When you arrive at the beach, you will need to find a spot to cast your bait. Fortunately, fish have preferences of where they like be and don’t swim around aimlessly. If you can identify these areas where fish like to congregate, then you will significantly increase your chances of catching fish. These fishy areas include sandbars, troughs, points, seams, and cover. You can start searching for these before you even go fishing. Search your beach using programs and apps like our Places to Boat and Fish Maps, Google Maps, Navionics, and Fishbrain. Calling your local fishing store for this information is also very useful, as it is their business!
A sandbar, also called a shoal, is an underwater ridge usually made up of sand or gravel. The most effective method for identifying a sandbar is to stand on the beach at low tide and watch the waves and locate where they break. If a sandbar is present, the waves will break over the bar. Sometimes at low-tide the top of the bar will be exposed and easily visible. If multiple bars are present, then waves will reform and break again when they encounter the next bar.
When using online maps and photographs to locate sandbars, don’t rely too heavily on the information unless it is very recent. Sandbars are made of sand, so they are constantly shifting. It is not uncommon for a sandbar to exist one year and the next year be gone or in a different location. Most sandbars are found within casting distance of the surf, typically 20-30 yards out, but you will rarely target fish on the sandbar itself. Instead, you will use the sandbar as a reference point to locate the deeper channel that forms between the sandbar and shore, called the trough, as well any channel or drop-off beyond the sandbars.
A trough, also known as the slough, is the deeper water that forms between the shoreline and the sandbar, as well as the deeper water that forms between sandbars if there are multiple sandbars. If the sandbar is found about 20-30 yards out, then the trough will be found about 10-20 yards out. The trough is where you will target your fish. Troughs act as a highway for all species of fish to swim along the channel looking for their prey. As the tide moves, the sandbar creates lots of turbulence that pushes small baitfish and other bait into the deep trough.
Smaller fish under 3ft will usually be in the white wash right past where the wave breaks. This is not on the sandbar, but on the slope where it drops down. If a school of baitfish is present, then predator fish will use the trough to trap and corral the baitfish to feed on them. The best places to fish around a sandbar are near the entryways, called a seam or cut, and points. Seams and points are sometimes called “the spot on the spot” because these are the best spots for fish to ambush their prey. They will usually be the most productive spots in the trough and sandbar.
A seam, also called a cut, is an entryway where water can flow in and out of the trough. This is usually marked by the absence of sand on a sandbar. You will notice that while waves break over the sandbar, they do not break over the seam. A seam is a great spot to fish, as it typically sports the largest number fish anywhere on the beach. A seam condenses traffic in and out of the trough. Be aware of points as well. Points are the shallow area of the beach that jut out (like a point).
They tend to gradually recede as they continue away from the beach, as opposed to the rest of the coastline that gets deeper, faster. When there is a point that extends into a trough, this acts as a barrier that fish will use to their advantage. Target the sides of points where deeper pools form, also called pockets, but do not target the point itself as the area is too shallow. Make sure to walk the beach and search online maps for other types of structure as well. Sandbars and troughs are often times the most difficult pieces of structure to find, but structures such as rocks, jetties, bridges, and piers will all be much easier to find.
Complete guide on freshwater fishing rigs that will help you enjoy your fishing trips. Getting your rig set up right can be affected by the anglers’ tying experience.
There are many types of rigs that you can use as an angler. It all depends on several factors including, the type of fish you want to catch and the equipment you are using.
It is also affected by the prevailing weather conditions as well as where you are going fishing, a lake, river, pond, dam, or ocean.
A simple rig is the starting point for most anglers. It’s cheap and very easy to tie and you can probably catch your first fish with it!
The simplest way to attach a hook is to thread the line through the eyelet of the hook and then double back on itself, pulling enough line into a palm-sized section.
Wind the tag end around the rest of the line several times and finish by securing it with a whipping knot A plastic clothes peg comes in handy to secure it while you make your whip.
That’s great for worms, maggots, and small baits, but won’t grip larger baits, such as ragworms or lugworms, unless it is measured out on the bend of the hook.
The next step up is a running rig, where you tie a sliding loop at one end of your line and attach this to the swivel at the other end. Which should have some length of strong nylon or cotton between itself and hook, so that it can freely slide and swivel.
An Uptide (mullet) rig is a simple running rig that will hold larger baits, such as mackerel strips or whole pilchards. You need a minimum of two swivels: one to tie the loop in your line, the other to join the nylon/cotton section to the hook and your bait.
The best way to attach a bait is to thread it through the eyelet of the hook and then cut off any excess with a pair of sharp scissors.
When a fish bites down on the bait, it straightens the hook in its mouth and most cases won’t have the strength to set itself free.
The only time you need to strike is when it makes off with your offering, so unless you’re after big fish, let them eat the whole bait – it’s the only way to be sure.
France Carp RigsAt least one running rig should be in your box at all times, as you never know when a fish might bite, and taking the time to prepare a proper trace is not always an option.
One word of warning: tackle shops buy their swivels by weight, so unless you tie your own, you could find yourself with a hook and no trace!
The next step up is the ledger rig which is also called a ‘hair loop’. It’s rigged similarly to an uptide, but without the free-sliding swivel in between the hook and nylon/cotton trace – just a short length of line that joins them together.
Ledger rigs are best for when you’re float-fishing in seawater – the swivel will corrode if it’s left exposed to saltwater.
Many anglers prefer to have their bait or lure close to the lure, so they use a hair rig (also known as a hair loop).
This is nothing more than a loop of line tied in the middle of your trace, which allows you to add on spinnerbaits (for spinning lures), spoon lures, and even lightweight “wigglers”. You can also add more swivels if necessary – for example, when rig fishing with several hooks.
The most common is simply a length of strong mono (nylon-coated fishing line) with a swivel at one end and the hook at the other.
The most common is simply a length of strong mono (nylon-coated fishing line) with a swivel at one end and the hook at the other.
A closer version replaces the swivel with a snap mechanism – on some it may be necessary to push the hook through one of the eyes, but on others, it is simply a case of opening the snap.
The free-swinging version does away with both swivel and snap in favor of a bobbin, which hooks onto your line to stop your bait from swinging about. This type is used when fishing for salmon or trout in rivers.
Typically, a hook trace is of at least 3ft (1m) in length, of which 1-2ft (30-60cm) will be made up of the mainline and the rest looped through a swivel to form a running rig.
For ledgering on a riverbank or sea bottom, however, you’ll probably need at least 8ft (2.5m) of line to make sure the hook has enough room to swing freely.
The ‘no-snag ledger rig is ideally used when fishing in snaggy conditions – on a snaggy river bank or over a snaggy sea bed. It consists of a short length of nylon, which is looped at one end and has a swivel (with hook) attached to the other. You then tie your mainline onto this swivel – thus the no-snag element!
A worming rig is simple to make and costs next to nothing. If you’ve got some old hooks lying about that don’t have traces, they can be put to good use.
This rig is ideal for worming on rivers and reservoirs – although it will do the job in seawater too. It’s simply a length of nylon with a knot tied at one end and anyone size of the hook from 13-22 tied on the other. You then add a swivel and a suitable length of nylon for your depth below the knot.
A waggler rig is very similar to a ledger rig, but instead of dangling vertically under the weight, it falls in a horizontal line – great when there’s little current or tide running in your favor. The bait can be baited on the hook and simply slid onto the nylon or cotton trace.
An uptide hook has a short shank and long straight-pointed barbed point – useful for catching fish that swim up to your bait as it is lowered down to them. It can be fished on its own or in conjunction with a ledger rig (using both is called a double-hander).