Flattie Bites

Guys,

I'm fishing Waterfoot (pier and/or beach) at the weekend. I'm anticipating that I'll be getting fairly constant bites from palm-sized flatties.

What would you recommend to maximise hook-ups but avoid the fish swallowing the hook.

Do you use bigger hooks and wait for bites to develop or do you use smaller hooks and strike early?

if you want to avoid hooking them go for the bigger hook. it wont stop all of them as iv caught postage stamp size on 3/0 hooks. but it might reduce the amount of hook ups if there about in abundance. good luck

If you use a bigger hook, it wont stop the small fish biting, however it will make unhooking small flats that have swallowed it a nightmare and result in excessive damage. You try getting even a size 2 or above out of a <20cm flat without wrecking it and you will see what I mean. Stick to the smaller hooks, just dont give them as long and check out the two threads in the tips and tricks section for how to unhook em.

minimin size 1/0 hooks and short snoods

minimin size 1/0 hooks and short snoods

top advice, you must really understand your qaurry

minimin size 1/0 hooks and short snoods

I dont agree in the slightest, put a 1/0 down a flats throat (and they will) and you face a butchery job to unhook them, there isnt the same room as when you use a smaller hook to invert it and release.

invert it and release.

Good point! Just lke bigger fish but scaled down!

Why didn't I think of that?