Getting trebles of doggies

With competition fishing starting up for myself any advise on getting trebles of doggies or even just catching them in general. My general tactic would be 2 up 1 down rig with 1/0 to 2/0 with 20lb to 30lb snoods and sand eel and or mack as bait. One issue I have is the first fish triping the lead so I can't sit and wait it out for his friends to arrive.

Donagh

Wrap an elastic band round the grips. Another trick is to release a few yards of line into the tide - watch the rod tip closely for bites and let go a couple of yards when you think another fish is attacking the bait. Don't fish too tight to the rod tip. If not alarmed the dogs will often lie still and not break out the lead.

Cooke,

Do you not find that they swallow the whole lot though and end up being gut-hooked?

Nearly everytime :( :(

Not under match conditions using sandeels which is what Donagh was referring to. Most of the dogs will be hooked in the mouth area and easily removed with a Gemini discorger. Certainly on the East coast beaches, shore dogs during competitions become very tentative takers with the most violent of bites often resulting in no fish or the dog drops the bait as it feels the water shallowing on the retrieve. Offset a size 1 or 1/o Kamasan 940 with plenty of point showing and the fish that are landed will usually be cleanly hooked.

Thanks for that Cooke that was very helpful. I haven't ever had a problem with gut hooking doggies (I wish I could say the same for ray) but I was told offseting the hook by using the edge of a beta box opening to push the point away from the shank would get more hook ups. Is there any pros or cons to this.

Donagh

if using mackerel strip for bait circle or semi circle hooks are worth a try, as the fish takes the bait and moves off the resistance for the grip leads turns the hook nicely most times into the side of the mouth in the scissors.

Donagh,

The best dog catchers IMHO are the Welsh boys (did I really say that) they use extra strong grippers, some with fixed wires and even an elastic band on the break-way leads.

If the fish are close in a 7oz or even an 8oz would help to get more double dogs. IMO the circle hook is better (Sand Eels can go onto circle hooks easy if you fold them and tie them on with elastic)

I find the ones you strike to soon, come off 9/10 times anyway, some go mental and some settle down, possibly the oxygen in the water at the time, either that or the temperature.

Tom.

Just reread my post above....

You should never strike if you use a circle hook, its no needed, thats the whole reason for the design in the first place.

Tom.

The Varivas semi-crcular hooks were recommended to me by another angler I got casting lesson off of. I'll definately buy a packet on my next Veals splurge.

This Sundays the first comp so hopefully I'll put your advise into practise but with this weather its more likely I'll be praying for even one doggy on its own.

Thanks
Donagh