Saw this during last winter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlefWfmSPAg lull and started doing it this season whenever the target fish calls for baits like dead shrimp, sliced crabs, and other soft baits on smaller rigs.
I used orthodontic elastics: https://a.co/d/1icrXfb which are supposedly benign even when swallowed by humans. I recon it could also be safe for released fish that swallowed the bait.
I've got great experience with the mod specially on Togs that are known to be good bait stealers. Lost bait dropped to a very minimum or at least way better than when I was not securing them with the elastics.
This could be old news (just 3 years of fishing under my belt) or there could be even a better mod, but never seen it being done on my local spots even by the veteran waterman who has been teaching me. When I showed it to him, he said it was the first time he has seen it and started doing it too since it was effective.
Posted by e92m3-335i