Joined
·
4,106 Posts
Good or bad idea? I know they are less likely to snag, but are they also less likely to catch? Does anyone have any experience of this set-up?
Scottish commercial fishermen at around the turn of the century up to the 50s or longer, used to use single hook lead fish shaped lures called rippers. A legal lure not a foul hooking device. These had one or sometimes two single hooks. I don't think if they found it a disadvantage they would have opted for that setup.Good or bad idea? I know they are less likely to snag, but are they also less likely to catch? Does anyone have any experience of this set-up?
For species like lumbre, catfish, conger (don't know if you ctach them on pirks over there)quote]
Hi No we don't use Pirks for Conger or Catfish.
At least I have never seen or heard off that technique here? Anybody?
What is a Lumbre?:g:
- Sorry Lumbre, is cusk or tusk (according to wikipedia) in Englisch, in the Netherlands we call it Lom.For species like lumbre, catfish, conger (don't know if you ctach them on pirks over there)quote]
Hi No we don't use Pirks for Conger or Catfish.
At least I have never seen or heard off that technique here? Anybody?
What is a Lumbre?:g:
- Whit catfish I mean the Atlantic Catfish, also know as Atlantic Wollfish, wolf eel, sea cat or Seawolf (Zeewolf in dutch, we named our boat Zeewolf)
I use to catch a lot of catfish and tusk when fishing with pirks on the bottom in Norway. When I target catfish I use the same technic as used in the UK for conger (same as for halibut or skate).
The Rippers that were used commercialy in Scotland are a lead fishy shape lure weighing about 1.5-2lbs with a single or two single 12/0 or bigger hooks moulded in near the head.notice Veals Mail Order (among aother places) sell "assist hooks" (single hook on a short, stiff strop - for attaching to the top eye of the pirk). these work fairly well, so long as the gape of the hook is greater than the diameter of the pirk.
The rippers still in use off Whitby have 2 or 4 single 8/0 (approx) silvery hooks on 4 inch long courlene (orange low-density polyethylene) cord attached fairly near the bottom of the pirk. They wave and 'float' about and Cod take the individual hooks (rather than inhaling them while trying to eat the whole pirk).
Take a look at www.chieftaincharters.com for some more details
The original North Sea rippers were not unique to Scotland and were more normally fitted with up to 6 single hooks (nothing as big as a 12/0 however). These were fished on a handline, sometimes in front of a lead boom to assist in combating some deep water and fierce tides. Rippers were typically pencil or cigar shaped, tapering back a point at the top. I still have the old ripper moulds and have had several specially made to produce lures that meet an angler's needs. These lures are made up with two single hook danglers off the bottom. In the right hands these lures are as deadly for cod today as they ever were; often taking more fish than flashy, expensive pirks. An instance that sticks out in the memory was a trip with Clive Gammon to the Faroes for Angling Times a few years ago: the humble lead rippers accounted for many more cod than all the other fancy lures together; so much so that stupid money was offered for the last couple in my bucket. But, I gave them to the old Faroese skipper's mate who worked his socks off to make it a memorable trip.The Rippers that were used commercialy in Scotland are a lead fishy shape lure weighing about 1.5-2lbs with a single or two single 12/0 or bigger hooks moulded in near the head.
Glad to help. Not sure about the 'bouncer' thing. It might be another name for the commercials' lead boom (?) which was rigged about a fathom behind the cod ripper, but that's just a guess.How interesting. I love hearing about the old stuff that was used.
The information on the rippers I decribed came from the son of a commercial fisherman. He was using the ones his father left him right through the 70s when the Cod where still prolific in the Clyde sea lochs.
He also described to me an intersting device called a Bouncer. Ever heard of them?
Interesting watching a Norwegian fishing programme on pirk fishing on satellite at the weekend. The pirks were not big but the hooks were huge! 12/0 or bigger trebles. Haddock of 5-6lbs engulfed them no problem. They just dissapeared in several Cod off 20-30lbs.
Stevie,I still have the old ripper moulds and have had several specially made to produce lures that meet an angler's needs. .
I used to use them quite a bit up at Scrabster and caught plenty fish back in the days when cod outnumbered pollack there. The competition fishing has changed quite a bit from that particular venue the last 10 years, with pollack coming more to the fore now, but I still cover the ripper option basically on venues from Yorkshire to Orkney.Stevie,
Have you tried any of these in Scotland recently? I'm thinking of Scrabster in particular. Would it be possible to post a pic of one?