NATAL SNOEK TRACE

[REEFMAN]

Got some fresh halfbeaks from Mozambique so decided to make some snoek fillets, halfbeak is one of the best to use (if you can get them) as it is durable and has a great natural shine!

Once you've made them up like that, do you freeze them?

[Happy Dog]

Will try that in ponta next week.

[dugong]

Got some fresh halfbeaks from Mozambique so decided to make some snoek fillets, halfbeak is one of the best to use (if you can get them) as it is durable and has a great natural shine!

Once you've made them up like that, do you freeze them?

Reefz, I make them up the night before and fridge them, it takes me 10mins to make up 6 - 8 and then it's easy in the morning. These halfbeak ones are frozen and I have found there is nothing wrong with freezing as long as the bait is reasonably fresh.

[Swanny1]

nice question reefman.
 
I have a similar one. can you rig up whole dead bait for couta and then freeze it?
 
this would make life a helluva lot easier on the jetski.

[dugong]

Sure you can but rigging a dead bait is only two or three hooks??

[Swanny1]

true, but if the wire gets kinked it becomes a mission changing everything.
its easier to just have a couple already rigged in the cooler box

[dugong]

A very important mod to the trace is a small stopper(used for bass fishing) to stop the skirt from sliding up the fluro whilst fighting a fish. This prevents another fish from going for the skirt and biting you off - it has happened a few times just meters from the boat!!

[BAUMANNATOR]

 Those rubber stopprs are a great idea..?want to try a variation of this from the side with the sards here......thanks for a great post!

[dugong]

For those monster snoek use a scaled down couta dead bait trace and a small redeye sard (this is a half ounce egg sinker)
Tip: tie the top and bottom jaws together with a small piece of copper wire and you can pull them as fast as you pull fillets.
Also put the hook further back than you would for couta - snoek take mostly from behind.