Both common and starry smoothhound are sometimes confused with tope, but the teeth on the tope are triangular and sharply pointed, whereas both types of smoothhound have flat, broad grinding teeth. The tope’s lower tail lobe is also long, whereas the smoothhounds is short and blunt.

To tell common smoothhound from starry smoothhound the nasal flaps are broad, the dermal denticles on the skin are narrow with basal ridges but smooth ends, and the body has no markings. The starry smoothhound has narrower nasal flaps and broader dermal denticles, plus usually has small white star type markings scattered across the body flanks, though sometimes these are missing so should not be relied upon solely for identification. General colouration of both species is a grey back shading to a grey/white belly.

Both types frequent inshore shallow water down to about 70-metres, but usually much shallower. Their diet consists of mainly of crabs, especially shore crabs and hermit crabs, but also shellfish and worms, squat lobsters and even sea anemones.

The common smoothhound is viviparous meaning the young are nourished from a pseudoplacenta formed by the yolk-sac membrane connected to the mother. They give birth to up to 15 babies which can measure up to 12-inches in length.

The starry smoothhound is ovoviviparous with the young developed within the mother by a yolk-sac but with no membrane connection to the mother. They give birth to between 7 and 15 babies, the number depending on the overall size of the mother.

Little is known about the breeding season, but it’s likely to occur during the late winter and early spring.

A little realised fact is that the common smoothhound are actually less common in numbers than the starry smoothhound.

WHEN AND WHERE TO FISH
Both smoothhound types are found all round the UK coast, though the common’s are scarce north of a line drawn across the middle of Scotland, but the starry smoothhound has been caught as far north as southern Norway. Their territory extends down in to the Mediterranean and North Africa.

Hotspots in the UK are the East Coast as high as The Wash, Thames Estuary, The Hampshire coast, both sides of the Bristol Channel, Anglesey’s northwest corner and Luce Bay in Scotland.

Both types of smoothhound favour sand banks and sandy gutters, mixed rough ground scattered amongst sand, especially eel grass beds, shingle banks and areas where big boulders break up general lower more even rough ground.

They tend to show best on the middle tides rising upwards from small neap tides, and they like some tide run, so often the middle two hours of the flood can give the best fishing, though this can vary in some areas.

smoothhound tend to be caught more in daylight and less so during the dark hours, and often the two distinct types of smoothhound will be found swimming together in medium to large sized packs. They tend to frequent an area for a couple of days then move out once the food supply is depleted.

A big misconception is that smoothhound like near mirror calm conditions. Although caught inshore during calm seas, they are equally at home with a good swell on after a major blow has passed through and will feed ravenously at this time with big catches possible.

TACKLE UP
In the Thames estuary and Bristol Channel uptide fishing is still popular. Ideal rods need to be rated 2 to 6ozs, 9-foot 6-inches to 10-feet in length and matched to a light multiplier such as an ABU 6500 loaded with 15lb line and a 40lb shock leader. Heavier uptiders are okay, but you lose some of the fight through the stiffer action.

More so nowadays anglers looking for ultimate sport from these hard fighting fish are choosing light boat rods rated 8 to 15lbs and 8-feet or more in length with the same type of 6500 or Daiwa 7HT sized reel for downtide fishing, and for light uptide work. You can also use a 050/60 sized fixed spool reel as an alternative.

HOW TO BUILD AN UPTIDE SMOOTHHOUND RIG
1. Begin with about 24-inches of clear 60lb mono as the rig body line.

2. Tie on a Gemini Lead Link at the base.

3. Slide on a rig crimp, a rig bead, a rig swivel, another rig bead and another rig crimp. Position the swivel about 2-inches above the lead link and crimp it in place.

4. Finish the main rig with a size 4 rolling rig swivel to connect to the end of the shock leader.

5. The hook trace needs to be 30/40lbs mono or Fluoro carbon to combat the grinding teeth of the ‘hound. Fluoro carbon has more abrasion resistance than mono and is the better bet. Make it between 3-feet and 6-feet in length. Go short in a slow to medium tide run, but longer in a fast tide.

