Rigging Pilchards

[stylo]

How do you guys rig up your servo pillies ... I use a 4/0 or 2/0 hook, depending on what is biting and

1) cut in half, on an angle

2) with a single hook rig, thread line through eye

3) thread through top of backbone

4) thread through bottom of backbone

5) stick it in somewhere so it is showing maybe 5-8 mms or so

I find that rigging the bottom half is a little tricky as the fish does get a little soft ones it has thawed out ...

Would not want to cast and have pillies flying backwards from the line shredding the little bugger up

Any tips appreciated !

[domza]

you should buy pillies in bulk and salt them yourself. They will become much tougher and wont fly off your hook when casting- a must for beach fishing.

another alternative is to use 3 gang hooks, it will hold the bait in more places making it harder to come off unless a fish grabs it

[keenas]

If you buy your pillies from a place that

has a good turnover e.g. tackleshops,

they are pretty good for one go only

next trip they're berley.I hook a whole

pillie in the centre and under the back bone

exposing the whole hook. this can only be

used when floating baits and is deadly on

snapper.

Keenas

[SZ1]

I rig them whole on a two hook rig, the bottom hook is hooked through the head and the top hook i wrap around the pilly depending on the size of the bait, then to finish off with a hitch around the tail. HTH

Cheers

[stylo]

My problem at the moment is preventing them from dissolving to bits when rigging ..

Is it due to dodgy quality servo bait ? Or do all the frozen pillies generally fall to bits after a couple of hours in the open ?

[davec84]

ive had that problem so i tend to use a gang hook(i usually target jewies off the beach or tailors)

ive heard about salting but im not too sure how it works

apparently though its awesome

[jrzila]

My problem at the moment is preventing them from dissolving to bits when rigging ..

Is it due to dodgy quality servo bait ? Or do all the frozen pillies generally fall to bits after a couple of hours in the open ?

for pillies, I get the larger ones for bait normally, however usually not as oily. But tend to last a couple of casts, using the 2 hook technique. Good for casting off the rocks under a float.

For burley we get the small oily ones. we still use the small ones for bait but must be more gentle. terrible for big casts. if they are getting soft, try to leave them out in the air out of the water, place them individually and they should dry up a bit to put on a hook.

Generally we just bring 2 bags of pillies if we intend to stay a while and keep them in an esky.

[Mondo Rock]

Stylo - the best way to rig the tail half of a cut pilchard is as follows:

1. push the point of the hook through the flesh just in front of the tail (i.e. where the flesh just begins on the body of the pillie)

2. pull the whole hook through the pillie so that the tail half is 'threaded' on the line just at the point where the tail meets the body.

3. stick the point of the hook into the cut made by the knife (when slicing the pillie in half) and pull the line tight.

4. tie a half-hitch around the tail and tighten to secure the bait.

Using this method I find that pillie talis stay on the hook better than the heads.

[mcownage]

I use servo pillies all the time i use a 3 hook gang with some 3/0 longshank hooks and i start to rig it from tail to head

the best servo pillies i get are the ones that arnt all frozen together with water if they are separated i usually have no problem

[stylo]

I use servo pillies all the time i use a 3 hook gang with some 3/0 longshank hooks and i start to rig it from tail to head

the best servo pillies i get are the ones that arnt all frozen together with water if they are separated i usually have no problem

might get some gang hooks ..

Why do you rig from tail to head .. isn't the fish swimming backwards when you reel it in ? Just curious .. I have seen this in action before .. but always wondered

[SZ1]

Yeah i must say IQF pilly from the servo seems to be the better ones, but if i had my choice Tweed bait pilly blocks from a good tackle store would be the best. I fish with Jrzila and like he said the bigger ones tends to hold better for big casts of the rocks, but i still prefer the smaller pilly I "think" they get more hits on them lol.

Cheers

[mcownage]

might get some gang hooks ..

Why do you rig from tail to head .. isn't the fish swimming backwards when you reel it in ? Just curious .. I have seen this in action before .. but always wondered

I start with the bottom hook in the tail and and finish with the hook closest to the line in the head...i was saying i dont hook it through the head till last

i make my own gangs ya just get some plyers and squash the barb in so you can make it then get ya knife and pull the barb out

Edited April 19, 2007 by K1ngf1sher

[Guest Big-Banana]

Salt your pilchards, can't go wrong that way.

