Bait Presentation

While good bait is an essential component of fishing, even the best bait can be rendered useless or unattractive to the fish by poor presentation. To catch fish, requires good presentation of premium bait, and good bait presentation relies on the angler rigging the right way, choosing a sharp hook to suit the bait, and then putting the bait on the hook in a way that is naturally attractive to the fish.

The size and weight of the hook is important. Puting a small whitebait on a 1/0 hook does not look natural. Choosing a hook size to match the bait is fairly simple. Just choose a size that will hold the fish being sought and sit naturally in the bait.

Another important thing to note is the gauge or weight of the hook. If you are fishing a fine line for Bream, the last thing you need is a heavy, stout hook in the bait. This ruins the appearance, makes the bait sink unnaturally and may be noticed by the fish.

The choice of hook pattern is also important for bait presentation, and should be based on the target species and bait being used. For live baits, the best hooks are always short, sharp and with a wide gap, while when fishing with worms, you should use long shank hooks to enable presentation of a straight length of worm. In some cases, ganged hooks provide an excellent option for presenting really attractive baits.

Whatever type of hook you use, make sure it is as sharp as possible. A sharp hook will do less damage to the bait and thus ensure it lasts longer. Chemically sharpenned hooks are ideal for presenting bait.