Plaice Info

[Crusader]

Right Guys, the boat is being fixed and I am thinking ahead to the Plaice and wanted to tap the knowledge of all you seasoned fishermen both beach and boat to find out what is the recommended type of rig, methods used and bait. I'm asking a lot, but after missing ALL of the Cod from my boat this season (except for the two caught very early on before the boat broke) I want to make up for the lost time and hit those Plaice!

Thanks in advance

[colbythecodking]

hi mate the most easy way i know is just put a light led on depending on how strong the tide is and drift with a long running ledger trace and bounce the bt along the bottom works for me in my kyak

[solehunter]

The wishbone rig has to be a classic, along with the simple running leadger!

[phish]

Solehunter is right KISS except maybe for a few beads on the trace............Ahh but what colour?

[squideyebarnes]

green black seem to be good

[solehunter]

The best attractor must be a good lively worm.

[sharkey+ jnr]

Yer will say the same green n black + rag n squid = big red spots........................

[danglers]

From the boat in the Solent, try a six foot flowing trace, with an extra snood above, both snoods should have either red and black 8mm beads (best colour for Shambles and Hoe Bank areas), or green and black, good over pea mussel beds. Alternate the beads and have about seven on a snood. 20lb fluorocarbon is best in shallow water. You can add a Delta spoon to bottom hook, which also works well in certain places. Best hook size is a 1/0 in a long shank to fit a juicy big ragworm, tipped off with long slither of squid.

From the beach, I have always had 2 successful rigs, Eastney - I use a long wishbone up and over rig at distance. Stokes Bay area - I use a flowing trace with a see saw wishbone and size 2 hooks. 3 x 5mm beads on each snood. Bait is ragworm or lugworm, fresher the better.

Apparently there are reports of a few plaice being caught at Eastney opposite Marine Barracks already!

[skatenchips]

As a veteran FW angler I am as a "Sea Newey" interested that so many differnt types of rig are tried for the same species.

Im intrigued as to why Dangler uses a wish bone at Eastney
yet uses a sea saw wishbone at Stokes........sorry Im not aware of the differences in set up..??
is it to do with terrain your fishing over or some other reason.
Ive also read of others using 3 hook flappers/1 up 1 down
clipped rigs/pulley rigs/double runner rigs/bomber rig.

You can understand the confusion that the new sea angler has
when faced with all these options for beachcasting for Plaice.

Im not experienced enough as yet to know which is the best
to use at any given mark "and why" cos id end up using the
same 2 hook flapper clipped rig at different marks and not realise why I am not catching.....or indeed catching.

The other confusion id like an answer to is whether a rig should
be allowed to swing in the tide to entice bites or if fellers
prefer to nail down with a breakaway/gripper lead and wait for
the fish to come to them.

I like many will make the journey to Eastney this year so any
help in describing what and why you use particular rigs and
how you fish them in the tide would be of value.

cheers
Gazza

[RichardB]

skatenchips said:

I like many will make the journey to Eastney this year so any
help in describing what and why you use particular rigs and
how you fish them in the tide would be of value.

cheers
Gazza

Gaz

I'm not particularly a 'veteran' of Eastney beach, but I too favour the up and over, wishbone type of rig off the beach for this.
Plaice seem to be sight feeders where conditions allow and will react to a bit of movement. Where the tide is not so strong as to sweep your lead back to the beach - I think it pays to use a plain lead and allow movement of the lead/bait and 'twitch' the bait along regularly. If a grip lead is necessary though, the extra length of hook trace given by the up and over rig will allow the bait to waft enticingly (we hope) in the current. As has been said - a few coloured beads add to visual stimulant. The wishbone also allows more bait - therefore scent to be concentrated in one spot too, as plaice will home in on the scent from a distance downtide the same as any other fish.

Well, thats the theory .

[mick75]

i like to use a float and spoon for them up the river and just keep trotting i have had a fair few with this method and they do go some on a carp rod

[eccles]

I have yet to catch a decent plaice in the two years or so since I started fishing Hayling although I have had a couple of small ones. Needless to say this is a bit frustrating. I understand that the reason why there was such a good session at Eastney last spring before the trawlers scooped them up was because of the relatively calm seas which enabled the water to clear. Clear water = plaice can see a long way and almost any kind of rig which has some beads on the snoods to attract them will work provided the snoods are long enough to wave around a bit. Does anyone still use small spoons to provide added attraction? BTW Gazz, most of last year's plaice were taken at 100 yds + or from boats. Can you get out that far with your back probs or do you want me to chuck it for yers?

[danglers]

Most plaice at Eastney seem to be caught at distance (100yds+), so we tend to use a long wishbone trace, which is clipped up and over a bait clip, then down to an Impact Shield or similar to get a long trace out to where the plaice congregate. Once on the sea bottom the long trace provides movement which attracts the plaice, which are inquisitive creatures.

The plaice at Stokes Bay can be caught at a much shorter range, so in fact you are using virtually the same rig, but without having to streamline it for casting.

As for leads, I try and use a light as possible lead, so that the rig moves occasionally but not too much. With a big spring tide, a plain lead is too much movement and will be back on the beach before you know it, so a grip lead is then sent out.

Both venues are fairly deep water in front of you, so you would have thought they would be the same. However Eastney beaches, apart from a few exceptions are pretty much sand and shingle. Stokes Bay has a lot more "features" in closer and hold the fish longer.

Hope this helps!

[skatenchips]

Yes ....very helpful fellers.thanx

Ill be trying to make some Up and overs then,cant be buying em
much more fun catching on something you have made yourself.

Ive only been to Eastney 3 times and each time it was
a spring tide which is the reason heavy leads seemes to be in order.
I would like to know if neaps produce as it would follow that the
water would be calmer and clearer.

********************************************
Can you get out that far with your back probs or do you want me to chuck it for yers?
***********************************************
Eccles I dunno what shag youve been putting in that pipe of yours mate but its making you far to banterish fella..!!!!!!!!!!

AND NO ................
this cripple dont need you to cast for him..............just yet
remember ive seen you cast Rich...........
I think I can get further already Mr (Ive gotta new rod )...lol

Gazza

[eccles]

skatenchips said:

AND NO ................
this cripple dont need you to cast for him..............just yet
remember ive seen you cast Rich...........
I think I can get further already Mr (Ive gotta new rod )...lol

Gazza

Ah but I have been practicing (a lot) and now got two new rods. Am now doing a modified OTG cast which gets me out well over 100 yds. Fingers used to take the p even more than you (that's saying something!) so i knew I had to do something. Anyway, I mean't it - Fingers used to cast for me when I wanted to get out there but not anymore, I chuck further than him now. More to the point;- Hopefully this crap weather will leave off in a few weeks then we can all try for plaice at Eastney or Hayling Eastoke on a nice sunny day. Can you get away in the week at all? - It's much more peaceful very often.