Smoothhound fishing
About
Fishing for Smoothhound and Tope from the shore with light tackle is the nearest you can get to big game fishing in this country and can be just as exciting. These are probably the only fish you can realistically expect to catch from the shore where leaving your rod unattended could mean your tackle disappears into the sea never to be seen again!
Smoothhound
The common smoothhound (Mustelus mustelus) is a member of the
shark family, its upper body is pale brown, going to off white on the
underside. Smoothhounds feed mainly at night, thier crushing teeth are
specially adapted for its diet of crustaceans (hermit crabs, shore and
edible crabs) on the sea floor. Most commonly found in coastal shallow
waters.
The starry smoothhound (Mustelus asterias) is almost identical to the common smoothhound in appearance but is distinguished by small white spots (stars) on its back and sides. The starry prefers sand and gravel bottoms and is usually located near the bottom. Its numbers are not as threatened as other members of the UK shark population.
Season
Packs of smoothhounds can appear along the south coast from May to the end of September. Like the tope the best chance of catching them is on a big tide with a full moon.
Methods
A pulley rig.
Baits
Peeler crab, hermit crab, occasionally ragworm.
