• Becoming a member is completely free!

    • Join the community and start contributing to a large source of sea angling information.
    • Become an active member and you can enter member exclusive competitions.

    REGISTER FOR FREE HERE

One to avoid methinks.

Trampster

Trampster

Well-known member
Top Poster Of Month
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
19,320
Reaction score
48,739
Points
113
Location
Plymouth.
Favourite Fishing
Shore
Was pushed for time yesterday, and since I had to go to a local tackle shop for Bait, I thought I would pick up a couple of Rigs. Normally tie my own, but in the interests of saving time etc. I was thinking of a couple of Flapper rigs, but also in the back of my mind was "Go big or go home" to avoid the usual Pout fest at the mark we were heading to.

The tackle shop only had one 1/0 hooked flapper rig in stock, and the guy in the shop said "Try one of these, but be sure to check the knots before you use it, as one Guy recently lost a large Huss". Alarm Bells! It was a 3 hook rig with Feathers & 5/0 hooks usually used with Bait. Made by a company called WSB Tackle, based in Redruth, Cornwall, who are trade only wholesalers. Anyone else had dealing with their rigs?

Anyway, went home and took the rig out of the packet and was totally shocked. The rig body was about 4ft, no mention of the breaking strain, and it was made with a loop at either end, which didn't look tight so I gave them a good tug. The 3 snoods and hooks were each attached to the main body by passing the snood through an overhand knot in the mainline, and tying 2 Granny knots in the snood to prevent them pulling back through!

Never seen anything so cheap & nasty, and I'm surprised that particular tackle shop was selling such crap, even though the guy (employee I guess) had said check it! The overhand knots on the rig body were already working loose, and one snood had released itself as I removed the rig from the packet.
I stripped the rig down, tied 3 small figure of 8 loops in the rig body and re-attached the snoods to the loops. Moistened all of the knots whilst pulling them down tight, and all was well until I tried to pull the bottom snood tight. The hooks were spade ended and snelled knotted to the snoods. As I pulled the last knots tight, with very little pressure, the snood pulled away from the hook.

Won't be buying anything branded WSB tackle again! Incidentally, the flapper rig was branded Koike and was very well made, so thumbs up for that one.

Lessons learned: Best to always tie your own rigs, and if you do buy pre-made ones, check 'em thoroughly before you get to the mark! ??
 
Trampster said:
Was pushed for time yesterday, and since I had to go to a local tackle shop for Bait, I thought I would pick up a couple of Rigs. Normally tie my own, but in the interests of saving time etc. I was thinking of a couple of Flapper rigs, but also in the back of my mind was "Go big or go home" to avoid the usual Pout fest at the mark we were heading to.

The tackle shop only had one 1/0 hooked flapper rig in stock, and the guy in the shop said "Try one of these, but be sure to check the knots before you use it, as one Guy recently lost a large Huss". Alarm Bells! It was a 3 hook rig with Feathers & 5/0 hooks usually used with Bait. Made by a company called WSB Tackle, based in Redruth, Cornwall, who are trade only wholesalers. Anyone else had dealing with their rigs?

Anyway, went home and took the rig out of the packet and was totally shocked. The rig body was about 4ft, no mention of the breaking strain, and it was made with a loop at either end, which didn't look tight so I gave them a good tug. The 3 snoods and hooks were each attached to the main body by passing the snood through an overhand knot in the mainline, and tying 2 Granny knots in the snood to prevent them pulling back through!

Never seen anything so cheap & nasty, and I'm surprised that particular tackle shop was selling such crap, even though the guy (employee I guess) had said check it! The overhand knots on the rig body were already working loose, and one snood had released itself as I removed the rig from the packet.
I stripped the rig down, tied 3 small figure of 8 loops in the rig body and re-attached the snoods to the loops. Moistened all of the knots whilst pulling them down tight, and all was well until I tried to pull the bottom snood tight. The hooks were spade ended and snelled knotted to the snoods. As I pulled the last knots tight, with very little pressure, the snood pulled away from the hook.

Won't be buying anything branded WSB tackle again! Incidentally, the flapper rig was branded Koike and was very well made, so thumbs up for that one.

