Crab presentation

How important is presentation when using peeler crab? I saw lots of articles on presentation but would fish not go for the bait no matter how it looks. You're not trying to imitate a live crab after all?

Also has anyone used hard back crab with any success?

Thanks,
Barry

Hi Barry I find it gives me more confidence to have it presented well and keeps the bait intact for longer with the hook tip showing .
And yes u can catch on hardback,wrasse will take them and if the smoothounds are feeding hard I hear they will take them too

I would also love to hear more on this subject, any tips?

Presentation to me means more that the hook point is not masked by the bait, not how the bait actually looks. It also concerns how the bait acts in the water ie slivers of mackeral belly give a more natural movement if they're hooked from the narrow end rather than the wide end.

I find the Varivas Piggy back hooks 4/0 very useful for mounting crab baits. Also, wrapping the crab in a bit of elastic BEFORE mounting on the hook, and then finishing wrapping after it's on helps too.

[quote="[Barry]"]How important is presentation when using peeler crab? I saw lots of articles on presentation but would fish not go for the bait no matter how it looks. You're not trying to imitate a live crab after all?

Hey Barry.

Personally I think that when using peeler crab it is all about the scent of the bait in the water. I find that i have most success when the bait is not left any longer than 15-20 mins to soak. After this time the bites tend to dry up somewhat. Not really sure about imitating a live crab as they tend to look nothing like a crab by the time they are peeled, legs and claws pulled off, chopped in half then set about with bait elastic.....

One thing that i have heard is the need for peeling every bit of shell off the crab before mounting on the hook. I have often asked myself why this would be so as im sure the fish aren't too worried about a wee bit of shell........ I dont believe that this makes too much of a difference.

Hardback crabs are good for wrasse but i wouldn't normally use them for anything else.

Hope this helps

When using a peeled peeler crab add a few of the peeled legs to the end of the bait on the hook tip, these adds movement in the water and looks natural also. Elastic thread is a must obviously and its can be good to get the juices flowing, make sure not to leave any thread hanging off as it can make the bait look unnatural. I personally think the shell should be fully peeled off and the juices should be oozing out of the bait.

Heres a Video that Might help

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gCrQmsZ-J_o

We are told that when a crab is peeling it gives off a different scent which makes them so attractive to fish so therefore it should not matter how the presentation appears. surely fish find their quarry in all kinds of decay on the sea bed?
However we have to present and cast an aerodynamic bait to obtain distance so for me personally I fully peel the crab, i dont care if there is a small amount of shell left on providing it will not affect hookups. I then cut three quarters through the crab front to back and thread it through the hook and twist the two halves at the connection point of the two halves and lash it on with loads of elastic to give a bait that is compact and cannot be easily plucked off.