Got off work a little early today and thought I would post a pic of the hooks i use since everyone got into talking hooks over on the other thread. I encourage you to do the same (post a pic or 2). All manufacturers hook sizes vary. Some 2/0 hooks are the same size as another companies 5/0.
People say “yea i use a 2/0 hook” then people go and buy a 2/0 hook that is twice the size of the other guys 2/0…lol…
So here is my hook selection that is a constant on my boat. Different baits and fishing style will determine the hook i will use.
A is a owner Mutu 1/0 light wire circle. I use this ONLY on downrods. Best hook in the business in my opinion for DR. I have tried this hook MANY times on FL and PB’s but have lost more fish than have caught. I know people use this on FL/PB, and have great success with it but its just not for me. And it may have to do with the speed I pull at. I seem to pull a little quicker than some.
B is an El Cheapo eagle claw 186F baitholder 2/0. Have caught more fish on this hook than any other hook i have used in my lifetime. I use it for FL/PB when using herring/shad smaller than a dollar bill. I have caught fish when they have only been hooked on those 2 little barbs on the back of the shank. I will say though I will sharpen these hooks out of the pack.
C is an Owner SSW 5/0 all purpose bait hook. These are only used on FL/PB’s as well. but are used once the baits get around 7-9"'s
D is a Gamakatsu 7/0 octopus (not a circle). these are used once the baits get over 9"'s. With these, I pair them with the 1/0 treble hook.
The treble hook is a owner stinger 4x hook. They are kinda expensive at over 1$ each but are worth there weight in gold. Fish big baits w/o a high quality treble and you will learn your lesson fast. See pic below. That was a cheap eagle claw 3x that the fish straightened 1 barb and bent another pretty good in the DNR open this yr.
I use “A” in anywhere from #2 - 1/0 for most everything striper fishing and sometimes at the coast.
I was a little worried about hooking up with them when they went to requiring circle hooks for sheepshead, but they even worked well for them. I don’t believe they are required any longer, but I may just stick with them this winter as I really didn’t see much a difference in hook ups between them and the mosquito hooks we had used previously.
My pictures aren’t as clear as murraymaker’s, but I think they’ll work.
Currently we use exclusively Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hooks and we have no complaints on them. Virtually always the fish gets hooked in the side lip rather than swallowing it. We don’t use a wide selection, but we fish strictly Murray for stripers, and may not have our sights set as high as others on this forum.
On the left is a size 2 hook. It fits entirely inside a quarter. On planer boards we hook it through the nostrils, but when down rodding, we bring it through the upper lip and out between the nostrils. That way the hook generally never gets fouled into the bait. I haven’t made up my mind about what’s the best way to hook up with PBs. I have a hunch that through the upper lip may promote drowning. This is my preferred hook.
The middle is a size 1/0 which is just a little bigger while the right is a size 4/0 which will work, but is overkill on regular size herring.
So how does a hook get bent? I set my drag to about 1/3 of my line strength so it’s usually 3-4 pounds.
Finally, how are you rigging the stinger? I assume you reserve this for the “bigger” baits.
So how does a hook get bent? I set my drag to about 1/3 of my line strength so it’s usually 3-4 pounds.
Finally, how are you rigging the stinger? I assume you reserve this for the “bigger” baits.
When targeting big fish exclusively on certain rods i keep the drags on those rods a little tighter. Also that day I was fishing a very tight area with alot of obstructions around. A lite drag and a few seconds and a big fish has alot of line out. I put some pressure on the fish felt one pop and then he released and sent back a crooked hook.
You can google it and get about 10 or versions or more…lol…but bryan showed me how he did it and got me hooked. I use different knots than he does. I use a uni knot on the shaft of the main hook leave a long tag end tie on a treble to match the length of the bait u are using. Main hook goes in the nose and the treble goes behind the dorsal fin. Make sure its all long enough to let the bait swim freely… like rigging live bait for king mackerel…
I generally have come to prefer Gamakatsu circle octopus hooks for pulling and red regular octopus for down rods and cut bait. My go-to size is 1/0, but I will adjust bigger or smaller based on extreme bait sizes. For example, with gizzies bigger than dollar bills, I will use 6/0 and larger circles. One thing I now believe in is the snell knot. I like the cam action it affords in hook rotation and have found an easy way to tie snells. My lost fish percentage has gone down since I switched to these knots.
