Heavy vs. Light Tackle

[andyg]

This is a Heavy vs. Light tackle thread. Please don't hijack it into yet another fish welfare debate, there are plenty of those on the forum already.

Richard remarked that I use freshwater hooks for bream fishing - not quite true, they are sea hooks, but the same size as freshwater hooks and they could easily be substituted for freshwater.

A number of good points have been made, i.e. you can catch big fish on small hooks but not small fish on big hooks - this is very true, but if you turn it around, it means that when fishing for cod with a 10/0 armed with 6 squid, it is a lot less likely that you will be pulling up pin whiting every 5 minutes (though not guaranteed).

I was on a bream trip (boat) once using a 3 hook paternoster with size 4 hooks and 1" squid slithers - the guy next to me was using a single 2/0 ledgered and baited with 1/2 squid, the result.... I caught a couple of small bream and he caught a couple of whoppers, which made me think about my bream fishing tactics.

Big fish as a rule go for big baits and leave the smaller offerings to to smaller fish.

Hook size should be determined by size of the bait you are using, and the size of bait you are using should be determined by the fish you are targetting.

Most importantly, watch what the successful anglers are doing and copy them, but always give your own ideas a try too.

[tjnorton]

Anyone ca catch fish on heavey tackle, it takes a true angler to catch fish on light tackle!!

Light tackle for me all the time.

tj

[andyg]

Originally Posted by tjnorton

Anyone ca catch fish on heavey tackle, it takes a true angler to catch fish on light tackle!!

Light tackle for me all the time.

tj

Great in principle, but try dragging a 50lb+ conger off a wreck against a running tide with tackle not suitable and you'll regret fishing light, because no matter how skillful an angler you are, exerting enough pressure on that fish to get it off the wreck is impossible.

You should always match your tackle to the job, hook to the bait and clothing to the conditions.

AG

[A fluff chucker]

Originally Posted by andyg

This is a Heavy vs. Light tackle thread. Please don't hijack it into yet another fish welfare debate, there are plenty of those on the forum already.

I thought this was a general discussion about Heavy vs Light Tackle. Therefore I don't quite understand how I 'hi-jacked' and am in error posting my views on using excessively light tackle.

I am sorry my point didn't fit in with the way you wish the matter be discussed. Obviously as a moderator you have the ability to do/say/remove or it seems guide/direct how you want a point is discussed

[duncan]

So now we have got to the real issue - heavy or light anorak?

Personally I usually use a heavy one for Cod and a really light one for summer bassing..............

[A fluff chucker]

Originally Posted by duncan

So now we have got to the real issue - heavy or light anorak?

Personally I usually use a heavy one for Cod and a really light one for summer bassing..............

Brilliant - LOL's

[CHUBB]

try dragging a 50lb+ conger off a wreck against a running tide with tackle not suitable and you'll regret fishing light

quite true but i think that TJ meant that he, like me, prefers to use the lightest possible tackle for the job.

i learned to match the gear the hard way, i had a nice wrasse on a REALLY SUPER light gear and i fought it for about 3 mins and it dived again and snapped the rod!!!