[mcownage]

ive never needed to they dont fly off when i use them....

there was one time the wife bought me a big block of them and they where really soft that was a salting time but i didnt know about salting then...i usually get them from the live bait shop at the entrance there really fresh

Edited April 19, 2007 by K1ngf1sher

[stylo]

I start with the bottom hook in the tail and and finish with the hook closest to the line in the head...i was saying i dont hook it through the head till last

i make my own gangs ya just get some plyers and squash the barb in so you can make it then get ya knife and pull the barb out

OH !! gotcha !!!

Thanks for clearing that up

[henryinnis]

Gang hooking is the go for me off the beach....

We normally punch through twice with a single boat hook method.... Once throught the eye or bottom of the tail.

[stylo]

Hey guys, back on this again .. just regarding the rigs to use this time ..

For land based, do you:

go unweighted

use sinker at the hook

use sinker at the swivel

paternoster

with a float (never done this before...)

What rig suits what conditions and what fish ? I am guessing bottom feeders like flatties you would go with the sinkers etc. ?

EDIT

By the way how do you salt your pillies ? Let them thaw out from the freezer ? Put how much salt on them ? Refreeze ??

Edited August 8, 2007 by stylo

[warnie]

[

By the way how do you salt your pillies ? Let them thaw out from the freezer ? Put how much salt on them ? Refreeze ??

Stylo....... i personally find the best way to salt pillies is to do them in a salt brine..........

about 2kg of table salt (cheap as) mixed with a couple of litres of water throw your

pillies in all in a container put this in the fridge overnight (or longer)

you will find this will draw the moisture out and toughen them up no end....

but at the same time retain's the look and is still inviting to the fish

as opposed to adding salt directly to the pillie and it shrivelling up

like a prune..........that's one method i'm sure there is more

Cheer's Warnie

[Buster and co]

Hi Stylo,

I like to use IQF pilchards. I find they are less mushy when thawed.

Whether rigging half or whole pilchards, my method is much the same.

I like to use a two hook rig with the top hook snelled above the bottom hook.

If using halves I have the hooks about two inches apart, if using whole, about 3 1/2 inches.

When rigging the head half, push the top hook up through the bony head dead centre between the eyes, then put the bottom hook through the flesh where it naturally sits.

The same approach for the bottom half but try to get the top hook through the spine right in front of the tail.

In this way the top hook is doing most of the holding work and keeping the bait presenting nicely and the bottom hook is in exactly the right spot for hook up.

I prefer two hook rigs like this to ganged hooks as it allows the hooks to move freely and not jam up.

Cheers,

Rick

[stylo]

I got some of the IQF pillies at hoome .. will try the salting and see how it goes, thanks guys!

What about the rigs you guys use land based ? Does it really matter ? Sinker on the bottom on the hook, sinker above the swivel, unweighted, float ?

[KingsRule]

Hey stylo, the block pillies can vary depending on brand from what ive seen, some are OK most just turn to mush though...good berly though

I have found IQF pillies much better quality and they dont fall apart like the block ones do. "

I dont think i have used a sinker fishing landbased for about 2 years now, i catch most if not all my fish floating my pillies down a berly trail, works wonders

[stylo]

Cool, I have been going unweighted of late because the pillie is actually weighted quite well .. how do you do a burley trail land based though !??! I just chop up some pillies / cat food etc and just toss it over the edge .. if that is what u mean ...

[KingsRule]

Yep, i prefer to mix bread with water into a nice mush , then chuck it in. Its a killer for yakkas and trevs, kingies , bonnito ,frigates salmon and other fun things with fins all want in though

[abiasin]

use "bait mate" you wrap the stuff around the pillie once it is on the hook and will not come off no matter how hard you cast. wattos stocks the stuff and we use it every time we go out.

[noisy]

I got some of the IQF pillies at hoome .. will try the salting and see how it goes, thanks guys!

What about the rigs you guys use land based ? Does it really matter ? Sinker on the bottom on the hook, sinker above the swivel, unweighted, float ?

hey guys comon you can now buy salted pillies from the tackle shop for a kilo is less than 5 bucks i took 6 pkts north this year caught heaps of tailor on gangs (no throwing off ) and big winter bream on them also... my bream rig for pillies is 2 x hooks 1x 2/0 1x no 2 cut pillie in half the sinker goes on first then the number 2 hook running up and down then the 2/0 hook put the 2/0 hook in the at the flesshy end of the pillie and the nunber 2 hook in up near the tail.. a half hitch in the tail and away you go..you will be surprised how many bream you will catch on the little hook.....bob