What size hooks for Smoothhounds?
3/0
The best rigs are single hooked and clipped down behind a bait clip or impact shield. Hook size should be 3/0 in a strong pattern as this will allow the smaller smooth-hound to be hooked, while being able to handle a larger specimen which could come along.
Can you eat Smoothhounds?
You can eat the smoothhound, but many now consider the fish as one of the UK’s premier sporting species and it is rare to see one retained. Weigh the fish with care, take a picture and savour the fish making its way back to sea through the shallows and the memory will remain with you forever!
Is a tope a smooth hound?
Tope and Smooth hound are very similar and get to a similar size. A Tope has teeth whereas a Smooth hound doesn’t. Also the top and bottom fins just before the tail are the same size on a Tope whereas on a Smooth Hound the top one is bigger.
What kind of fish is a smooth hound?
houndshark
The common smooth-hound (Mustelus mustelus) is a houndshark of the family Triakidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles to South Africa, and in the Mediterranean Sea, Madeira, and the Canary Islands at depths ranging from 5 m to 625 m (although they usually stay at depths between 5-50m).
Where do you fish for Smoothhounds?
Both types of smoothhound are shallow water fish tending to be found relatively close in shore and along the surf line, but they can be found down to about 70-metres. They feed on shore crabs, hermit crabs and edible crabs, also squat lobsters, sea anemones, but will also take worms such as lug and rag.
Is a Smoothhound a shark?
A large, fairly slender shark with a short head and snout, broad internarial, large close-set eyes, and an upper labial that furrows slightly longer than their lowers. The shark has unfringed dorsal fins, and a semifalcate ventral caudal lobe.
Is Tope a dogfish?
Biology. The Tope Shark is a large houndshark reaching lengths of nearly 200cm. They are active, strong swimming sharks and are found from shallow bays to ~550m. It is predominantly encountered near the seabed.
When can I catch Smoothhounds?
The best time of year for smoothhounds is June to September. George says he fishes two hours up to high tide and four hours back down to cover all his options. “Some years they’ll come in mainly on the flood tide and other years mainly on the ebb,” the England shore internatinal explains.
Do tope sharks bite?
The tope shark is considered harmless to humans due to its small size and its preference for small prey items. However, according to the International Shark Attack File, one unprovoked attack on a human has been attributed to this species.
When can you catch Smoothhound?
The shore smoothhound season is much the same as that for boat fishing with the first fish appearing in the south usually in early very late March and early April, but it will be mid to late May the further north you go, and in southern Scotland into June before they really show.
Is tope good eating?
Tope are generally considered harmless due to their relatively small size and the small fish they prey on.
Are hardback crabs good bait?
In terms of size, it is the medium-sized hardbacks which are the most useful as bait. Small crabs and larger ones which are too big to use as bait should be returned to the sea.
Can you use frozen crab as bait?
It does not work as good as fresh but it does work. Salting it keeps the meat hard. If you just freeze the crab it doesn’t work, gotta cut into bait sized pieces and salt.
What do hound sharks eat?
They are opportunistic feeders, but due to their relatively small size, they prefer smaller fish, krill, squid and octopus. Human encounters: This small shark lives in deeper waters and is not known to attack humans. This species can also be found at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in the Open Sea exhibit.
Can smooth-hound sharks bite?
As the unmoved trigger fish seems to know, smooth-hounds prefer crustaceans, using their flat teeth to smash the shells of lobsters, crabs and shrimps. Their teeth still have bite though. Last summer, just five miles from here, a smooth-hound carried out the only recorded shark attack on a surfer in Britain.
What is the best bait for tope?
Best Baits The best bait to catch tope are whole live or freshly killed fish, with mackerel, dab, herring, pouting, whiting, sprat and squid being the best options. Fish strips and sandeels can also be used.
What is the best bait for a smoothhound?
Razorfish is a good bait after a rough sea when there is colour in the water. Rag and squid or rag and crab cocktails also work well. Smoothhound will occasionally take fish baits, such as mackerel, but these are far less reliable than crab, squid and rag. The main food source for smoothhound is the common green shore crab.
How to catch a smoothhound?
How to catch smoothhound 1 About smoothhound. There are, though there has been some debate about this recently, two types of smoothhound, the common and starry smoothhound. 2 Shore Fishing for Smoothhound. 3 Boat Fishing for Smoothhound.
Why use a soft lead for smoothhound fishing?
The soft tip also helps improve the bite detection when smoothhound are being fussy in taking the bait, which is often. The lead is also less likely to pull hard into rough ground when you’re fishing to a static lead and tight line. Smoothhound are prone, once up to the side of the boat, to one last powerful dive.
What is the difference between a smoothhound and a common smoothhound?
Another key factor separating the two types of smoothhound is that the common smoothhound is viviparous, meaning the young are nourished from a pseudo placenta formed by the yolk-sac membrane connected to the mother. They give birth to up to 15 young which can measure up to 12-inches in length.