OK all you fishermen.....

[jx2mad]

Having grown up fishing for luderick I am no slouch with using a rod and float.There is probably nothing anyone can teach me about luderick fishing.(32 in three mornings before school is my best) HOWEVER....catching leatherjackets is another kettle of fish. I just can't hook the blighters. Float zips under, I strike, nothing there and the bait is gone. What could be more simple than to float fish for leatherjackets? Nothing, except I can't hook them. What could I be doing wrong? I have tried fast strikes, slow strikes, straight up and sideways strikes, alas all to no avail. I tell a lie, somehow I caught 3, but missed them on most every throw. Jim

[Roverlord off road spares]

Leather jackets are canivorous,
Leather jackets also have some good dentures, are you using small fine hook on the luderick? I could be possible that fine small hooks are stopping you hooking them as you are trying to set the hook and hit their teeth. Usually long shanked hooks are used on Leatheries so they have less chance of biting you off. Leather jackets I have observed are not aggressive eaters, they tend to play around with the bait abit, so the float going under could be the leather jackets pulling on a big bait. Maybe wait abit longer before you strike.

[jx2mad]

Thanks. I forgot to mention that I have tried luderick hooks (very small and short shanked) to long shank slightly smaller than whiting hooks!