Livebaits for Giants

Almost every angling magazine you pick up will mention using that rig whereby you fish a large hook (6/0 or such like) with a smaller baited hook tied to the bend of the larger. Idea being that small fish gobbles small bait and thus becomes bait for the big fish. Anybody had any luck using this technique, any tips on how to use it successfully or rather not what to do? To be honest I don't know if I have the patience for it.

Pete

The pennel livebait rig is detailed in the feb issue of Sea Angler magazine. To be honest a big bait will work just as well and it will not be stripped by live pin whiting etc buyt then I'm NOT a fan of live-baiting...

As this is an Irish site I presume you are thinking of using this technique abroad. As every angler in Ireland Knows it is illeagal to have or to use fish as live bait!!!

As this is an Irish site I presume you are thinking of using this technique abroad. As every angler in Ireland Knows it is illeagal to have or to use fish as live bait!!!

Ithink it is illegal in freshwater only.
The main purpose of the ban was to stop the sprad of roach into new waters, I believe
Jd

Thats right. Only illegal in fresh water to prevent the spread of roach into trout fisheries from pike anglers. Roach competes with the trout and puts the trout off the fly as it's feeding on roach fry. It's got nothing to do with animal welfare. Alot of pike anglers still recommend it as best way to catch specimen fish.

Donagh

I'm still curious to see has anyone had any success using this technique from the shore.

PG

Not quite in this thread but of general interest. Long liners in Galway Bay( pre 1960s) used to bait small hooked snoods with lug. This was during winter months. These would catch small whiting. Cod would then take the whiting. The long lines would be retreived gently because the cod were not usually hooked but the whiting were part swallowed. The cod were then gaffed. In those days there were many more cod around !! Ling were caught too. One of my fishing friends told me this, his father was one of the last long liners and indeed Irish speakers in these parts.


Peter

I haven't used this method myself but I have heard from anglers on the east coast that recommend it when there's a lot of small whiting about to catch Cod and i've read that in England they use this method to catch bass when there's a lot of pout being caught. The main problems with it being that you might end up with a doggy on the end of the line or if you end up waiting around to catch a bait fish when there could of been a big bait all of which waste valuable fishing time.

Donagh

Some anglers fish two rods, maybe try one baited and use the other to catch live bait, assuming you have two rods that is. Either ways, not a big fan of live baiting.