SHRIMP RIGS FOR FLATTIES
I was recently fishing inside Cork Harbour with Irish boat international Dermot O'Brien. Dermott showed me a neat little dodge that accounted for some quality dabs and plaice that I'd never seen before.

Dermot sets up a sliding boom with a bead and swivel, then ties on a couple of feet of stiffish 40lb line, then adds a Mustad shrimp rig, the one with the four luminous shrimps on. You then bait the hooks with mackerel, lug or rag.

Granted this rig might look a bit weird but it out fished my standard flattie rigs four to one until I changed over myself. When you think about it you realise that the long trace moves about in the tidal current and the flatties are drawn to the bait by the luminous shrimps working in the tide. When we got to talking about the rig it turns out that it's won several big comps in Irish waters.

Using shrimp rigs for flatties

One thing I've found though on the boat boom rig. If there are lots of small whiting and poor cod about add a small one-ounce weight to the loose end of the shrimp rig. Otherwise the small whiting will swim forward and ravel round each other creating one hell of a tangle.

When I got back from Ireland I immediately tied up some shore rigs incorporating the shrimp bodies. The shrimps are tied on spade end hooks, so I prefer to cut up the traces and remove the shrimp bodies, sliding them on to the hook snoods and using small Aberdeen hooks like Kamasan or Mustad Match in sizes 2 or 4.

I wanted to see if flounder were also more likely to take baits with a luminous shrimp above the bait. They do! This puts a whole new edge on night fishing for flatties as you can use a couple of float beads above the bait to give enough buoyancy to the bait to keep it moving in the tide. Even at night you then have both movement and scent working for you.

If the seawater is slightly coloured but clearing after bad weather you may need to increase the visual area of luminescence. Add an inch of luminous tube above the shrimp body to increase the target area.

Remember though, you need to charge the bodies by holding them in your lamp beam for about a minute before casting. If the bodies are not fully charged with light, then they are less effective.

TIPS AND TRICKS
When fishing in a good surf and you need to make sure that your baits stay tight to the sea bed, try adding a size 6 rolling swivel about 6 inches above the hook. The weight of the swivel is enough to keep the bait close to the seabed where the fish are feeding.

Some match anglers prefer to use freshwater split shot in sizes BB and SSG for the same result. This can be really effective for flounders and dabs that are grubbing the bottom. This method works best if you use short hook snoods under 12-inches long.

WINTER HARBOUR TACTICS

Harbour fishing tactics

Many anglers neglect harbours in the winter, but they offer good opportunities and often give refuge from the wild winter storms, which is when the harbours often produce their best catches.

Aim to fish incoming tides in to and through darkness, though after storms even sunny days fish well. Harbours are less likely to be dependent on big tides. Smaller neap tides produce excellent fishing, as there is a more constant depth. You'll notice in harbours where commercial boats unload catches that the fishing will suddenly come alive as boats approach the quay wall. Fish learn that this is a good time as they become used to occasional scraps of fish being washed in to the sea and associate the engines with food.

Good areas to try are the deep shipping channels coming towards the quay walls. These are likely to hold codling, dabs and big whiting. Two-hook rigs fish well in these situations and mixing worm baits with mackerel and sandeel maximises the variety of fish caught.

Once the water gets some depth the fish move out of the channels and right in around the base of the harbour walls. Expect coalfish to join the codling working the wall. Having an alternative natural wall living bait like mussel tends to improve the catch, especially for coalies, though worm will still fish. You'll need to switch rigs though not the bait is almost fishing under your feet. A single hook off a snood tight behind the lead keeps the bait hard on the seabed and exactly where the fish expect to find food. Alternatively add another hook off a dropper about 18-inches above the first hook for the flatfish and whiting.