Lures · Pollack and coalfish

Paddle-tail on a jig head

A soft shad on a lead-headed hook. The paddle tail thumps on even the slowest wind, which is when pollack take it best.

HOW TO FISH IT← YOUBraid PE 1.0–1.5FG knotFluoro leader 15–20lbJig head 7–20gheavier in tide or depthShad 7–12cmhook comes out of the backcount down, then a slow steady wind above the weed
Targets
Pollack, coalfish, bass, codling
Where
Rock edges and piers over weed, especially at dusk; north-east and Yorkshire rock, Great Orme, Anglesey

What you need

Mainline
PE 1.0–1.5 braid
Leader
15–20lb fluorocarbon, 1–2m
Jig head
7–20g; heavier in deep water or tide
Shad
7–12cm paddle-tail
Colours
Natural (green, white) in clear water; dark or glow at night

Build it

  1. Tie the jig head to the leader with a uni knot.
  2. Thread the shad on straight, so the hook comes out of its back in line. A crooked shad spins.
  3. Cast and count it down to just above the weed.
  4. Wind slowly and steadily so the tail just kicks.
  5. If you touch weed, wind a turn or two faster to lift it.
On the beach

Slower is nearly always better. If you can feel the tail thumping through the rod, that's fast enough. If steady winding gets nothing, try lift-and-drop, or a lighter head in a swell.

Knots for this rig are in Knots. Line strengths, hook sizes and weights are starting points: scale them to your tackle, the ground and the tide. Diagrams are schematic and not to scale.