutely forced to. A 3lb wrasse will give a bass rod a real good hammering, so be prepared!

Wrasse also take worm baits and even sandeel, but these tend to be the smaller fish. Crab picks out the quality.