Wobble your way to success – Dan Brackley

Deadbait wobbling is a deadly method for catching pike, but too many anglers ignore the tactic. VMC and Sufix-backed Dan Brackley says this is a real mistake and here’s why…

ACLASSIC, yet underused, deadbait tactic is sink-and-draw or 'wobbling'. Unlike static deadbait fishing – either leger or float – sink and draw fishing is exactly as the name suggests. A dead fish is mounted to a standard wire trace then, similar to a lure, once cast, it's slowly wound back to the bank in a series of stop-starts. This makes the bait mimic a wounded or dying fish. And, although I'm speaking as a dye-inthe wool lure angler, I have to admit that wobbling tends to be one of those tactics that rarely fails to produce the goods. To demonstrate this easily mastered and extremely effective method, I launched my boat on to the River Bure in the legendary Norfolk Broads at Horning.

The advantages of wobbling

The advantages of wobbling over lures are that once a lure is cast, to impart the action into the lure, you need to start the retrieve almost immediately. With a wobbled bait, especially in a river – even a very slow flowing one like this – you can let the deadbait linger on the spot where it landed, hanging in the flow. This can often result in a quick bonus bite. The other advantage of wobbling is that although there are some excellent and unbelievably life-like lures on the market, the one thing they can never truly mimic is the natural oils and smells that are emitted from a wobbled deadbait. You can use various flavour gels and other additives to smear on to your lures but they are not the real thing. This is a point that again comes into play regarding the take. A hard lure will feel alien to a biting fish, and even when using the softest of lures, although they are spongy to the touch, they still do not feel the same as flesh to a pike. This can result in the pike dropping or ejecting the lure. A wobbled deadbait gives you a rolling, darting action that no lure can really match. The third point about wobbling, is that when it comes to traditional deadbait fishing, you tend to be tied to one area for a long period of time. Wobbling, especially from a boat, means that you're able to cover loads of water in a day. I also find it a quick way to learn about a river or stillwater. By spending no more than 30 minutes in any one area, I can cover up to 10 miles in a single day. A little trick that I employ, particularly on the Broads where every area looks 'fishy', is that if I get a pike to follow but it turns away, I take note of the swim so I can try that same area next time. The final distinct advantage of wobbling is that it enables you to ‘match the hatch’. The Broads is stuffed with roach and bream so a wobbled roach is a killer bait. It's a similar story on rivers that hold trout. A wobbled trout can bring immediate results.

Wobbling kit

When it comes to selecting rods and reels, you need a set-up that isn’t too heavy because you'll be holding them all day. For mainline it has to be braid. My preferred choice is Sufix Gyro in 33lb. Gyro is a tough, four-strand floating braid, making it absolutely perfect for this kind of fishing. Braid is essential because it has almost zero stretch so that you can feel everything. Below this I have a leadcore leader. This helps with the casting as well as enabling the bait to get down quicker, especially when using a sinking braid. The beauty is that it's not so heavy that it pulls the bait down too far, though. It simply improves presentation. Trace-wise, I use 30lb wire, tied to a pair of VMC Series 75 trebles. The bottom hook is a size 4 X1 strength hook, while the upper treble is a size 4 X2. The reason I use a strong, heavier gauge hook above is that this is the treble that takes the most strain during the fight. I also crimp rather than tie or twist the lower hook on to the wire as this enables more movement, which presents the bait better as well as giving an improved hook-hold.

Wobbling your way to success

First of all, unlike traditional deadbait fishing, when fishing a wobbled bait you mount the fish the wrong way, so the top treble goes in the fish's mouth, while the second is attached to the flank. You can put a slight kink in it so it twists more on the retrieve, but I tend to flick the rod tip, to impart action into the deadbait. The great thing about sink-and-draw fishing, is you don't really have to think about it! It's a poor man's lure fishing and I don't mean this in a derogatory sense, only that there are no hard and fast rules about how to draw the deadbait back. The only thing not to do is to cast and then make a straight retrieve. Effective sink-and-draw fishing is all about the pauses and little flicks you impart so that the deadbait resembles a dead or dying fish. In other words, it's an easy meal for pike!

Like any moving bait fishing, less is often more. If it's too erratic, it will look unnatural. Keep things simple. Cast, let the bait fall to the river or lakebed and then make a turn or two on the reel handle before pausing again. Once you have mastered this, you can then start to experiment. As soon as you feel the fish take, strike! Don't leave the fish to take it, as you end up deephooking the pike and this can lead to damage to the fish when you come to unhooking it. Apart from that, sink-and-draw fishing is really easy. It enables you to cover loads of water as well as presenting the pike with a natural looking food item. I have had some massive fish over the years using sink-and-draw tactics and if it is something that you have never tried, I highly recommend giving it a go. You'll be surprised by the results.