Here in the UK, it’s hard enough just finding deadbait mounts in many UK tackle shops. Ones designed for trolling must be as rare as hen’s teeth! That’s why the Stocker Wobbler from the USA may appeal to many pike and sea anglers.
Made from a variety of metals, including stainless steel and brass, the device is simplicity itself. Without a fish mounted, it looks a bit frightening….hooks and wire give that ‘medieval torture’ device look, according to one friend of mine!
Mounting the fish is easy, though. I haven’t tried it with livebaits (I don’t have the luxury of trolling for marlin, tuna, etc!), but putting a dead mackerel on took a couple of seconds and the final result was a neat looking, securely mounted bait. You simply insert the metal rod into the fish’s mouth and slide it down. The mount is made in such a way that the fish is then held securely in place. For extra security, you may like to clip one or more of the hooks into the body of the fish.
When pike fishing, one of my favourite methods over the years has been a freelined sprat. I’m not obsessed with big fish, so do tend to catch the smaller pike. That said, I’ve had some nice fish by this method, too! Having the sprat mounted on one of these, I’m looking to increase my hook-up rate when I give the pike a go again later in the year, as one problem has been that I’ve always lip-hooked the sprats and run the risk of missing any pike that don’t grab the head end of the bait.
It is recommended that these ‘lures’ are trolled at 3 knots and under. This should be fairly simple to replicate from the bank, too, and there can be nothing more appealing to a predator than a piece of ‘fresh’ food wobbling past its nose! I wouldn’t be surprised if a few UK bass anglers gave them a try, too.
Prices vary, depending on size, but you can find far more details regarding the Stocker Wobbler at www.stockerwobbler.com. The site is well thought out – straight to the point, not full of waffle and with an FAQ section to answer any questions that you may have. One thing to consider is that you will have to pay international shipping rates and, possibly, customs duty when your goods land. With that in mind, it may be worth clubbing together with some friends and splitting those costs. One bonus, at the time of writing, is that the pound is currently strong against the dollar!
