Baiting up for Natal Snoek

[eric cotton]

STRIP BAITS: I have used and made various traces for strip baits, but the trace that really works and produces good results for me is a fillet trace with a 7cm piece of thin plastic tube above the hook..... It can be trawled at a fast pace as the bait is firmly secured onto the tube and has a strong back bone.

[eric cotton]

STEPS FOR PREPARING THE BAIT

1.  Cut an entire fillet off a sardine.

[eric cotton]

2.  Turn the bait flesh side up and lightly slice the flesh in the centre, not cutting through the skin.  This will help you fold the bait onto the hook and plastic tube.

[eric cotton]

3.  Thread the hook skin side first into the opposite end to the tail, the tail end must just touch the end of the plastic tube.

[eric cotton]

4.  Then fold the fillet onto the hook and plastic tube with the flesh part only showing, and bind the whole fillet.  It is important to bind it straight and don't twist the fillet otherwise it will spin while trawling.

[eric cotton]

5.  Pull the skirt down to the bottom swivel.

[eric cotton]

You can trawl the bait at various speeds, 4-9kmh.  As the whole bait is well secured onto the plastic tube and hook, it gives the bait more stability while trawling at a faster speed, so you can cover more ground.

If you are not getting a hook up when trawling passed a shoal of Natal Snoek, best you pick up the rod and point the tip to sky.  When you see the fillet come to the surface, then drop your rod down to where it was.  This will make the Natal Snoek think their prey is escaping and should turn them into a feeding frenzy.

My best times to target Natal Snoek are Spring Tide and Leap Tide.  Also early morning and late afternoon.

Hope this will help you as it helps me!!!

[Capt. Hook]

Thank you Mr. Snoek.

I want to take you for a ride on my boat.
(You at the steering, strip baits off the back)

[Prego]

Thank you Mr. Snoek.

I want to take you for a ride on my boat.
(You at the steering, strip baits off the back)

 
Great stuff Eric, have some cred.

[J-Rock]

  Nice presentation....

[super_daav]

Thanks Eric! What number wire do you use? I noticed you leave a little wire tag to pin the fillet onto?

[eric cotton]

U guys are too kind for all the kinds words and credits.

@ Mike getting me worried. 

 @ super_daav    the hook has to be snell and not moving freely. The wire in the tube is pretty thick e.g #8 or #9, as that would be your bite trace. The wire above the tube best go thin eg #4, or just tie directly on to your leader..... What I do is when on a clear day best use no wire and only a short bite trace.