Scratch fishing, the simplest technique to start fishing at sea in a boat

Matthieu Guennal is the founder of the Fiiish lure brand. He is the one who creates the lures and tries them out at sea. He knows about fish, sea fishing. Today he explains us the principle of scratch fishing, the most accessible sport fishing for beginners.

A technique that is easy to understand

Scratch fishing is the easiest for a beginner. It can be practiced from the shore as well as from the boat. It consists in prospecting a vein of water, a corridor of sand between the rocks and to walk its lure on the bottom.

For a novice angler, it is difficult to estimate the depth of the lure. It takes experience to set the right jig head and manage the depth. The easiest way to do this is to wait for the lure to make contact with the bottom. It's an easy marker. And then the animation consists in making it swim just above it.

Matthieu Gennal nous livre ses secrets
Matthew Gennal tells us his secrets

Black Minnow, the king of scratch fishing

To make swim its lure just above the bottom is possible with a lure whose hook is protected by the body of the lure: in Texan assembly. This is the case of the Black Minnow. Hidden in the body of the lure, the hook is unlikely to get caught in algae. On the other hand, when the fish will bite the lure - in fishing terms we say that the fish will engame the lure - it releases the hook and the fish is bitten while reeling.

Pêcher au pied des roches
Fishing at the foot of the rocks

For beginners, the easiest way is to fish near the rocks that emerge. It's easier to understand when you see the rock. You fish on sight in the moss. With experience, we become aware, helped by the sounder, that there are also rocks underwater, with areas of currents that are good, and often less fished ..

Le Black Minnow avec son hameçon Texan
The Black Minnow with his Texan hook

Animation of the Black Minnow

Fishing with a Black Minnow is a slow fishery. You throw your lure into the water and wait for it to hit the bottom. Then, you bring the lure back by casting slowly with no action on the rod, rod down. The lure swims close to the bottom. It must always remain animated, always moving, but with a very slow movement. One constantly recovers the wire by the rotation of the crank. This very supple lure then adopts a slow swim and becomes attractive.

Pêche à gratter, une animation simple
Scratch fishing, a simple animation

With a Black Minnow, the strokes are extremely violent, the fish catch it and shake their heads. There is then a contrast between the slowness of the animation and the discharge at the moment of the keystroke.

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