You're right — garfish should cover BOTH sea fishing and pike, not just sea.
GARFISH – FROZEN SEA FISHING & PIKE BAIT
Garfish is a particularly useful frozen bait because of its tough silver skin, firm flesh and long, slender shape. It can be cut into exceptionally good strip baits for sea fishing, while whole or larger sections can also be used as an alternative pike deadbait.
Unlike softer fish baits that can quickly break down, garfish holds together well. That makes it especially useful when casting hard, fishing strong tides or leaving a bait out for longer periods.
GARFISH FOR BASS
One of the best ways to use garfish is as a long, tapered strip.
Cut along the flank and leave the tough silver skin attached. This produces a streamlined fish bait with plenty of movement and visual attraction.
Fish it on a Running Ledger or Pulley Rig.
Use a Wrigglers Chinu Hook for smaller strips, or a Wrigglers Takumi Wide Gape Long Shank or Octopus Beak Hook for larger presentations.
GARFISH FOR COD
For cod, use a thicker strip or fillet with the skin left on.
A Pulley Rig is an excellent choice for a single garfish bait, particularly when distance is required.
Use Wrigglers Takumi Wide Gape Long Shank Hooks for long strip baits or Wrigglers Octopus Beak Hooks for thicker fillets and chunks.
For a bigger winter cod bait, combine garfish with squid and fish it on a Pulley Pennel.
GARFISH FOR RAYS & HUSS
Garfish is well suited to larger bottom baits because its skin gives the bait excellent durability.
Use a large flank fillet, doubled strip or substantial section on a Pulley Pennel or Up & Over Rig.
A Wrigglers Octopus Beak Hook is an excellent choice for a conventional large fish bait.
For anglers wanting a circle-hook presentation, use a Wrigglers Mutsu Circle or True Circle Hook matched to the size of the bait.
GARFISH FOR CONGER
Large garfish sections can be turned into substantial conger baits.
Fish them on appropriately heavy traces and terminal tackle. For genuinely large baits and big conger fishing, Wrigglers Stainless O'Shaughnessy Hooks in 10/0 and 12/0 give you the heavy-duty end of the Wrigglers range.
SMALL GARFISH STRIPS
Don't waste the smaller pieces.
Thin strips with the silver skin left attached make excellent smaller fish baits for whiting, dogfish and general mixed-species fishing.
Fish them on a 2-Hook or 3-Hook Flapper Rig with Wrigglers Aberdeen or Chinu Hooks.
The tough skin is a real advantage here because even a narrow strip can stay securely attached to the hook.
GARFISH & SQUID
Garfish and squid makes an extremely durable cocktail bait.
Garfish provides the fish scent, silver skin and firm flesh while squid adds even more toughness.
For cod and bass, use a moderate strip on a Pulley Rig with a Wrigglers Takumi or Octopus Beak Hook.
For rays and huss, increase the bait size and fish it on a Pulley Pennel or Up & Over Rig.
Secure the two baits neatly with elastic while keeping the hook point and gape clear.
GARFISH FOR PIKE
Garfish can also be used as a pike deadbait, giving anglers something quite different from the usual mackerel, herring, sardine or roach.
Its long shape and tough skin make it particularly useful when you want a slender deadbait that remains firmly mounted on the trace.
Depending on its size, garfish can be presented whole or cut into sections and either ledgered on the bottom or presented beneath a float.
Fish it using a Wrigglers Wire Pike Trace with Wrigglers Barbed Treble Hooks.
Size 8 — smaller garfish or smaller sections.
Size 6 — the main all-round choice for medium-sized garfish deadbaits.
Size 4 — larger whole garfish or substantial sections.
The long shape means hook positioning is important. Space the trebles according to the actual bait rather than simply fitting the biggest hooks available, and keep the points exposed.
Always use an appropriate wire trace when deliberately targeting pike.
WHY GARFISH IS DIFFERENT
The real advantage of garfish is its skin.
For sea anglers, that means you can produce long, narrow baits that survive casting better than many softer fish baits.
For pike anglers, the same tough skin helps keep a whole or sectioned deadbait securely attached to the trace.
One garfish can therefore provide everything from small whiting strips and long bass baits to large ray baits and pike deadbaits.
COMPLETE YOUR SETUP WITH WRIGGLERS TACKLE
Sea Fishing: Wrigglers Chinu Hooks • Aberdeen Hooks • Takumi Wide Gape Long Shank Hooks • Octopus Beak Hooks • Mutsu Circle Hooks • True Circle Hooks • Stainless O'Shaughnessy 10/0 & 12/0 Hooks • Pulley Rigs • Pulley Pennel Rigs • Up & Over Rigs • Flapper Rigs • Power Swivels • Rig Line • Clips & Rig Components
Pike Fishing: Wrigglers Wire Pike Traces • Barbed Treble Hooks Sizes 8, 6 & 4 • Power Swivels • Pike Rig Components
TOP TIP
For sea fishing, leave the silver skin attached and cut garfish into long tapered strips rather than thick square chunks. Put the hook through the skin for maximum bait security.
For pike, take advantage of that same tough skin when mounting the deadbait and match the treble size and spacing to the size of the garfish.
TOUGH SILVER-SKINNED BAIT • SEA FISHING • PIKE DEADBAIT
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