THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

Mincing also makes demands on the mesh size of the bag, which has to be small if a rapid mass
evacuation of the contents is to be avoided. The idea is that particles of varying sizes and weights escape
continuously over the day, encouraged both by the motion of the boat and the tide, and by periodically
shaking the bags which are suspended at the water’s surface.
As a result, the smaller lighter particles ride high in the water while the larger heavier pieces sink at
varying rates, creating a deepening lengthening corridor of attraction emanating from a source just
uptide of the baits.
Rubby dubby doesn't simply rely on mashed up fish particles. Blood, oils, and other body juices are
also released to fill in the gaps between the bigger more visible pieces. So important is getting it right
and getting enough of it out working that rubby dubby can literally make or break a shark fishing trip.
In this regard, the addition of agricultural bran to help soak up and distribute the juices, plus a pint or
two of concentrated pilchard oil will enhance its quality enormously.
Several handfuls of the mix are then placed into bags with something like a half inch mesh, which are
far superior to old onion sacks. These are then lowered just into the water spaced out along the length
of the boat, where for the best results they should be shaken and topped up throughout the day.
Positioning the baits at the appropriate ranges and levels is the next piece of tactical thinking which
needs to be just right. Sea conditions are going to have some say in just how this is done. Wind and tide,
either working with or against each other, or even absent altogether, will affect the shape and extent of
the rubby dubby lane, and therefore the placing of the baits.
So as far as is possible, drifts should be planned to work a complete half cycle of the tide. In other
words, staying with it in one direction as it either ebbs or floods. Preferably not bits of both if that can
be avoided, though if that is the case, it still shouldn't totally ruin the slick.
Obviously, the best conditions are those allowing the boat and the particles in the developing lane of
attraction to get plenty of distance between each other, but not too quickly, creating an efficient slick
which encourages fish passing through it to turn and swim along the line of greatest concentration.
No wind or tide at all is the worst possible scenario, with the rubby dubby particles `snowing' down
towards the sea bed giving little or no ground coverage at all.
There is no way of knowing exactly what level blue sharks might be feeding at on any given day, on
top of which, not all of them will necessarily be following the same pattern.
Those fish either at or close to the surface will continue to work that line towards the boat, whereas fish
picking things up at the deepest level will follow the trails decreasing angle of depth as they close in on
the source. Then there will be all manner of variation in between. So placing the baits at the wrong level
could easily see fish missed.
Offering baits as a pre-planned spread in terms of distance and depths helps mirror the profile of the
rubby dubby lane, placing the shallowest bait closest to the boat, and the deepest furthest away down
tide.
Distances and depths are there to be experimented with, but as a starting suggestion, set the one closest
in at say ten feet down, progressing in even increments for the others down to maybe fifty or even sixty
feet with twenty to thirty yards between the floats until a feeding pattern for the day establishes itself.
It can also pay to drop an additional bait straight down ten to twenty feet on the hang looking for
confused fish that have made it all the way up to the boat, but having missed the other baits on the way.
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