what weight for bass rig?

[lofty]

Ill be out Friday pm at Southborne targetting bass using live maccys. Do you want the weight on the rig to anchor them to the bottom or a lesser one to slow them down. Im using a 4oz ? Lofty

[Phil V]

Hi Lofty,

 

Usually I freeline live maccy with a circle hook or treble hook attached through the nose. I quite enjoy using a large float to keep the maccy down or you could use a small bullet (1oz) with a long flowing trace.

 

Out of interest, how will you be keeping the maccy alive? I have a trolling bait bucket which is okay for sandells or small pout but too small for maccy.

 

I've been meaning to try some live baiting off southbourne myself for a while now so will be interested to see how you get on. I have had some success of Peveril but you need to get the tides just right.

 

Phil

[Newboy]

Are you anchoring or drifting?

If you are drifting then what Phil said is bang on.

However if you are going to be anchoring, use a long portland rig with a 1 or 2 oz lead, otherwise you will fine the live mackeral doing a spot of weaving on a snaggy seabed.

[lofty]

Last time I caught the macs. hooked them thru the nose with a 3 hook and sent it to the bottom with a three foot trace and a 4 oz lead as I was attached to a pot buoy. Thats when I caught the 6.5 lber. just wonderered it the leads a bit heavy?

[lofty]

last week i was fishing live Macs there and one was taken by a tope( pressuming that is as it started to tow my kayak) that proceded to wrap itself around the pot bouy and i had to cut the line, and another large mac was bitten clean in two,probably by tope again?

[Newboy]

Last time I caught the macs. hooked them thru the nose with a 3 hook and sent it to the bottom with a three foot trace and a 4 oz lead as I was attached to a pot buoy. Thats when I caught the 6.5 lber. just wonderered it the leads a bit heavy?

When I bream fish the ledge, if I catch any mackeral I usually send it down on a long/tall portland rig with 8' trace or so on small lead. Reason being I want the rig to be as far away as possible so it won't tangle with anyone else, and the portland rig to be long/tall so the mackeral has a large range to swim in, so to attract the predatory fish.