Bait presentation?

[Damned67]

Hi All,
Any one got any good links, or pics, of how to properly 'present' bait in it's various forms?

In recent years, my son and I have gone from simply impaling a peice of bait with a hook to almost solely using plastics. Now that we have a boat, I'm starting to rig a second rod with bait. Having heard 'it's all in the presentation' when regarding dead baiting numerous times, I'd now be keen to know/see what is considered good bait presentation.

Normal dead baits that I/we use are pillies, squid and slab baits....

Cheers!

[Noelm]

I guess best advice I can give is to make the bait as natural as you can, like (say) if using prawns, do not curl it around the hook, lay it straight as a prawn would be when alive, strip flesh bait are always long and thinnish for me, not a square chunk loaded on a hook.

[sandbankmagnet]

hide the shank. All the rest depends on the species, current, location etc.

[Bowser]

The bait should look natural, not spin, not be clumped, have hooks appropriate to the size of the bait. For pillies I use a 2 hook rig, one snooded to the line and one to the end of the line, The top hook takes the weight and the line is loose to the bottom one. Test the bait before you drop it to the bottom.

It seems to me that people fish plastics and takes a great deal of care in it's presentation but just slaps a bait on a hook and hopes for the best.

[sandbankmagnet]

Not at all Bowser. I'm a baito and you have to make it look real.

Nothing swims as well as a live bait as a live bait.

[Damned67]

It seems to me that people fish plastics and takes a great deal of care in it's presentation but just slaps a bait on a hook and hopes for the best.

I'd say, in my case, that's pretty accurate. But from my point of view, it's a lot easier with plastics.

I'd love to see a pic of how someone rigs/presents a slab bait for our Bay Snapper. Basically, size and shape of bait and hook location.

[hooknose]

Heaps of good books on fishing that will cover the issue for you, you should definately have a couple at home if the young fella is keen and you want him to learn !!( check out e-bay)

[the gecko]

For a slab bait like a whole mullet fillet, i thread the hook thru the TAIL end first. Although the fillet is long and skinny, it has a bit of a triangle shape to it, so start with the tail end, or pointy end into the current.

Then thread the hook thru the flesh 2 or 3 times, like thread a sewing needle.

Have the hook come of the middle of the fillet and make sure the hook is well exposed.

the whole idea is to make the presentation look like a fillet wafting lazily in the current, so use the lightest sinker possible under the conditions.

If you start threading at the shoulder end first, youre gonna have more RESISTANCE against the current, and the bait will spin, looking unnatural. This is the most common mistake with flesh baits.

Im sure others do it differntly, but this tip has worked well for me.

Another tip for livies, is to hook em thru the jaw. This also makes em swim INTO the current looking more lifelike. I rarely hook livies thru the shoulder or bum anymore.

cheers
Andrew