Anglers often use lures or pirks at the end of a string of mackerel feathers to add attraction, and those lures often pick up larger mackerel or bass, sometimes even cod and pollack near the bottom. The trouble is, those lures can cost £5 each in the 100gm+ weights needed and if you are fishing close to the bottom or over wrecks and rough ground you can easily hang up, which is expensive. A very low cost way of adding attraction is to paint your leads. Paint tends to scratch and chip easily in use so I use vinyl powder paint which coats the lead in a layer of vinyl – just heat the lead in a gas flame, dip in the powder, then heat again to melt the paint. You can then pimp up the lead with permanent Sharpie pens or coloured varnish. Apparently herring are attracted to red and white, mackerel and bass probably to anything fish-like. Here’s the result of very little effort for the price of leads (about 60p for 4oz) instead of lures. I’m going to add an Assist hook then give them a trial.
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