Tips on keeping bait on the hook for surf casting

[cravina]

I typically do a common over hand cast when surf fishing and have kept my bait pretty much on the hook 90% of the time. Lately I have been practicing over the ground and pendulum casts when the beach is practically empty and astonished at the distance difference. The problem though is that keeping the bait, particularly shrimp and frozen clams, on the hook is now an issue. For shrimp, either live or frozen, I've tried all hooking methods previously discussed in previous posts but to no avail. I have a spinner setup, 10 ft' heavy surf rod, hooks vary from light 2/0 & 3/0 owner circle hooks to thick 2/0 & 4/0 eagle claw circle hooks on my pomp rigs.

Most often the bait just gets ripped out on the release. Could the snap from releasing the line the cause or are these OTG and pendulum casts just not applicable to surf fishing?

Would a conventional reel help minimize this problem? Any inputs are appreciated.

[on light line 6969]

try not to whip the rod,sound like it may be happening,maybe a stiffer rod may help.if you need distance try a lighter line,not a heavier sinker,maybe put your bait in salt the day befor to toughen it up,theres always bait holder hooks,try any of these see if it helps TIGHTLINES

[rshields]

Here's a site for surf rigs. These take the stress out of the cast from your bait by attaching it to the rig so it soesn't fly out and fly off, it has a release impact shield attached so when your rig hits the water it releases the bait from the rig. Not cheap but effective for pendelum casting on the beach. http://www.breakawayusa.com/

[David McCoy]

I have had a similar problem with clam strips; you have to get them a little bit tough. Let them sit in the sand for a while and then hook them wrap them around the hook and hook them again. I mostly use fleas. push the hook up thru the bottom and just poke the point out of the shell. Not the entire barb. This seems to help. I still throw some baits off but not as bad as I use to. I have gotten fairly good at the off the ground cast but the pendulum still causes me issues.

[shmegger]

I have this problem when using cut bait that has been in the freezer to long. If it gets too mushy, using smaller pieces helps keep it on. I also sometimes use a carolina or stinger rig.

[flyntus]

If you salt cure your shrimp in the fridge they become very rubbery and stay on a hook well. If you search Google you should find some good info on how to do it properly.

[eagle]

I just relocated back to Fla. from Washington state where I fished salmon and steelhead. We use an egg loop to keep our bait on when casting and drift fishing. I've gotten so used to tying them it's second nature now. Here's a video of how to tie em.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUp-fbiLZVs

When fishing for salmon I'm using a 5/0 Owner Cutting Point. This hook usually has the eye bent and lets you slip the line straight down the shank as you'll see in the video. I'm going to be using this same knot for bait here and see how it performs.

[fishaus]

I use a fine bait elastic to bind on soft baits and it works quite well, UK anglers use it a bit and that's probably where aussies got it from.A bit of a hassle sometimes undoing the old stuff that's bunched up, but well worth it to keep a good bait on.

[cravina]

I use a fine bait elastic to bind on soft baits and it works quite well, UK anglers use it a bit and that's probably where aussies got it from.A bit of a hassle sometimes undoing the old stuff that's bunched up, but well worth it to keep a good bait on.

I have been using Ghost Cocoon bait thread ever since for clams and unsalted frozen shrimp and has worked well for me. Also, on a spinning outfit, a slightly early release once the rod is loaded and the weight has started moving forward prevents the big snapping sound or line vibration that tends to dislodge or flick the bait away from your hook.

[eagle]

I also use Magic String or Stretchy String to secure sand shrimp to my hook.