Smooth Hound

The Smooth hound is a target most anglers love to see in the summer due to their great fighting qualities they are a member of the shark family and live in packs and eat anything in their path if offered although they primarily feed up on crabs with a lot of anglers preferring peelers.
Smooth hounds come in two types in British waters that is common and starry both are long shark bodied fish grey on top with a white belly, sometimes they vary slightly and have bronzed colours as well on the starry version of this fish they have small white stars dotted over the grey down their backs, they have distinctive greenish cat like eyes, although shark members they don’t have teeth as such but can give a good crush and rasp if you’re not careful.

Rigs:
Running ledger rig: 60lb Rig body, 60lb hook length 3ft leading to a single 3/0 hook.
Up & Over rig: 60lb Rig body, 60lb hook length 3ft+ leading to a 3/0 hook.
Pulley dropper rig: 60lb Rig body, 60lb hook length 3ft leading to a 3/0 hook.
Pulley rig : 60lb rig body , 60lb hook length 3 ft leading to a 3/0 hook.

Baits:
Crab: peeler crab is an anglers normal first choice for hounds remove all shell and whip to your hook presenting a good juicy bait.
Alternatively anglers also hook a live hardback crab and whip the legs on one side to the hook shank to prevent it from digging into the seabed.
Squid: Either whole small squid or larger squid cut and whipped into a worm shape and threaded onto your hook and then whipped on.
Ragworm: rag worms threaded onto a hook 2 or 3 in line last one whipped on.
Sand eels: whole sand eels threaded over your hook with the tail snipped off.

Grounds:
You will find smooth hounds over most grounds with the exception of heavy rocky grounds, they tend to favour mixed and sandy grounds hunting crab.
Although crab is favoured my many anglers the bait doesn’t last long and is normally take by other lesser species of fish Squid is a great alternative especially when the mantle is cut and whipped pushing out a lot of scent.
also remember these great fish can be hit and run with taking the bait and 5-6lb smooth hound will easily take your rod and reel into the sea should your clutch not be set.