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Fishing
Techniques :: Destinations :: General
Rock Fishing Techniques
By
Darren Tidmarsh
Many shore anglers avoid fishing rock marks because they
are scared of losing tackle. However, very few marks are
totally unfishable, and often the most effective rigs for
fishing rough ground marks are also the most basic.
Before
fishing any shore mark, rough ground marks in particular,
it is a good idea to visit the area at low water. The best
time to go is at low water on a spring tide, when much of
the ground that you will later be fishing over will be uncovered.
Look for features like gullies, weed beds, or patches of
sand sandwiched between kelp beds. These are the places
where items of food collect, and the places where the fish
will feed once the tide has flooded. If you are unfamiliar
with the mark, it is also very important to try to pick
out any area where the flooding tide could cut off your
retreat.
The
first stumbling block for many anglers preparing to tackle
a rough-ground mark is the choice of end rig. End rigs should
be tied as simply as possible. Rock marks are certainly
not the places to use complex rigs with lots of swivels,
bait-clips and beads, all of which will increase the rig's
snagging potential. Rigs should usually incorporate some
sort of rotten bottom to attach the lead (try using an old
spark plug) as this will break free if it becomes snagged.
A simple running paternoster is an ideal rig. You seldom
need to fish at any distance and at some marks species like
wrasse can be more or less under your feet. If long-range
fishing is necessary, it is important to ensure that the
lead will not break away from the rotten bottom during casting.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to use a pulley rig
tied from a minimum 501b bs line with a loop at the bottom.
The rotten bottom attaches the lead to the loop, and the
loop is then pushed through the eye of the lead. A small
nail pushed through a '/4in diameter polyball is then inserted
through the loop of nylon, to hold it secure during casting.
On contact with the water, the nail floats free, aided by
the buoyant polyball, leaving the rig anchored by the rotten
bottom. The addition of a lead lift can further assist end-rig
recovery over rough ground.
Many
anglers make the mistake of using too light a main line
when fishing rough ground. You should expect to get snagged
on the bottom from time to time, and you will need a fairly
substantial main line to break even an 8lb rotten bottom.
It is also inevitable that your line will get chaffed from
constant contact with rocks, and chaffed 251b line will
give you a far better chance of landing a big fish than
damaged 151b line. Too light a lead is another common mistake.
A light lead will get washed around by the tide or swell
until it snags. It is far better to use a heavier lead,
which will hit the bottom and stay put. If there is any
lateral tide or swell consider using a grip lead, which
will anchor your end rig firmly, preventing it from dragging
into snags. The grip wires can even prevent the lead falling
into tight crevices.
Another
very common mistake is moving the lead after it has touched
bottom, just to see if it has snagged. If the lead was not
snagged, there is a good chance that you'll drag it into
a snag when moving it. The first time that you attempt to
move the end rig should be either when you strike or when
you reel in to check your bait. In the latter case, lift
the rig as high in the water as you can with one firm upward
swoop of the rod. Then, keeping your rod tip high, wind
furiously to get the rig up to the surface and clear of
the worst of the snags. The new generation of high-speed-retrieve
reels are better suited for this sort of work than small,
baitcasting multipliers.
Article
by Darren Tidmarsh. For more articles on Sea Fishing and
Fishing in general please visit Fishing-Circle.com
you can contact me at Darren@fishing-circle.com
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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