flatties & hooks & bait!

[lugworm]

jus wondering on what size hooks should i use targeting flatties? i know they have smallish mouths i was thinkin size 2r3? also which bait prevails most among the rest?

[sean]

Well for hooks i would say size 1/0 to 6 aberdeen hooks and for bait.......

plaice: ragworm and squid
dab: lugworm and mackerel
flounder: ragworm\lugworm and peeler crab

hope that helped

[goldfish17]

size 4s will prob catch the most fish but if your not sure about how to unhook flatties i would stick to size 1s or 2s long shank hooks... as for baits i's say maddies or harbour ragworm, ragworm tipped with mackeral or lug worm tipped with mackeral for flounder you can also use razor fish to tip off the baits, and in esturies i would use peeler crab, on some beaches lug will outfish rag and on others rag will outfish lug.. for dab i would use black rap or lug tipped off with mackeral, for plaice rag tipped with mackeral or squid and for turbot ive had most success with mackeral strip... hope this helps,
Goldfish

[Sweetwrasse]

Size 1/0 down to 6 on a three hook flapper will see you right. Mackeral will take flounder too and also Turbot if you're in an area where they're found.

[lugworm]

cheers boys some great advice here............

[shamoo0804]

Sound advice above, just to add a little more......

If the sea is very calm, use long snoods/hook lengths on your flappers, 3 ft or so and twitch your rig back a foot every few minutes - this can help to impart movement on your bait as flatties like a moving bait.

Shorten your snoods if the sea is choppy as the long ones do tend to tangle.

If using or tipping a bait with mack or squid, cut a long thin stip (around 5-10cm long, 1 cm wide) and hook it at the end just once - this will allow the bait to move in the tide and replicate small bait fish.

Using a plain or watch lead rather than grippers can also help.

Hope it helps

[lugworm]

Sound advice above, just to add a little more......

If the sea is very calm, use long snoods/hook lengths on your flappers, 3 ft or so and twitch your rig back a foot every few minutes - this can help to impart movement on your bait as flatties like a moving bait.

Shorten your snoods if the sea is choppy as the long ones do tend to tangle.

If using or tipping a bait with mack or squid, cut a long thin stip (around 5-10cm long, 1 cm wide) and hook it at the end just once - this will allow the bait to move in the tide and replicate small bait fish.

Using a plain or watch lead rather than grippers can also help.

Hope it helps

cheers bro!!!!!!!!!!

[roger de dodger]

beads and small spinning blades can help too ,if your using small strips of mack a few turns of bait elastic wont do any harm as flounder can pluck away at a bait leaving your hook bare ,a dab will take any size hook up too a 6/0 they amaze me sometimes

[daveyboy]

Just wondering would mackerel on it's own be effective for flatties in any of the Dublin/Meath/Wicklow area beaches?

[willie bendit]

jus wondering on what size hooks should i use targeting flatties? i know they have smallish mouths i was thinkin size 2r3? also which bait prevails most among the rest?

size 4 fine wire,for better bait presentation,aids proper unhooking too,plenty of advice on this site regarding same,dont just grab the hooklength and 'reef it

[petekd]

Unhooking....

http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bull ... =6&t=30031

http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bull ... =6&t=16946

Use size 2 to 6 for the most part myself and its entirely dependent on bait rather than fish sizes that dictate which hook. Large hooks are harder to remove, bear that in mind. Its much easier to turn a size 4 and remove than it would be a 1 or above particularly with smaller fish. Bait wise, crab in the estuaries, neat worm and fish baits on the beaches. Try and use a light enough lead to allow your trace to move around a bit in the tide. Loads of info from previous posts on here if you have a search. Wouldn't bother too much with beads myself, lads get fish with beaded traces but its just personal preference for me to leave the snoods clear aside from a small floating bead on the top snood. .25 to .35mm for the most part snood wise, longer snoods work well but dont be afraid to try short ones especially when fishing in the first few yards. HTH.