Commercial Fishing Tips | Use the right pole elastic and land every fish!

Shock-absorbing elastic is a must for polefishing because the right elastic will mean you end up with far more fish in the net.

But there are so many elastics on the market that making the right choice can be difficult. This week Preston Innovations and England man Des Shipp helps you choose the right elastic on commercial fisheries… every time.

No8:

This is the softest elastic I would use on a commercial and would be my first choice when I know there is a variety of fish sizes in the lake, ranging from roach, small perch and skimmers, to F1s and carp of a few pounds.

The beauty of this elastic is that I know I won’t bump small silvers on the strike, while I still have a good chance of landing bigger fish with a little time and patience.

No10:

F1s are a popular target on commercials and my first-choice elastic for these fish, which can weigh 4lb-plus, is No10 hollow. This species fights all the way to the net and they also love heading for any underwater snags when first hooked, so you need an elastic with a bit of power, but that’s still soft enough to avoid bumping them on the strike.

No12:

When there’s a good chance of landing a carp or two along with F1s, then I’ll go one step further and use a No 12 hollow elastic. 

This elastic is great for open-water carp in winter when they don’t fight as hard as they do in summer and you need to fish relatively fine tackle for them. A strong elastic might result in bumped fish at this time of year.

No14:

This is my favourite elastic for catching carp that weigh more than 5lb and also for fishing against bankside vegetation. 

I won’t use it so much at this time of year when most carp tend to be out in open water, but like all hollow elastics, it will stretch a long way while still boasting lots of power.