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Advice LENGTH OF SNOOD ?

VooDooMan 2

VooDooMan 2

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Just been sorting out some traces ready for a beach session this afternoon and I got to wondering about snood lengths ? The scenario is this . Shallow sandy snag free beach , long casts are not required , fishing a flooding tide on the what might be the biggest tide of the year , target species , bass and flounder, bait will be frozen blacks and blow lug . 2 hook paternoster or 2 hook wessex rigs. Now my question is should my snoods be longer than normal to take advantage of the strong tidal pull . I'm thinking over 2 feet or 60cms allowing the bait to move freely about with the potential for tangles or should they be shorter 12 inches or 30cms keeping the bait fairly static with less potential for tangles ?
What's your thoughts gents and why ?
 
I’ve always gone long snoods on big tides chisel loop rig 36 inch snoods but I use a 4 ft snood on a bagnell bar rig any longer tends to tangle I suppose it depends on wot specis your arfter sole I use 8 inch snoods rays a 5 ft running ledger but if it’s blowing and colour in the water I’ll use short pulleys guess there’s lots of factors at play to wot size snood you use bud
 
I wouldn't go longer than about 18 inches , you can keep them quite light then, and spread them about 4 foot apart as well. plenty times on shallow beaches like that I ha\/e had flounder take both baits. You're not using big baits so a bass will ha\/e no problem inhaling them e\en with a shortish trace
 
Interesting thread this. I've already had to google two rig names that I have never hear about before.

My own rule is normally to go shorter for bigger tides.
 
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I probably don't have enough experience to comment, but after much reading of forums & watching of videos, I'm becoming keen on clipping rigs down where possible, unless a pulley rig is called for. Mark Williams did an interesting 3 hook clipped down flapper rig a few months ago which I have yet to assemble & try, and I've just built a couple of up & over rigs with 6ft snoods also untested. I think the secret lies in using whatever suits you to get the rig out on the seabed and present the bait the way you hope is best!
 
I don't think it makes alot of difference what length the snoods are, well, it hasn't done for me. I usually make them about 12 inches on a 2 hook rig and 18 inches on an up and over or pulley rigs. When fishing rough ground I'll make the pulley rig body at least twice the length of the snoods to try and reduce the amount of lost gear, its worked well so far....
 
Must admit I wouldn’t get too hung up on snood length.
I think in the situation you describe Voodoo, something like 18 inches would be fine, but worth trying a bit longer and shorter to see if there’s much difference.
When sole fishing in the BC we tend to use very short snoods to keep the bait close to the seabed.

And if I think about it, I’d rather have my bait on the deck as the default setting and not two or three feet up in the tide.
Particularly using worm baits - after all, where would fish be looking to find a worm?
 
Thanks for all the useful input so far gents. Catch report from yesterday will be up in the south Wales section sometime soon. Needless to say length of snoods will be mentioned .
I'm certainly going to make more of an effort to try different lengths and record any notable differences .
Please keep your thoughts coming and all of us will learn something that might even result in better catches ?
 
Running ledger,two foot trace 40lb stiff line. Keep it simple!!!!!!
 
On multi hook rigs (3 hook flappers/clipped) I tend to keep the snoods short, usually 10 to 14 inches.
Up and over rigs, be that wish bone (for Plaice) or pennelled (for skate) the total length of snood will usually be around 4 feet.
Clip down pennell rigs, the snood is normally around 3 feet.
However:
If the tide is screaming through, I will use shorter snoods to help keep the bait nailed to the sea bed.
If there is no tide I will also use shorter snoods to prevent tangles.

Pulley rigs, which are awful at the best of times are never more than 36 inches in total length. If I am forced (because of conditions) into using a pulley, I find the shorter the overall length, the far better the hook up ratio is.
 
On cefin sidan etc as I beleive you fish, I use 32 inch snoods on my 2 up 1 downs, similar to alot of the boys I fish with too. Longer the better really. Unless it's really rough I then use 24 inch. 10lb fluro and size 4 b940m. Maddies and lug. Managed 16 flats and a weaver there yesterday.
 
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