baiting up with sand eels

[jonnyfish]

Guys, when at my session last night(south beach greystone) we were using sandeels and other baits. Everytime i used a sandeel it was taken from the hook in minutes. I know when using these you need to use a 2 hook running thingy(how good am i)But can anyone tell me or point me to a website were theres images of exactly how to do this. Im mad to get a bass and ive read that this is one of the best methods, also whole mackeral and whole squid but i have no bloody idea on how to bait the gits up...helpppppp

John

[Donagh]

Hi Jonny,

Sand eel should be left frozen for as long as possible before baiting up in a cool bag and thermos flask (my preference). THe sand eel may be coming off in mid cast or taken by small fish or crabs. Make sure their bound on with elastic bait thread and if crabs are a problem you could wrap in squid.

Donagh

[x]

Here's my 2 cents worth. All fish prefer to swallow other fish head first, so your main hook should be in the head area, and the secondary hook should be through the tail end of the sandeel. A quick wrap of bait elastic should hold the hooks in position with the points clearly exposed.

For squid or mackerel fillets, again a 2 hook pennel rig is ideal. I tend to keep the upper hook at the pointy end of the squid and the main hook in through the eye area. I usually put the upper hook in the thicker end of the makerel fillet so that the narrower end, which a fish is likely to swallow first, has the main hook. Again, bait elastic is a bit of a must to ensure proper hook presentation.

Any of the UK angling mags, if you have back issues, will have pictures of pennel rigs (doesn't matter whether it's in a pulley or paternoster configuration). The trick is to have the main hook at the end of snood and the upper hook slid on above that. When baiting up, hook in the lower or main hook first and then slide the upper hook to approximately the right level to meet the top of your bait, then wrap the snood 3 times around the upper hook's shank before nicking it into the bait. Spot of bait elastic and your're sorted.

[Eoghan]

This time of year I tend to concentrate on using lures than static baits. I have always found them more sucessful than static bait. Give it a try with some basic silver spinners/plugs etc..

But Donagh has it spot on, leave em frozen as long as poss and then defrost in your hand on in the water for a min. I too tend to leave the hook close to the head and sometimes use a small amount of elastic to secure the tail end if the eel.

[Donagh]

The small bit of surf fishing for bass I've done using sand eel I've used the ammo method of baiting up without elastic thread. Its sometimes on there packets. Hook comes out 2/3 thirds up from the tail, the tail is trimmed to prevent it spinning and the snood is tied around the tail with 2 half hitchs to secure it. This can be recast several times on a surf beach. But it has to be said sand eel is generaly used on atlantic surf beach. Most of the guys I've met bait fishing for bass in Wicklow use a king rag worm. There was a previous thread recently about fishing for bass on the wicklow beachs that you should look at.

Donagh

[JOHN LYNCH]

It is essential that you keep your sandeels frozen, as they will otherwise explode or fall apart when you cast out. When you are buying your eels luck for a bluey/green colour off them not a yellow or brown colour which means that they were gone off already when frozen. Just because it says blast frozen on the pack is no guarantee, they could of been blast frozen 6 hrs + after been caught. Better still catch your own , they will be streets ahead of what I have seen in the shops in the majority of cases.

I find this the best way of keeping sandeels frozen as follows. Buy a 0.3ltr stainless steel flask and put into your deep freeze 30mins before going fishing, this charges it up. Then open your packet of sandeels and individually put them into the flask. Put your flask into a cool bag or box and they will be in perfect condition for your fishing trip. This really makes a big difference.

Best of luck with your fishing.