Hook sets and hooks

[Charter Tofino]

I am losing alot of fish lately and have a few questions for you guys.
1. Do you guys give a hard hookset and how do you set up the clip and drag? I set the clip and drag tight so the fish set the hook on the hit but they are spitting it before they pop alot.When i get to them and pop it i ushually give a decent hookset but dont wanna go bass style and rip out the hook.
2. My tandem singles on hootchies never seem to stay in when a big fish does the old head thrash at the side of the boat. Any advice on that? My single siwashes hold awsome i think i might change over to #4 siwashes on my hootchies.
3.Last question is how do you rig anchovies? I have been running a treble in the back and 2 or 3 inches behind a single # 5 stinger. Im getting tons of fish that are grabbing the anchovie right behind the treble and the trailing hook never gets them. I see double trebles alot but is that overkillif you get a shaker?

 

[haverodwilltravel]

good questions kelly. i am not fussy about trebles, but i am also interested in learning more. thanks.

 

[Sea Ranger]

Hi Kelly.
I'm really new to this site but I'm not new to fishing for Salmon. When I hook up to the downrigger I do not have it set too tight but I do have it set tight enough so that pink salmon normally don't pull it off the downrigger. As for the hook set up for anchovies I do use double treble hooks.... and don't worry about the shakers.... first worry about that 40# that you want to bite your hook. If you are still finding that the fish are getting away.... make sure you do not give them any slack..... when I get a bite the first thing I do is reel as fast as I can to take out the slack.... with out barbs on your hooks it is a must to not give the fish "ANY" slack. Hope that helps. Steve.

 

[Last Chance]

I set my downrigger with the preload cranked down HARD, that way, when the fish hits, the rod gives it a good pop. I reel untill I feel the weight of the fish, then give it a firm pull untill I feel the weight of the fish, and let him rip. I use a single 1/0 or 2/0 treble hook right in the tail of the chovie, and get very few spitters. I find that the smaller fish that shake their heads a lot will spit a small treble before a larger, slower shaking fish will, so for targeting Coho or whatnot, I would move up to a 3 or 4/0 hook. I have never run tandems, I don't miss a lot of fish so haven't felt the need, but some guys swear by them.

 

[Charter Tofino]

Lastchance ill give that a try sounds more effective. Where in the tail do you hook it? have you had problems with fish straightening your trebs? Fishin fool i try my best to keep tension but as you guys know they can find ways to get slack ie jumping and running to the boat faster than you can pickup.

 

[Highliner]

Kelly,

I will ask the obvious question. Are your hooks sticky sharp? The mouths on springs can be pretty tough to bury a hook of their not sharp.

Good luck.

 

[Charter Tofino]

Highliner most hooks were sticky sharp and new but now that i think back last night the hooks were dull and i didnt have a hooksharpener because it was not my boat. Thats probaly what it was last night because all the hooks werent that sharp[B)]

 

[Last Chance]

quote:Originally posted by kelly

Lastchance ill give that a try sounds more effective. Where in the tail do you hook it? have you had problems with fish straightening your trebs? Fishin fool i try my best to keep tension but as you guys know they can find ways to get slack ie jumping and running to the boat faster than you can pickup.

YES, I used to have a lot straighen out untill I got Eagle Claw 3x strong, no problem there. I would have the odd one get smashed when beating the *&^%!@ out of a fish on the floor of the boat, but not as a rule when playing, get 3x, the other ones are made for an average sized trout. I put my hook within 1 cm of the tail, right through the backbone.

 

[danthewire]

I set my line deep into the release clip,then I crank the rod right down as close as I can to the water.When mister spring hits I take the rod out of the holder QUICKLY and at the same time I back the drag off with my thumb,keeping my hand on the reel and then wind till i feel pressure then give it a firm set,they usally give a couple of head shakes or they take off like a frieght train.Then adjust your stragety as each fish is always a little different,but ALWAYS keep some pressure on him.On hootchies I always use a single 5/0 RAZOR SHARP be careful how you sharpen your hooks,I sharpen my hooks so they PUNCTURE the fishes mouth ,they do NOT cut the mouth in other words don't sharpen like a knife.If you cut the mouth the hook is not held tight by the flesh or gristle.Also make sure the end of the hook is even with the tail of the hootchie.As far as anchovies go I use a Rhys Davis head, #2 Rhys Davis treble, bought in bulk and set up pretty much as the instructions state.On a Krippled minnow I set the hook further back mid way between the dorsal and tail.I tried a trailer hook and never was that happy with the roll it seemed to be out of balance,but lots of guys use them so they must work,keep in mind the mechanical strength of this size of hook and the smaller "bite"in the fishes mouth.sounds like the big fish aern't tired when they are at the side of the boat if they are tossing the hooks the fish should be starting to tip on his side when you net him.But that just makes it easier for the seals doesn't it.DAN

 

[Charter Tofino]

Dan thats what it ushually was. Im learnin now dont rush the bigger fish play them til they are exhausted otherwise they are danm hard to control near the boat. Always pick something new up every trip. Last chance thanks for the tips im gonna go pick some up now. tight lines

