float fishing for bass

[daveyboy]

My local estuary is full of crabs and they strip my hooks fairly quick. Was thinking of trying to float fish for bass. Any ideas on whether this is effective? Was thinking of maybe using frozen sandeel or lugworm for bait?

[Pat]

Use crab as bait. They will still eventually strip it, but not as quick.

[Higgy]

As Pat says try using crab, it normaly out fishes any other bait in an estuary. I wouldn't bother using a float with lug or frzn sandeel for the bass. If your going to float fish you want a live bait like macky, s.eel, launce etc. Treble hook through the nose of a bait fish is the way to go.

[daveyboy]

Cool. Thanks for the advice. Haven't used crab yet cause it seems so expensive. Guess I'll just have to bite the bullet.

[Fishless]

I have been fishing my local estuary over the past few months trying differant techniques...for bass ive found that ground baiting with sandeel right at the mouth of the estuary at low water produces excellent results. Ive also tried peelar crab either ground baited into the estuary itself or as part of a 3 hook flapper when fishing into the mouth of the estuary with sandeel....for some reason the sandeels always caught the fish with little or no success on the crab. They guy in the bait shop swore by the crab and i bought 24 for E20 but nothing ever took the bait...im not saying that crab is a useless bait just dont expect miracles

if these are sea trout inthe estuary you could have a go for them on a spinner ive taken plenty on tazmanian devil lures.

[daveyboy]

Thanks Fishless I'll give it a shot. Frozen sandeel do the job? Not sure where I could get fresh in Dublin.

Do the crabs take a liking to eating the sandeel on you? I've heard that they strip worms quicker than other baits

[R D]

yes they wont eat sandeel as quick as worms but they will eventually eat it

[Blenny]

I have found that crab is by far the best bait to use in estuaries for targeting bass and other fish such as flounders. For bass try a whole crab on a size 2/0 hook and bind it on using elastic thread. This bait will need to be changed every 15 to 25 minutes or sooner if there is a lot of bait robbing activity by crabs and shrimps.

[hugo]

Haven't used crab yet cause it seems so expensive. Guess I'll just have to bite the bullet.

Put down some crab traps in the estuary. Free bait and revenge.....

[Budawanny]

Put down some crab traps in the estuary. Free bait and revenge.....

Ha ha....hilarious....and practical? How would I make one or where would I buy one?

[hugo]

Old tyres, concrete roof tiles, cast iron guttering etc, anything weighty a moulting crab can hide under.