How can I stop losing rigs?

[Stephen Evans 3]

When I was fishing of the rocks at cornwall (port gabon) recently I came across the problem that my rig was getting stuck and I lost many as a result. I was advised by a shop owner to use a breakaway lead but wouldnt the problem still be the same as it would get stuck on the rocks as your reeling in? Please help me sort this out.

 

[Clive Mason]

Stephen if you are fishing rough ground marks you cannot eliminate losing rigs 100%.
You need to start using some type of rig with a rotten bottom. This is where the lead is attached to the rig via a weak link. Ther are several rotten bottem systems avilable in tackle shops or by mail order, all with instructions.
My own personal favourite for rough ground is a pulley rig with a rotten bottom

Also if distance casting is not necessary make sure you are fishing heavy enough, where i am fishing at close range i do not use less than 30lb mainline and dispense with the shock-leader. Only use a simple over-head thump with out a shock-leader, DO NOT USE ANY POWER CASTING TECNIQUE.

Hope this helps.

 

[Stephen Evans 3]

Thanks for your reply, could you recommend a rig to catch whiting with? (I am a beginner to sea fishing.)

 

[michael rouse]

A free running rig would do.Fantastic bite detection from smaller species.All the other anglers off the mark i fish are using this rig.

 

[Kieran Hanrahan 1]

Hi Stephen

If you are rock fishing, Michael has the right ideas - certaily a breakway or rotten bottom system will help. You should also try to minimise the number of hooks on the rig and make sure that the line holding the hooks (called snoods) are of a lighter breaking strain than the main trace. If a hook gets snagged you can pull for a break and only lose a hook. There are also small plastic vanes called lead lifts that lift the lead higher in the water as you retrieve; the act like a hydrofoil but most people use them on mixed rather than over totally rough ground. Finally use junk leads like spark plugs and bolts rather than shop bought leads to reduce costs...

Hope this helps...

 

[Stephen Evans 3]

Thank you again for your replies but can you also confirm that it is a good idea to cover the hook completely to stop it getting caught?

 

[Kieran Hanrahan 1]

If you cover the hook completely it may not get caught, but a bigger problem would be that it may not hook any fish. It is always a good idea to keep the point free - this is the whole purpose behind "tipping" with a tiny piece of squid or mackerel (skin side out) and/or whipping a bait onto the hook shaft with shirring elastic...

BTW, a tip given to me last week. If you are using squid, skin the membrane off it first to make it more visible under water!

 

[michael rouse]

Squid,a nightmare to cast.Make sure you've got some elasticated cotton.