The pencil that saved us from complete failure. It wasn't that long ago that sandeel turned our failed quest into one to remember. If you didn't set that "miracle" bait then, it would just be a northward expedition and not a northward fishing expedition. If it wasn't for this experience, I probably wouldn't have liked sandeel so much. I had it in the box for a long time, but its "no" movement left me cold and I basically didn't wear it at all. Only once, probably out of pure desperation, it was time for the forgotten "pencil" at the bottom of my turkey box. To this day, I don't know if it was a coincidence or if it was really a trap, but I started doing well for the rest of the expedition. I already had a box full of sandeels for next year.

The inconspicuous bait, imitating a sandeel, which was popular with sea trout anglers from all over Europe, is now an integral part of my box. I remember when she came on the market. Of course I had to have it right away. But there was a huge disappointment with the water. "But it doesn't do anything, it just floats through the water inconspicuously. This can't strike anything." But the opposite is true. Its very gentle fluttering movement from side to side is so attractive to trout that it has proven to be a real game changer more than once. Especially at a time when the fish are not very active, the sandeel has a considerable advantage. Another indisputable advantage is when fishing in the surf, when hundreds of pieces of plucked plants float in the water. Here sandeel with a single hook is almost the only possibility to catch. Thanks to the smooth running, it does not catch grass and at least partly allows hunting.

There are many sizes, but I ended up liking the 11 cm version and I don't use any other. Natural colors, combination with white or pink. These all work perfectly. Monotonous attraction, but also stop and go are the way to success. The big advantage of Sandeel, like all other running baits, is the minimal loss of fish. It is practically impossible for a trout to knock out the bait when fighting, because the hook and the body are not connected in any way.

Sandeel is a bait without which you definitely cannot set out for sea trout.