Lessons learned: Best to always tie your own rigs, and if you do buy pre-made ones, check 'em thoroughly before you get to the mark! ??
Click to expand...
Good job you checked it before using it
 
If I'm beach fishing, even close in, I use a minimum of 70lb bs for rig body and shockleaders, 80lb most of the time.
The fact that the bs of the rig wasn't stated would be a red light for me and a knot in the rig body reduces its bs by 10lb or as as well, as I understand it.

I always make my own rigs and feel l build them well enough reduce the risk of an accident to the minimum.

What you've described is potentially lethal.
I'd definitely talk to the tackleshop owner about them.
 
Ianpick said:
If I'm beach fishing, even close in, I use a minimum of 70lb bs for rig body and shockleaders, 80lb most of the time.
The fact that the bs of the rig wasn't stated would be a red light for me and a knot in the rig body reduces its bs by 10lb or as as well, as I understand it.

I always make my own rigs and feel l build them well enough reduce the risk of an accident to the minimum.

What you've described is potentially lethal.
I'd definitely talk to the tackleshop owner about them.
Click to expand...
I normally make my own too Ian, usually similar to you, using 60 or 70Lb for bodies & shockleader. Using Conti rods, I never use more than 4oz Leads anyway. I take your point about speaking to the shop owner, but since it was a member of staff that tipped me off about checking the rig before I used it, I'm pretty sure they are already aware. Whether they do anything about it or not is another matter.

I also discovered that WSB Tackle have a website. Supplying trade only, they also have a lot of own branded Rods & Reels on there, probably all generic crap imported & re-branded from China.


Did a bit more digging - WSB was sold in 2018 to a company called Gloveman supplies - a Company with no previous experience of the fishing tackle industry.
Oh Dear! WSB have got a Twitter account - they have been told about their terrible quality & potentially dangerous product!
 
Trampster said:
I normally make my own too Ian, usually similar to you, using 60 or 70Lb for bodies & shockleader. Using Conti rods, I never use more than 4oz Leads anyway. I take your point about speaking to the shop owner, but since it was a member of staff that tipped me off about checking the rig before I used it, I'm pretty sure they are already aware. Whether they do anything about it or not is another matter.

I also discovered that WSB Tackle have a website. Supplying trade only, they also have a lot of own branded Rods & Reels on there, probably all generic crap imported & re-branded from China.


Did a bit more digging - WSB was sold in 2018 to a company called Gloveman supplies - a Company with no previous experience of the fishing tackle industry.
Oh Dear! WSB have got a Twitter account - they have been told about their terrible quality & potentially dangerous product!
Click to expand...
WSB used to (and I assume still do) fairly cheap hooks that were okay in a pinch and sometimes I’d buy them rather than the extortionate tackle shop prices for 10 Sakuma or whatever, if I hadn’t got around to doing a bulk order.
The hooks were adequate but tended to lose their point quickly.

Otherwise, a lot of their stuff I’ve seen looks of dubious quality!
 
That's why I tie my own rigs & make sure I've got plenty ,a mate of mine had the same sort of problem with wsb rigs as you did ,he now ties his own !!!!
 
Mr Fish said:
WSB used to (and I assume still do) fairly cheap hooks that were okay in a pinch and sometimes I’d buy them rather than the extortionate tackle shop prices for 10 Sakuma or whatever, if I hadn’t got around to doing a bulk order.
The hooks were adequate but tended to lose their point quickly.

Otherwise, a lot of their stuff I’ve seen looks of dubious quality!
Click to expand...
Agree, and since they were bought out by a company that specialises in Rubber gloves & Cleaning products, I think it's going to go even further downhill! ??

Home Page

Gloveman Supplies Ltd have been supplying healthcare, sanitising and hygiene products to businesses across the UK for the past 18 years.
www.gloveman.co.uk www.gloveman.co.uk
 
Last time I saw a WSB clearance list it included crablines and pond nets (bamboo canes and a 6in circumference net of sorts on a wire). Tat dealers not tackle dealers I'd say, just as you'd expect from a seaside stall selling to holidaymakers
 
Last edited:
Back
Top