All sea anglers hope to maximise the potential of their fishing baits, not just to help them catch more fish, but to ensure they remain on the hook and don’t hinder the casting distance.
Here’s a few tips that will help you get more from your sandeel, mackerel, squid and crab baits by using tyhe cut and shut technique…
Cut off the head (pic 1) and tail (2) of a frozen sandeel. The middle-sized sandeels of around 12cm plus are ideal.
Cut the Bluey or mackerel fillet into an arrowhead shape (3 & 4). The tail section is ideal.
Now thread a size 1/0 or 2/0 long-shank Aberdeen hook from the tail of the eel (5) and bring out halfway down the eel (6), then pass back in (7) and out through to the gill’s end (8). This leaves the hook eye and knot prone in the centre of the bait to provide a gripping point for the elastic bait cotton.
Then part cut the fish bait through to the point with the scissors (9). Shape end into point (10).
Place the pointed end of the slice at the tail end of the eel (11) and whip with cotton to the hook point (12). The cut in the fish helps it fold around the sandeel for a more streamlined shape. You can place the skin side or flesh side out. Flesh side out moulds shape better.
