Running ledger crab problems etc
Running ledger crab problems etc
Hello... I am entering the rig zone!!
A nice helpful chap at the fishing shop made me a simple rig to copy in my quest to catch bigger fish. It looks to me like a basic running ledger- swivel-clip for weight with bead below sliding along 60 lb mainline connected with swivel to 20 lb snood with 5/0 hook.
Took it to Seacomb to try it out this am. Loaded hook with as much lugworm or lugworm/squid as I could, whipped on with bait elastic, hook protruding. A bit quiet for first hour and every time I realed in bait munched often attached to crabs. Chap next door reckoned my rig was rubbish as weight should be at bottom like his (2 hook flapper) and I would get bait eaten as it was fastened to bottom. Is this true? does this sound like a good rig for catching cod etc?
I did have a good patch where I caught a few small cod and a keeper whiting.
Am I better with this rig or should I use a flapper with bigger hooks? Or something simple again like the single hook cod rig in the "rigs" section. What is a relay clip?
Thanks for reading,
Anneee
A nice helpful chap at the fishing shop made me a simple rig to copy in my quest to catch bigger fish. It looks to me like a basic running ledger- swivel-clip for weight with bead below sliding along 60 lb mainline connected with swivel to 20 lb snood with 5/0 hook.
Took it to Seacomb to try it out this am. Loaded hook with as much lugworm or lugworm/squid as I could, whipped on with bait elastic, hook protruding. A bit quiet for first hour and every time I realed in bait munched often attached to crabs. Chap next door reckoned my rig was rubbish as weight should be at bottom like his (2 hook flapper) and I would get bait eaten as it was fastened to bottom. Is this true? does this sound like a good rig for catching cod etc?
I did have a good patch where I caught a few small cod and a keeper whiting.
Am I better with this rig or should I use a flapper with bigger hooks? Or something simple again like the single hook cod rig in the "rigs" section. What is a relay clip?
Thanks for reading,
Anneee
-
trucker5774
- Super Poster
- Posts: 235
- Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:50 am
- Location: West Lancs
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Have a look at the pulley pennel in the learning zone. It is a variation of a running ledger but presents the bait a little higher. I think it is a cracking rig.
Pumped some worms, caught some fish, and snapped some lines!
John
John
-
FishingFreakJack
- English A Level Prospect
- Posts: 1273
- Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:29 pm
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Running ledger is sooo basic and can work but is carp.
The best rig ... http://www.wirralseafishing.co.uk/forum ... =56&t=4430
when a fish is hooked the weight of the fish pulls the lead out of the way of any snags this resulting in a nice codo hopefully
Crabs are allways about and will rob bait

The best rig ... http://www.wirralseafishing.co.uk/forum ... =56&t=4430
when a fish is hooked the weight of the fish pulls the lead out of the way of any snags this resulting in a nice codo hopefully
Crabs are allways about and will rob bait
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Running ledger is perfectly good rig, but more typically used off the boat when after the bigger stuff or from the shore when after conger and a short lob is all that is required.
The angler who advised you is right on one front - bait hard on the bottom will get attacked by crabs, wrong on the other front though, absolutely nowt wrong with having a bait hard on the bottom, infact unless on pulley I always have a bait on the bottom, it's where the fish are, especially when the tide is running.
If you've ever gutted a mersey cod, you'll see that crabs are a major food source, so bait where the crabs are is where the cod are at!
All you have to do is ensure you change the bait at a frequency to suit the crab activity.
Main problem with the vanilla running ledger is that you dont clip it down so can't chuck it that far. Also with it not being clipped down, bait can helicopter on the chuck and cause problems with tangling - which can be overcome to a certain extent by bulking up the breaking strain of the hook length.
Finally ofcourse, the vanilla one is a one hook rig - flappers give you the option of mixing up baits and hook sizes, with a lot of people bunging a big bait on one of the hooks to provide scent output for longer.
The angler who advised you is right on one front - bait hard on the bottom will get attacked by crabs, wrong on the other front though, absolutely nowt wrong with having a bait hard on the bottom, infact unless on pulley I always have a bait on the bottom, it's where the fish are, especially when the tide is running.
If you've ever gutted a mersey cod, you'll see that crabs are a major food source, so bait where the crabs are is where the cod are at!
All you have to do is ensure you change the bait at a frequency to suit the crab activity.
Main problem with the vanilla running ledger is that you dont clip it down so can't chuck it that far. Also with it not being clipped down, bait can helicopter on the chuck and cause problems with tangling - which can be overcome to a certain extent by bulking up the breaking strain of the hook length.
Finally ofcourse, the vanilla one is a one hook rig - flappers give you the option of mixing up baits and hook sizes, with a lot of people bunging a big bait on one of the hooks to provide scent output for longer.
Make a difference - take home 1 piece of someone's angling litter next time you are out fishing.
-
stuartmcnair
- The Original Armchair
- Posts: 429
- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2003 1:58 pm
- Location: Hesketh Bank, Preston
- Contact:
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
You can use an 'up and over' pulley rig which will give you the best of both worlds, pulley for lifting lead in line with fish and up and over to present bait on the bottom. Good rig as you can use a long snood which helps when targeting rays.
Below is gemini's version - mine uses an imp at the bottom.
You can use a single hook or a pennell arrangement depending on what you're after.
Below is gemini's version - mine uses an imp at the bottom.
You can use a single hook or a pennell arrangement depending on what you're after.
