2. Take your hook with bait band mounted on shank (guide here to attach band to hook).
3. Mount your hookbait on a baiting needle and then hook the loop of the bait band.
4. Pull the band back through the hookbait until the shank of the hook sits neat (and tightly) against the hookbait.
5. Upend the hookbait so that the loop now exits from the top. Hold the bait between thumb and index finger on your left hand (if right handed) and gently pull the loop up using the baiting needle in your right hand (shown slightly different in image as I had to take the shot with my right hand!).
6. Now work the forefinger on your left hand into the loop and remove the baiting needle.
7. Using the thumb and forefinger on your right hand, carefully remove the loop from the forefinger on your left hand, and work the loop downwards, around each side of the hookbait, and then over the point of the hook, then gently release it so it sits tightly over the front of the shank.
8. The top of your hookbait should now look like the image below, with the band coming up through the bait and then folding back down each side.
9. From below your hookbait should look like the image below, with the band coming around the sides and over the shank. Once on, make sure the band lies flat with no twists and that it’s quite central down the shank (so that it floats nicely without dipping at one end).
Prior to mounting the hookbait you could cut a little groove into it for the shank of the hook to bed into but I’ve never found it makes much difference. So long as the band is tight it will hold the hookbait in place perfectly.
Give some thought to the intended hookbait in relation to the size of your band. Once in the water a dog biscuit will quickly soften, and if your band is too small – and thus very tightly stretched when mounted – it will quickly slice through the hookbait as it softens, so use a larger band which will make the hookbait last longer.
