Scaled down hair rig ?
- Thread starter shane99
- Start date
robtherake
Well-known member
I've used 18s with a single maggot fished handlebar style on a hair-rigged micro-band, for float fishing on the drop. It almost eliminates those bites that leave you with a burst maggot and the bait can last for several fish before it's lost or needs changing. The hair is very short - 5mm or so.
mikench
Well-known member
robtherake
Well-known member
I found a useful technique for banding worms using bigger hooks and a bigger, thicker band, again on a short hair. The worm is pierced by a fine baiting needle from saddle to mouth, then the band is hooked and stretched on the baiting needle and the bait slid up the band until the end of the tight band emerges at the saddle. Carefully turning the baiting needle to release the band allows it to return to its normal size and shape inside the worm's head, pinning it to the back of the hook. This leaves all the hook exposed and as a bonus the worms seem to find it difficult to reimpale themselves and mask the point. I see no reason why smaller pieces can't be banded in the normal way, though, and you may get away with using a smaller hook than usual, given that it's fully exposed. Give it a try.
The banded maggot trick isn't my own idea, but it works a treat. I was using a fairly fine hooklink on match-style gear, and it is a matchman's technique, but one that obviously has wider applications. There aren't many baits that you can't band - bacon rind is another great banded bait, one that's hard to hook but easy to band. Next time you're in the supermarket, pass your eyes across the displays of deli-display packeted snacks and you'll not believe how many potential new baits reveal themselves. Fridge Raiders are brilliant.:thumbs:
---------- Post added at 20:36 ---------- Previous post was at 20:26 ----------
I cannot get my head round that Rob!
It's just a mini hair rig with a band on the end of the hair. You simply open the band up as usual with a banding tool and gently squeeze the maggot to plump and immobilise it, then push it into the band. It looks clumsy and you'd think having the hook fully exposed would put the fish off, but bites are very positive. It's a winner on those days when almost every cast results in a missed bite and burst maggot.
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
Great post Rob...Something different, that gets people talking.
Takes time and very demanding to make everything work, but well worth the effort and one that I shall be trying - if I can ever find my rods again!
Good stuff!
Takes time and very demanding to make everything work, but well worth the effort and one that I shall be trying - if I can ever find my rods again!
Good stuff!
Interesting question.
Assuming we are talking hair rigs in relation to fishing self hooking/bolt rigs then I think the advantage of big or small hooks depends on the type of fish your trying to catch.
I would not be too confident using a big hook for a small mouthed fish like say a grass Carp. Firstly the fish has to be able to get the hook in its mouth or its a non stater on the catching front. Second I think after it gets the hook in its mouth there has to be room for the hook to be able to pivot, turn and basically move about for it to find a hookhold to prick and self hook the fish. If the hook is too big that has less chance of happening.
Apart from that i don't think there is really any real advantage of using even smaller hooks. By that I mean if a fish can easily get say a size 8 in its mouth then I don't think using say a size 10 will really make any difference from a self hooking point of view.
What is important about hook size on self hooking/bolt rigs is the size of the hook in relation to the size of the bait and the length of the hair.
Small hook, big bait, short hair is a bad idea in my opinion.
On the other hand big bait, long hair, small hook however can work very well.
robtherake
Well-known member
There's one proviso for banded lobs - the tubbed ones straight from the shop are way too soft and the worm rips off the band during the cast. A day or two in soil or sphagnum moss will toughen them up, as most already know.
rayner
Well-known member
The fishery I fish sees a lot of matches and the fish are very wary so big hooks are a definite no no.
For baits like pellet and corn for example I prefer small hooks for banding, my choice is Guru MWG 20s or 18s, of course you can use bigger hooks if the fish have cataracts but the fish back off.
For baits like pellet and corn for example I prefer small hooks for banding, my choice is Guru MWG 20s or 18s, of course you can use bigger hooks if the fish have cataracts but the fish back off.
that is what I am thinking rayner, I dont fish a water thats hammered but as it quite small is that not the same if fished on a regular basis ? The Perch go quite large as its full of small roach. I dont like live baiting but I would like to offer something just as tasty be-it king Prawn or a lob worm on a hair, but how small a hook as its on the shallow side ?
rayner
Well-known member
I know next to nothing about bait fishing for perch I only hook small ones even when drop shotting.