[Phoenix]

Hi,
Decided to brave it - but the wind at Wello was strong - so we decided to give Cleveland a bash as it is slightly more protected.

We paddled out into a very continious chop of about 3ft and stiff breeze and trolled a skirted pillie - but had no response to it. reached spot XYZ and decided to try several different tactics.

1) SP's - was using those 400x ones, but had not a touch in over an hour.
2) Pilly pieces and whole frogmouth pillies on a 2/0 hook, running sinker and 120cm of 15kg leader.

I continued to loose bait. I am unsure if the hooks were too big for local Snapper, or too small - because I continued to loose bait after small runs.

I even lost the hook + about 10cm of line in a bite off. So the fish must have been farily sizeable. I tried a 4/0 at that point but still lost baits & no real hook ups.

Can anyone suggest a way to improve Snapper technique?

 

[Dodge]

Phoenix I often gang 2 hooks [a size smaller] than the single hook, if the fish are not co-operating and find it can help sometimes, and I always gang froggies

 

[Phoenix]

Would you say 2/0 Dodge??

I have also heard that some people use 2/0 long shank with small pillies - any thoughts anyone?

 

[Dodge]

Would you say 2/0 Dodge??

I have also heard that some people use 2/0 long shank with small pillies - any thoughts anyone?

Hook size to suit the bait when I gang so barb is just through the bait, even gang 2 x No3 or 2 on whitebait, I'm a fan of gangs as I find the fish take it straight away with a small hook

Always use Mustad 4200 for pillies but eliminate the kirb of the hook to prevent the bait spinning while trolling [unimportant on the drift or anchor], and of course bend the shank down at the eye

 

[YakAtak]

Yeah, Dodge is on the money, I always use a gang when using medium to large pilchards, and with the smaller ones I run a long shank hook through the eye then lay the hook along the body so the barb pokes out just through the skin on the other side. 2/0 and 3/0 gang hooks are an essential if I'm bait fishing, not too often these days.
Quite a lot of tailor around Cleveland in my experience, might explain the loss of tackle.

 

[Phoenix]

Does anyone else use a swivel between ganged hooks?

 

[YakAtak]

I would run my braid straight to a swivel, then about 1m or 20lb mono and the gang on the end, no weight is preferable, but if necessary, as small a sinker as you can get away with.

 

[Dodge]

Does anyone else use a swivel between ganged hooks?

No, just barb into hook eye and swivel in rig somewhere above the bait