Forever in search of specimen captures our regular group chat soon had us dreaming big and sharing screens of Navionics and satellite maps, and deep, lengthy discussions of areas that were both accessible and filled with features that should produce our target fish.
Then, opting to throw caution to the wind, do something somewhat different and explore what, in our opinion, was relatively unfished water, with the belief that to do something potentially great, we decided we had to roll the dice. Of course, there was always the potential that it wouldn’t fulfil our expectations, as with any fishing trip, but we had to be in it to win it. We soon agreed that the potential reward far outweighed the risk of the feared blank. Weather and tides were reviewed, dates were approved and our preparations were quickly underway.
PREP
Each of us has a solid focus on preparation when we embark on fishing tours, tasking ourselves with boxes to tick before our departure to ensure every angle is covered. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve all winged a session and had a beano, but we are firmly in the “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” mindset.
One of the things that we discuss regularly is our rig choices. Nine times out of 10 the type of rig we prefer for specific areas and species is the same. However, the components and build specifications we choose can be very different. Lines, swivels, hooks, knots, wire and bait clips, we all have our preferences and reasoning behind them. It’s been an excellent opportunity to learn and understand alternative opinions, which has resulted in us all improving our end tackle over the last two to three years we’ve seen the arrival of some new tackle manufacturers and new products to the UK. Some are good, and some are not so good. However, it could be said we are spoiled for choice.
One that we can say has been prevalent, and a regular option, is the circle hook. Whether as a Pennell or point, and sometimes both, we all now regularly choose both circle and catfish hooks, specifically the Mustad Demon, Cox & Rawle Mutsu and the Owner SSW. These tend to hook fish right in the scissors minimising damage to fish and giving a great hold, reducing dropped fish on the retrieve.
Another prominent topic of conversation is fresh bait. There quite simply is no substitute for
