[Angler_PaulM]

So I was mulling my brains after reading a lot about the current crab situation on Chesil. To be honest the few times that I have fished it, I've encountered the buggers. 10 minutes in and your bait has gone, or hooklength!

So I was having a word with one of my pike fishing mates. This guy is a proper lump hunter. Anything under 20lb is a "jack", he said that bank fishing off Chew and various other places he goes he encounters "f*cking snaggy areas, where the Pike sit and wait". Sounds obvious being an ambush predator. He counters this by whipping on or insert into the bait, a small amount of foam, which makes the bait more buoyant, keeping it up off the rocks.

Has anyone tried doing something similar with big fish baits on Chesil to prevent the crabs getting to it?

Also, as I write this, bit of a long shot, but has anyone use wire as the hooklink on Pulley rigs? They'd probably get your bait, but wouldn't get your hooklink.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[DJDBazzer]

You'll struggle with anything bigger then a party squid

 

[sniggle]

Trouble is a big spider crab will just walk into the pop up trace keep walking and the bait comes down.

A small bait high up in the water will fare better but will be getting middle to topwater fish.

Most anglers avoid wire unless it is the only option , a decent thickness braid leader should get you your hook back but you will have to wind the tangled spider in !

 

[deason]

Longer trace maybe more suitable, however won't most fish be bottom feeding ?.

 

[Angler_PaulM]

Yeh, braid isn't a bad shout, was just wondering that's all. Trying to prepare myself for all eventualities.

And quite right, as the rays are about, I don't foresee them 4-5 feet off the bottom gobbling floating baits.

Need to make a few more rigs this evening. Discovered that either rats or mice have discovered my old groundbait box. I'm going to say rats as we had mice where we use to live, and they never bothered chewing the plastic chest the bait was in. This time however, straight through.... Not amused.

Now everything is in a galvanised bin, and roped shut. Little buggers!

 

[alfie7]

I used to save my wife's warfarin syringes when she had a clot in her leg and inject air into my lug and rag, not tried it on fish baits but could be worth a try. Do you know any friendly Junkies ? !!! lol

 

[sniggle]

I bought some cheap plastic test tubes with stoppers of ebay. With an elastic band around them and the trace they give a good amount of lift without being bulky and can hold a starlight for night fishing.

 

[Racoonbilly]

You'll struggle with anything bigger then a party squid

I disagree bazzer, I'm an ex piker myself , popping up whole Joey macks, trout etc no problem, foam sticks and/or balsa sticks do the job

 

[Bronzhaii]

We use bouyant baits off the beach down here, not to specifically avoid Spider crabs, but to lift the bait to offer more movement through wave action in the water.

Usually it is on pennel rigs, a length of board foam is bound onto the trace immediately above the bottom hook. Then strips or fillets are added over the foam and onto the bottom hook - all bound together. Top/sliding hook is then reversed into the side of the bait. Works well for a similar species to Bass and obviously some of our sharks; an absolute 'no-no' for rays or species that feed right on the bottom. Float material is often salvaged net floats, as that is very robust and offers good bouyancy; cut into slices with a hand saw, then trimmed further to smaller sizes with a bait knife.

Hope that helps.

Cheers from sunny Africa.

 

[DJDBazzer]

I disagree bazzer, I'm an ex piker myself , popping up whole Joey macks, trout etc no problem, foam sticks and/or balsa sticks do the job

Useful to know... I did try a whole squid once but I couldn't fit enough foam in it. I might have to have a play tomorrow on the kelp beds. Cheers

 

[scotty01]

A balsa stick used in pike fishing will lift a bloody big bait! These can be inserted into the squid and bound on with elastic just make sure it's tied to a swivel etc otherwise you'll lose the stick. They come in all sorts of sizes from tiny to big like in the link.

http://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/fox-rage-predator-floater-sticks?gclid=CIvm26iN19MCFQwo0wod6McHpg

 

[Sandman123]

Know some anglers that have used "pop-ups" successfully for Huss on rock marks. They are not fishing small baits usually 6/0 hooks with the relevant sized baits.

Braid does work, I have used it off of chesil precisely to combat the spiders. Go to light and tangles are a problem though.

 

[Weedmaster]

What about the baby breams amongst the crabs...who strips hooks faster piranhas or crabs? Lol. Crabs in my area can have that cooling off period towards high tide to give that one chance for couple of hours bass hunt