big hook bait or small

[john/r]

Well the topic says it all I have encountered situations before when fishing for cod especialy after a real big sea the cod will only take small baitings anyone else encounted this or is it just me.

Many a time I have had to put smaller hook tracers on and smaller baitings to hook into the fish this tends to happen to me the next few months.

 

[Juliogeordio]

Never had that issue John to be honest. I've always found that a bigger bait tempts better fish. Small ones will take it too but I've had very few undersized fish so far this season and have used fairly big baits at all times. In the past I've often fished smaller baits and never caught as many of the bigger fish. Size 3/0 hooks with a couple of worms and 3-4 mussels or a crab bait. Just thinknit also puts a much bigger scent trail into the water aswell. Give them a decent gob full!

 

[Pighunter]

Big hook big bait = big fish

Small bait small hook = lost fish

Not all the time granted.

 

[Nooo Fish]

I've been told after a massive sea that smaller baits can be better because the fish are full but greedy. It's like us going to a restaurant and eating your 3 courses. If you were offered the meal again you'd knock it back cos you are full but you would happily pic at a bowl of nuts at the bar.

 

[Juliogeordio]

I've been told after a massive sea that smaller baits can be better because the fish are full but greedy. It's like us going to a restaurant and eating your 3 courses. If you were offered the meal again you'd knock it back cos you are full but you would happily pic at a bowl of nuts at the bar.

Always struggled unless using big baits mate... Even after a decent sea. Noticed no difference at all. With so much bait in the water small baits scent trails will get 'lost' and not easily picked up by the fish.

 

[phill_itofish]

I Believe fish are greedy, they will eat and eat if the food is there, I gutted one a couple of weeks ago that had 3 whiting and 2 full hard back crabs in its belly. If you cast out a couple of worms and a fish is passing it's going to take it the advantage of putting a big bait on is you get more scent and it will survive in the water longer. A couple of lug worm tipped off with a bit cart and a single muscle has worked well for me this year.

 

[Sand Eel]

I normally fish with a pennel, 4/0 or 3/0 as main hook and 2/0 further up, never had a fish on the smaller hook. Even a small cod has got a big gob if you offer the right bait.

 

[Pighunter]

I normally fish with a pennel, 4/0 or 3/0 as main hook and 2/0 further up, never had a fish on the smaller hook. Even a small cod has got a big gob if you offer the right bait.

I use 6/0 hooks and had a rockling take them.

 

[Juliogeordio]

I Believe fish are greedy, they will eat and eat if the food is there, I gutted one a couple of weeks ago that had 3 whiting and 2 full hard back crabs in its belly. If you cast out a couple of worms and a fish is passing it's going to take it the advantage of putting a big bait on is you get more scent and it will survive in the water longer. A couple of lug worm tipped off with a bit cart and a single muscle has worked well for me this year.

agreed.

 

[hound hunter]

Big baits for pig's
I think in coloured water a bigger bait gives off more scent for the fish to home in on...
Dwn my way a lot of the lads use 1/0's when cod fishing then moan when they loose e'm due to the hook opening outcan't understand them really

 

[D.D.]

find out what they want! no good chucking donkey chokers out if there feeding on bits like worms..
cod will eat anything but not all the time, there's times quite often when they're tuned in to a certain food source and won't look at anything else..
i've witnessed it loads of times when i've been stood around others with quality bait in my bucket but didn't have the bait they wanted at the time, and went home with an empty fish bag, but the shoes been on the other foot a few times too. one time in particular on whitley getting loads of riving bites, so tried leaving fresh crab out of my cocktails and started getting hook ups cos they only wanted blow lug and that type of thing has happened more than once.

 

[Juliogeordio]

find out what they want! no good chucking donkey chokers out if there feeding on bits like worms..
cod will eat anything but not all the time, there's times quite often when they're tuned in to a certain food source and won't look at anything else..
i've witnessed it loads of times when i've been stood around others with quality bait in my bucket but didn't have the bait they wanted at the time, and went home with an empty fish bag, but the shoes been on the other foot a few times too. one time in particular on whitley getting loads of riving bites, so tried leaving fresh crab out of my cocktails and started getting hook ups cos they only wanted blow lug and that type of thing has happened more than once.

Bagged 5 sized codling last week using blow lug. Didn't see another fish caught from another 6-8 lads fishing. I know what you mean about the bait but I was still chucking out 4-5 lug each hook. Still a pretty decent sized bait!

 

[Pighunter]

Bagged 5 sized codling last week using blow lug. Didn't see another fish caught from another 6-8 lads fishing. I know what you mean about the bait but I was still chucking out 4-5 lug each hook. Still a pretty decent sized bait!

4 or 5 lug a decent bait? Give over lol this is my average bait on a tidal mark so not just plopping 30 yards

.

 

[Pighunter]

But if I had to pick 2 baits to fish with all year it would be blacks and whites. What I have found the seas been away for a while at the fish are full they eat the stinky rotten baits like your razor clam and blacks to cleanse them selves.

 

[Juliogeordio]

Lol, see some lads fishing single worms Phil.... My handful of lug is a decent size compared to that! Might also have something to do with the fact your 7'ft tall that everything looks smaller to you lol

 

[magpies]

4 or 5 lug a decent bait? Give over lol this is my average bait on a tidal mark so not just plopping 30 yards

.View attachment 11305

Nice bait mate, but could I ask a question about your rig? I am always looking for the best combination of rotten bottom and bait clip and have tried making rotten bottom devices like that but with an incorporated bait clip. Trouble is they seem to want to unclip in flight. If I got it right you have a lead with a bait clip then an RB device as well. Does that set up work ok for you ? and do you think it would work with braid ?

 

[Pighunter]

Nice bait mate, but could I ask a question about your rig? I am always looking for the best combination of rotten bottom and bait clip and have tried making rotten bottom devices like that but with an incorporated bait clip. Trouble is they seem to want to unclip in flight. If I got it right you have a lead with a bait clip then an RB device as well. Does that set up work ok for you ? and do you think it would work with braid ?

Yes mate I will pm you about the rotten bottoms but I use my leads with a extended bait clip when using braid and they always stay clipped down during the flight. And the rotton bottom never un clips until it hit the water, even when pendulum casting.

 

[Stewart 1971]

Heaviest fish caught in a Seaham comp this year: 14lb plus a bit cod by Dean Ambler on a size 2 hook and small bait scratching for Whiting.

A bit different but my pb Smothhound (just a tiddler really at a smidge under 11lb) came on a size 1 hook and a single harbour ragworm.

9 months of the year I mainly fish with a 2 hook clipdown rig and size 1 or 1/0 hooks and I catch plenty of decent fish. Cod season though I revert to type and use 4/0 pennel rigs and big baits which raises the qustion posed by John - do we fish this way out of habit or because it is succesful?