Lures · Fishing into kelp

Weedless swimbait

A soft shad on a weighted hook whose point lies in a slot in the shad's back. It slides through kelp where a jig head would snag on every cast.

HOW TO FISH IT← YOUBraid PE 1.0–1.5FG knotFluoro leader 15–20lbWeedless hookbelly weight 3–10gSoft shad 10–15cmpoint lies in the back slotthrough and over kelp tops, slowly
Targets
Bass, pollack, wrasse
Where
Kelp beds and rock gullies at low water; North Wales, Flamborough, Northumberland
Use it for
PollackBass

What you need

Mainline
PE 1.0–1.5 braid
Leader
15–20lb fluorocarbon
Hook
Weighted weedless swimbait hook, 3–10g belly weight
Shad
10–15cm soft shad with a back slot

Build it

  1. Tie the hook to the leader.
  2. Screw or pin the hook's nose clip into the shad's head.
  3. Push the hook through the body and lie the point flat in the back slot.
  4. Cast over the kelp and wind slowly so it skims the tops.
  5. Strike firmly on a take to drive the point through the plastic.
On the beach

Fish it over the bottom half of the tide, when the kelp is near the top. That's where bass and pollack hunt.

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.