How to Catch Smoothhound

mrix · Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:02 pm Post subject: How to Catch Smoothhound

Please post your Tactics / Tips on how to catch Smoohhound in your local area here. Please remember in this part of the forum to click the reply button to post and Not the "New Post" button Also one main point to remember is that these new forums are intended to help totally new sea anglers to the sport so please post in great detail type of rods/reels used, explain about traces/rigs used, depth to fish and so on or anything else I have missed that you feel will help the novice sea angler.

whiterabbit · Member Joined: Jan 15, 2006 Posts: 21

i could do with some advice on hounds especialy when they start to turn up also ive heard about people catching stingray and would love to know where most people hook up with these spikey fellas happy

Magictoys · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:42 am Post subject:

For sting ray i would try the essex coast walton n st osth being the better places i know of could be very wrong tho! but know they have been caught from these places...

needafish · Member Joined: Jan 11, 2006 Posts: 73

i would try selsey for the smuts not sure of the mounths . but looking around summer time . lots taken on crab baits. if i find out more i let you know here

whiterabbit · Member Joined: Jan 15, 2006 Posts: 21

Cheers for the info guys, what time is best for smuts day or night last year i was fishing pagham harbour alot during day time with, how can i say it, no luck at all, oh i lie i had my line smashed by mystery fish.....that was the highlite. big grin

bigguy · Occasional Joined: Dec 02, 2005 Posts: 144

they do tend to like darkness better than daylight, but can be caught during the day.

they love a bit of crab too (hermit, shore, edible, velvet, etc)

whiterabbit · Member Joined: Jan 15, 2006 Posts: 21

your a legend mush ill try night instead of day, have you fished pagham harbour?? also ive been useing a pulley rig with 3/0 4/0 hooks do you approve? :wink:

MadKev · Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 11:00 am Post subject: smoothhound tactics

This may not apply nationwide but good for S Coast.
Shore - need every advantage going. Shoals should be disappearing end October, but chnaging weather patterns are affecting this. Keep a sharp ear out for catch reports, there's journalists will keep them to themselves until after they've had a private bash, then publish, so it's a month late. Peel your crabs before you start, because when the smoothies arrive it's going to be fast and furious. Impression is the shoal charges at the shore, then retreats, rather than cruises along it, sometimes guys 400 yds away get nothing. Nightime best. A strong pattern 3/0 hook, and enough crab lashed on to fill the hook, is favorite - use a pulley rig with just one hook or pennel, you don't want a double-shot of smoothies. Use 40lb snood, for cut resistance, grip leads to make it self-hooking. Cast more than 50 yards, and watch out. Prepare your next bait whilst stood next to the tripod, even a four-pounder will pull the lot over with no warning. If you take one and your bait isn't trashed, it might be quicker to just lash more crab on top and get it cast out quick, sometimes a session lasts only fifteen minutes then they all disappear. Anywhere between Bognor and Hayling can produce a record breaker, with occasional hotspots elsewhere.

Boat - peelers favoured, but for some reason whole single squid on a four foot flowing trace with circle hook take the larger ones. I did a dozen events out of Langstone last year, max 5 smoothhound per match, most were doubles and at least one was 20lb+, so confident on this that when I went as swabbie on a corporate trip, used only squid for them and every punter took smoothounds just the same. I probably saved Â£120 that year on bait, which is three more trips out. MK

whiterabbit · Member Joined: Jan 15, 2006 Posts: 21

cheers for the advice guys i had a great 2006 season and hope to follow up with an even bettet 2007 one.
im after rays aswell as smoothies this year and will be targeting the rays from late march.
if anyone wants a fishiing buddy just email me as im always up for a session.
:wink: