TALKING T BARS
Charter skippers and anglers hunting bigger  fish like conger and huss nowadays invariably carry a T bar for unhooking fish.  The typical T bar has a U shaped end which slides around and down the line and on  to the hook shank, then with the angler holding the line tight at an angle to  the fish, the T bar is then pulled at an opposite angle to the line to bounce  the hook free with little if any damage to the fish. But things move on!

You can improve the performance of the T  bar, and improve your handling of the fish during unhooking by using an  alternative design shape at the end of the T bar.

Instead of the traditional U shape the end  of the T bar needs to flatten out wide at the point and tapering back to the  bar. The flat end of the point is then cut to form a shallow V shape in it.  Also cut in to the flat point halfway up is an open T shape.

So how does this T bar work? If you have a  fish with hook not easily removed by hand that you want to return, you hold the  line just tight, put the V shape in to the bend of the hook and just shove the  hook backwards out of its hold until free. This works especially well on huss,  rays, strap conger, smaller ling and pretty much anything else you want to  return that’s of reasonable size.

The T shape cut in to the point has the  same function as the U shaped T bar. You hold the line taught, pass the line  through the T shape and down until it slides over the shank of the hook, then  with one quick pull you can bounce the hook free of the fish using the fishes  own weight. This is especially useful for fish such as bigger conger when boat  fishing. Good conger skippers prefer to release the eels at the boat side still  in the water. This technique of bouncing the fish free using the T bar against  the fish’s own weight releases the eel with no major damage and is far better  than hauling them on deck, or worse leaving the hook in them by cutting it free.

You’ll also find that if you set the angle  of the flattened point at about 30 degrees offset from the T shaped handle it  means you don’t need to twist at the wrist when the point is over the hook  shank. This gives you a stronger comfortable direct pull.

A good length for a shore T bar is about  9-inches in total length, but boat anglers should consider carrying two. One  about 11-inches long, and another about 15-inches long. I’ve found the longer  version handy on the really big stuff, including sharks.

TIPS AND TRICKS
The loose end of line on spare spools of  line used for hook traces and rigs never seems to stay in the line clip for me  and usually ends up in running loose around my box as I’m fishing. What also  happens is that when pulling a few feet off to make a trace you end up with  coils of line spilling off the spool and instead of feet for the trace you end  up with yards of it hanging to the floor, especially aboard boats in windy  weather.

I get round this by using the coloured  elastic hair bands the girls use to hold their hair in place. These are just  the right size for smaller 50-metre spools like Amnesia, and right up to most  250-yard to 300-yard filler spools. They also come in bright colours and can be  used for instant identification of the breaking strain. They cost around 75P  for ten, but I obviously send my wife in to buy them.

ROCK COD TACTICS
The next six weeks or so sees the best of  the winter cod action for shore anglers, but you’ll need everything in your  favour this winter to make that big catch and fishing the rougher ground  beaches gives you the best chance.

Ideal venues are where the rough ground is  constant from low to high tide with biggish boulders and rocky gutters covering  the beach. That said don’t ignore more broken ground as cod will concentrate  their feeding around the rougher patches and plain ignore the sand.

Weather is all important. Go for the marks  that have had the weather blowing straight at them over the preceding days. The  sea will be rough, probably carrying weed, but will also hide large quantities  of washed out food that will bring the cod in. If you can fish just as a storm  is abating, then all the better.

As a general rule the best numbers of cod  will be closest inshore in the three days running up to the biggest spring  tides and for the three days after as the tides start to drop back. All beaches  are different regards peak feeding times, but concentrate your fishing  throughout the full flood tide and for the first two hours back. If the beach  you fish has rough ground only towards the low water line, then also try the  last three hours of the ebbing tide and the early flood ignoring high tide.

Only fish at night. Cod, even in deep  coloured water are rarely caught by day. Treat them as nocturnal and you won’t  go wrong.

Tackle needs to be strong. Choose 20 to  25lb line with a 60lb shock leader and a rod capable of casting 5 to 6ozs of  lead. A top rig is a pulley rig with a 40lb hook trace and two Mustad Viking  4/0 hooks rigged pennel style.

Lugworm, preferably juicy blow lug, is the most  used bait. Use black lug as a bulk up bait, but tip with three blow lug, and  make the whole bait a good 6-inches or more long. Tip off with squid, mussel or  razorfish to make a really big juicy bait. However, even this late in the year,  if you can secure some fresh peeler crab, then it will give you a big edge  regards catching a rough ground cod.