| Many shore anglers avoid fishing rock marks | | | | inserted through the loop of nylon, to hold it |
| because they are scared of losing tackle. | | | | secure during casting. On contact with the water, |
| However, very few marks are totally unfishable, | | | | the nail floats free, aided by the buoyant polyball, |
| and often the most effective rigs for fishing | | | | leaving the rig anchored by the rotten bottom. |
| rough ground marks are also the most basic. | | | | The addition of a lead lift can further assist end-rig |
| Before fishing any shore mark, rough ground | | | | recovery over rough ground. |
| marks in particular, it is a good idea to visit the | | | | Many anglers make the mistake of using too light |
| area at low water. The best time to go is at low | | | | a main line when fishing rough ground. You should |
| water on a spring tide, when much of the ground | | | | expect to get snagged on the bottom from time |
| that you will later be fishing over will be | | | | to time, and you will need a fairly substantial main |
| uncovered. Look for features like gullies, weed | | | | line to break even an 8lb rotten bottom. It is also |
| beds, or patches of sand sandwiched between | | | | inevitable that your line will get chaffed from |
| kelp beds. These are the places where items of | | | | constant contact with rocks, and chaffed 251b line |
| food collect, and the places where the fish will | | | | will give you a far better chance of landing a big |
| feed once the tide has flooded. If you are | | | | fish than damaged 151b line. Too light a lead is |
| unfamiliar with the mark, it is also very important | | | | another common mistake. A light lead will get |
| to try to pick out any area where the flooding | | | | washed around by the tide or swell until it snags. |
| tide could cut off your retreat. | | | | It is far better to use a heavier lead, which will hit |
| The first stumbling block for many anglers | | | | the bottom and stay put. If there is any lateral |
| preparing to tackle a rough-ground mark is the | | | | tide or swell consider using a grip lead, which will |
| choice of end rig. End rigs should be tied as simply | | | | anchor your end rig firmly, preventing it from |
| as possible. Rock marks are certainly not the | | | | dragging into snags. The grip wires can even |
| places to use complex rigs with lots of swivels, | | | | prevent the lead falling into tight crevices. |
| bait-clips and beads, all of which will increase the | | | | Another very common mistake is moving the |
| rig's snagging potential. Rigs should usually | | | | lead after it has touched bottom, just to see if it |
| incorporate some sort of rotten bottom to | | | | has snagged. If the lead was not snagged, there |
| attach the lead (try using an old spark plug) as | | | | is a good chance that you'll drag it into a snag |
| this will break free if it becomes snagged. A | | | | when moving it. The first time that you attempt |
| simple running paternoster is an ideal rig. You | | | | to move the end rig should be either when you |
| seldom need to fish at any distance and at some | | | | strike or when you reel in to check your bait. In |
| marks species like wrasse can be more or less | | | | the latter case, lift the rig as high in the water as |
| under your feet. If long-range fishing is necessary, | | | | you can with one firm upward swoop of the rod. |
| it is important to ensure that the lead will not | | | | Then, keeping your rod tip high, wind furiously to |
| break away from the rotten bottom during | | | | get the rig up to the surface and clear of the |
| casting. One of the easiest ways to do this is to | | | | worst of the snags. The new generation of |
| use a pulley rig tied from a minimum 501b bs line | | | | high-speed-retrieve reels are better suited for this |
| with a loop at the bottom. The rotten bottom | | | | sort of work than small, baitcasting multipliers. |
| attaches the lead to the loop, and the loop is then | | | | Webmasters are free to re-publish the article as |
| pushed through the eye of the lead. A small nail | | | | long as they include my resource box at the end |
| pushed through a '/4in diameter polyball is then | | | | of the article exactly. |