Grapnel and breakaway leads are designed to hold the bottom and not allow the tide to wash the tackle downtide. On retrieval the breakaway wires spring back to allow the weight to come free of the sea bed.
One method of boat fishing we haven’t touched on is uptiding. This style of fishing was developed in the shallow fast-moving waters of the Thames Estuary. It was found that more fish were caught the further from the boat the bait was, probably due to the noise in the boat magnified by the shallow water. Casting away from the boat worked with traditional weights but the tide rolled all the leads round to the back of the boat. Grapnel and breakaway leads proved the answer as they stayed where they were and cast and catches improved.
All that’s required is a 6oz to 8oz grip lead, an uptide boom and a short trace. The lead is cast towards the front of the boat but out at about 45 degrees from the boat so it doesn’t go over the anchor rope. When the lead hits the water plenty of line is let out so the weight can sink to the bottom and the bow in the line allows it to grip. Bites show up as normal on the rod tip but if a decent fish takes the bait the tip will spring up as the weight is pulled free and the fish moves down tide. If this happens wind in fast until all the slack is taken up and you can feel its weight.
Grapnel and breakaway leads are designed to hold the bottom and not allow the tide to wash the tackle downtide. On retrieval the breakaway wires spring back to allow the weight to come free of the sea bed.