The Science of Feeding Fish

[George]

It is scientifically proven that fish use different senses while feeding in different areas of the water. When fish are feeding hard on the bottom and shifting through the mud, sand etc. scent is the dominant sense they will be using. When feeding gets further away from the sea bed fish mostly use sight and there laterel line to home in on a meal. This is a bit of a generalisation but we can take this into our angling. If we have three baits, peeler crab, mackerel and white ragworm and using a two up one down rig, it would make sense to put the smelliest bait (peeler crab) on the bottom hook, mackerel (scent & visual properties) on the middle hook, and whites on the top hook as it is mostly a visual bait with their enticing wriggling action stimulating the fishes laterel line. Try this process of bait presentation it may just improve your catches.

Kieran also mentioned about fish being more attracted to the head area of a fish/worm which is perfectly true also. Try putting the top half of a bait towards the hook point for more fish.

[m.b3]

there is truth in all that alright George. in 'clear' seas when fish are responding to movement fish a 'three up' rig. use short snoods to keep baits just off the bottom. particularly when fishing a place with little or no tide run. when seas are coloured use metal booms to anchor all baits on bottom.