6. The best hook pattern is a Mustad Viking 79515 between 2/0 and 4/0 depending on bait size. One hook is enough for smoothhound as they have a big mouth and being a shoal or group fish tend to be greedy.

HOW TO BAIT UP WITH HERMIT CRAB

1. Using a small toffee type hammer or the back of a pair of pliers,  crack the shell open to release the hermit crab

1. Hold the hermit head upwards and belly facing towards you.

1. Pass the hook in to the body in front of the head and feed the whole crab body around the bend of the hook and up the hook shank making sure the soft abdomen is also carefully fed over the hook point and on to the bend of the hook.

NOTE: Done as above there is no need to use bait elastic to hold the bait on, but you can do so if you prefer.

TOP TIP 1
In deeper, fast running tides, switching to braided line means you need less lead weight to hold bottom, plus bite detection is improved. That said, when playing a fish, set the drag slightly lighter than you would for mono to allow for the minimal stretch in the braid overloading a potential light hook hold. Also use a shock leader twice the length of the rod to give some elasticity when big fish are being fought. Lighter 2-6oz uptide rods also have a softer upper tip section which helps compensate for the non-stretch braid.

TOP TIP 2
Don’t keep casting to the same spot away from the boat all the time. Vary the distances of you cast and change the angle from time to time. You’ll notice that certain “spots” seem to produce the bulk of the fish. This is often just a small deeper gutter, rise of sand, or maybe just a patch of rougher ground, but it will be enough of a feature to get smoothhound hunting for food around it.

TOP TIP 3
smoothhound bites tend to be a series of slight knocks, then slack line as the lead weight is pulled free. Wind in the slack line until the weight of the fish is felt, then set the hook with an upward strike.

Big smoothhound fight tight to the seabed in between fast runs, but will only lift up in the water column when nearing the back of the boat and the line angle puts maximum pressure on them.

TOP TIP 4
A good tip when fishing amongst sandbanks in a light to medium tide run, but only when fishing off the stern of the boat, is to cast a plain lead well out and slightly uptide and beyond the other anglers. Let the lead swing round with the tide until it comes to a stop at the base of a sandbank. The smoothhound patrol here and will soon find your bait.

TOP TIP 5
Although holding the rod is best for the ultimate bite detection, when fishing the rod in a rod holder, always have the reel in free spool with the free-spool ratchet engaged as an a audible warning. smoothhound will grab a bait and turn and run hard with the current. Rods leant against gunnels can easily be dragged over the side in an instant.

TOP TIP 6
Spend a few seconds and hone the hook point to full sharpness with a honing stone or diamond dust file. Smoothies have tough hard mouths and getting a good hook hold can sometimes be difficult, especially in very shallow water with little tide run as the ‘hounds do not have the speed of the tide to turn with to give the weight to set the hook against the lead as the fish pulls the lead free.

TOP TIP 7
Other good baits to have with you are razorfish which works well if the sea has been really stirred up by a good blow, also ragworm which works in most areas, and also squid. A cocktail of rag and squid is a good bait for the smaller smoothhound.

TOP TIP 8
Although hermit crabs are the top bait, shore peeler and soft crab are almost as good. Peeler crab need to have all the shell removed, then cut the body in half, slide both sections up on to the hook shank and bend of the hook, then use bait elastic to secure.
Soft crab can just be bound to the hook as the hard crushing jaws of the smoothhound will smash the crab and find the hook as they take it in.

TOP TIP 9
smoothhound are notorious for shaking the hook out at the last minute when on the surface at the side of the boat. Always get a crew member or the skipper the use a landing net to lift fish up from the water.

TOP TIP 10
When holding smoothhound for the camera, make sure that the upper stomach area and tail are fully supported. This eliminates any pressure on the delicate stomach area. Never hold a smoothhound by the tail vertically as this can seriously damage fish.

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