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This is one method I use to catch fish in the canal
deadstick bait in the canal, my method
I use 60 pound pink Ande with 100 lb test clear Ande mono leaders,150 pound test barrel swivel and 8/0 mustad hooks with a 5 ounce weight on a fishfinder when I'm deadsticking pogie chunks in my favorite hole. I loose some rigs, but I catch fish . The heavy line allows me to pull hung up sinkers off, just loosing the sinker, but getting back the fishfinder,hook and leader most of the time, or the hook bends allowing the entire rig to come loose off the hang, just put on another hook . The bass do not shy away from the heavy mono leader and big blues don't bite through the heavy leader. If you do get hung, bring am old towel or facecloth with you, wet it, ring it out and wrap it around the reel at the underpart of the reel and pull with the rod tip pointing towards the hang (dont pull back on the rod, you'll break the rod)you have to be strong to break 60 pound test. Make sure you have the reel attached to the rod with the long screws and nuts that go through the holes in the reel seat
I use a beachmaster and jigmaster for reels and a 10 foot heavy conventional rods. Set the drag at about 10-15 pounds, tight enough for the big mama to hook herself, but not so tight that the fish will pull the hook or snap the line, make sure the drag still drags, don't "pin" the drag by socking it down too tight(I have had some fish snap/abrade the 60 pound test and get off) also use a rodholder,an old piece of pvc pipe works great . Find a crevace in the rocks to put the rod holder into into (make sure the crevace is sturdy or you might loose your entire rig when that 40 pounder strikes the bait and hooks herself), Put the chunk on with the hook barb sticking out. Sometimes the fish will strike so hard the barb will turn back into the bait (but not too often). I have hooked fish in the eyesocket and outside of the mouth, in the crevaces under the jaw, Make sure you sharpen the hooks with a good sharpening stone .Change yout bait every 10-15 minutes. When retreiving the rig to change bait, once you get the rig off the bottom, reel like crazy, do not let the rig drag or settle back to the bottom, take the rod out of the holder, pull ans reel in the rig fast ("plane" the rig., you'll end up not loosing the rig 95% of the time, If you let it settle or drag it along the bottom, you will loose the rig 100% of the time
It works for me
This method of catching fish in the canal was developed by myself over a period of years. Loosing rigs and fish in the canal is inevitable, the "drop off" is a place where big fish get hung up.
The heavy line allows me to pull the fish over the rock, shelf (sometimes). I use this method mostly on an east rising or slack tide that are not "plugging tides" (morning tides). In the summer I use this method after the herring have gone until the end of October
Big fish in fast moving current are more difficult to catch than a fish caught from a beach. I've seen so many people use a beach rig in the canal, and loose fish. A beach rig is great for the beach, but the canal is a totally different place. It is like no other place in the world, and big fish do live there.
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