Stu .....Turbot King
Check out my weblog at: http://seafishingandwalking.co.uk
"There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."
Check out my weblog at: http://seafishingandwalking.co.uk
"There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."
-
Big Kev
- The Masterful One
- Posts: 10895
- Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:04 pm
- Location: Sutton Manor....The Posh Part Of St Helens
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Just give your opinion Jack and let people make up their own minds.....leave out the "that`s carp" and "this is the best"....you don`t do yourself any favours by talking like thatFishingFreakJack wrote:Running ledger is sooo basic and can work but is carp.
The best rig ... http://www.wirralseafishing.co.uk/forum ... =56&t=4430
when a fish is hooked the weight of the fish pulls the lead out of the way of any snags this resulting in a nice codo hopefully![]()
Crabs are allways about and will rob bait![]()
winter fishing sucks
-
Big Kev
- The Masterful One
- Posts: 10895
- Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:04 pm
- Location: Sutton Manor....The Posh Part Of St Helens
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Relay clip ....
used for clipping down/up hooklengths.....rig line runs through it and a small piece of rubber tubing which is then pushed over the bottom of the clip....used them years ago and in my experience they did not work very well.
used for clipping down/up hooklengths.....rig line runs through it and a small piece of rubber tubing which is then pushed over the bottom of the clip....used them years ago and in my experience they did not work very well.winter fishing sucks
-
trucker5774
- Super Poster
- Posts: 235
- Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:50 am
- Location: West Lancs
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
The impact shield which looks similar the the relay clip Kev shows,but has a release system, works very well and is ideal for a pulley rig.
Pumped some worms, caught some fish, and snapped some lines!
John
John
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Thanks for that, I will have a look at some of the other stuff again. If it did nothing else it gave me the conficence to actually tie my own rigs rather than buying them. The chap who advised this rig does do lots of boat fishing so maybe that's why he uses it. He also advises simplicity which is good...so long as it works!!
Do people generally use those bait clip things then?
Do people generally use those bait clip things then?
-
trucker5774
- Super Poster
- Posts: 235
- Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:50 am
- Location: West Lancs
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
I use the impact shield a lot. It keeps the rig streamline for casting and I have never had one fail to release. I'm fishing tomorrow if you are about pop out and have a look (and fish too)
Pumped some worms, caught some fish, and snapped some lines!
John
John
-
Bens dad
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
up and over over clipped ledger is a crackin rig, imps are probably best for reliable clips, you could ask someone to let you have a rig to copy or buy one and copy yourself.
Take some comments with a pinch of salt as some rigs suit some people and not others, best to buy/make a few and see which work for you.
I personally have used pulley and clipped ledgers for years and find them simple and reliable.
Take some comments with a pinch of salt as some rigs suit some people and not others, best to buy/make a few and see which work for you.
I personally have used pulley and clipped ledgers for years and find them simple and reliable.
-
spudgun
- Reel Master
- Posts: 2016
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 6:59 pm
- Location: Everyone sounds scouse now :(
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Bait clips do cause the bait to be pushed up the snood when the rig hits the surface of the water. I use either a pennel hook or a sequin and stop knot just above the hook to keep the bait in place.

Even Mindless Violence Seems Boring Today.
Species caught this year:
Gadus morhua
Merlangius merlangus
Limanda limanda
Scyliorhinus canicula
Pthirus pubis
Chlamydia trachomatis
-
Tight Lines
- I Store My Nuts !
- Posts: 1368
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:39 pm
- Location: Wirral
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
I still use Relay Clips but I reinforce them with good old telephone wireBig Kev wrote:Relay clip ....used for clipping down/up hooklengths.....rig line runs through it and a small piece of rubber tubing which is then pushed over the bottom of the clip....used them years ago and in my experience they did not work very well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 -Dab, Whiting
2013 -Dab, Whiting
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Thanks again for all your help, I really appreciate it. Think I need to aquire some more bits and bobs for rig building. Buying some to copy might not be a bad idea either. Would have bought some at fishing shop but he didn't seem to want to sell me any!
John, not sure if I can join you + not much bait left but just in case I manage to sneak out for a bit, when and where-ish?
Another small point. Is pennel rig used just for attaching big things like whole squid, crab etc or would you use it for lugworm (err attach a hook to each end?!)
When I attach lugworm to big hook I thread as much as I can on and make sure hook sticking out. Are sea fish as fussy as coarse fish about how it looks?
tra
annee
John, not sure if I can join you + not much bait left but just in case I manage to sneak out for a bit, when and where-ish?
Another small point. Is pennel rig used just for attaching big things like whole squid, crab etc or would you use it for lugworm (err attach a hook to each end?!)
tra
annee
-
Big Kev
- The Masterful One
- Posts: 10895
- Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:04 pm
- Location: Sutton Manor....The Posh Part Of St Helens
Re: Running ledger crab problems etc
Pennel rigs are fine for worms...i thread a full worm on the bottom hook then push it up past the eye and thread it on the top hook then put another on the bottom hook...maybe sounds a bit complicated until you do it...then you can either "hang" another worm or a strip of squid from the top hook and bind it all together with bait elastic....sea fish are going for the scent more than anything,especially the likes of codling...bass/pollack e.t.c will also use sight but in the main a good scent trail is what you want....when using peeler crab for example, the actual baited hook looks nothing like a crab,but is a deadly bait....unlike coarse fish sea fish have never seen a hook so they are not wary.
winter fishing sucks