 

[Even-tide]

I had trouble with hootchies , then I went to a 4/0 stainless siwash with a bead chain spacer, works great. Use the same hook for cut strip herring with great results, put a very small inward bend in the tip and off set it.
I'm a butcher by trade so I'm a bit neurotic about shape equipment staying sharp at all times....razor sharp.
I really don't like trebles on anchovies , if the stinger get the fish the treble always seemed to get berried in the gill plate, feel bad releasing a fish with that kind of damage. #1 single holder hook with a 3/0 or 4/0 stinger (I don't like Gamies for the ocean, points to short) Eagle clam makes some nice long points ...like I said I sharpen allot.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Personally, I'm a bit of a novice so I'll say what my guide told me after watching me catch, lose and land a few.

Set the line quite far back in the clip. Your will see a number of smaller fish dragged up by the rigger but the larger fish will likely have the hook well embedded by the time it yanks the line free. A shallow set in the holder will cause a small fish strike to release the line but may not result in the hook penetrating a larger fish's mouth before the line releases. Problem here is that the line normally 'bows' back from the release. When the release happens the line is slack until the 'bow' is taken up. Mr. big poorly hooked fish is gone and you'll never get the chance to 'set' the hook. Because of the 'bow' the hook must be set by the release, at least well enough to hold until you can apply some pressure, firm and constant pressure. Wind like mad to take out the bow[8D]

I find that if the fish is a good size and I get a bit carried away and set the hook or hold him in a bit too much, a head-shake will tear the hook from his mouth. A lot of force generated by a big fish head shake.

Hook sharpening: sides and front, never the inside. In fact if the inside portion of the hook is a little flat, that's ok. Don't want to make a knife out of the hook.

fwiw, Tom

 

[Brokenrod]

I don't fish chovies too much but when I do I like a single treble VMC 3x strong in a #1 most of the time, hooked no more than half a inch from the tail. I like whole herring for off shore springs, double rigged with 5/0 sharpened hooks, the trailer is hooked into the skin just ahead of the tail, in the back with hook exposed upwards.
With hootchies I use a large single siwash 7/0-8/0 with a swivel, particularly if I'm off shore with losts off wild Coho around.The larger hook stops the smaller fish hooking up and dose a great job with the slabs.

As far as hook set goes lots of springs will hit any kind of rig with a forward(toward the boat) motion putting a liitle slack on the line,even with a very tight grip on the line with the rigger release and tight bend in the rod the rod will go straight up, no bend, THAT"S A FISH ON, rod tip to the water grab all the slack until you feel the fish then set the hook with a full motion back. With this all out type set you have to have good flex in your rod(10'6").
Good luck

 

[mr killer]

What works for me are tandem octopus rigs I use them for both hootchie and anchovies, I tie them so one hook is facing one way the other hook is going the other way, I only use Gamakatsu hooks I think that's important, 4/0 is the size that seems to work best but I use a 3/0 for the trailer for choves. I always have my line set deep in the clip so anything under 12lbs has a hard time popping the clip but when they pop the clip they're already hooked good, seems to work good I tried a treble a bit a couple weeks ago but I don't like all those hooks I think a Octopus holds better when you get the hook set, the only ones that get off are little ones I don't want anyways.

 

[Degree of Freedom]

quote:sounds like the big fish aern't tired when they are at the side of the boat if they are tossing the hooks the fish should be starting to tip on his side when you net him.But that just makes it easier for the seals doesn't it.DAN

I've lost 2 monsters in the last week right at the boat. Both of them came in gentle as a lamb...then finally woke up next to the boat. How do you tire out a fish that doesn't fight until it sees the boat?
Thanks,
Dan

Good topic Kelly...I'm having the most frustrating season of my f'n life!

 

[danthewire]

Backatit, I had that same problem about 3 years ago some of them would come in like they were going up to a drive through window, and within 10 or so feet from the boat they would go mental.I don't want to open up a already much hashed over subject but check your boats voltage, in my case it was the problem.The ones that roared around and tired themseleves out wern't a problem when we netted them.DAN

 

[Dayto]

for hootchies I use a Sigle hook in the front followed by a 2.5" Section of Radiant lure Ultra Vialot pink Tubing then to a trebble always works great with hootchies , for anchovies I use 2 trebbles 1 at the head and one chaser not attached I dont seem to loose that many fish , the Ultra vialot also attracts fish so the tubing is handy for doing salmon rigs and also making you'r own lure for pink/chums

 

[Charter Tofino]

backatit i know what you mean. I lost alot that came in easy then went nuts when i tried to net them. What i started doin is getting them about 5 feet from the boat and let them swim upright without lifting their head. I hold them there about 10 seconds and then they ushually take off and dive. I just let my drag play them and then bring them back up. Ushually after that small run at the boat they will come up easy and roll on their side for netting

 

[Last Chance]

Something that I have noticed is that you should have the net wet well before they get near the boat, the sight of the net isn't as bad as the splash of it hitting the water, I find.

 

[danthewire]

Kelly,That's a real important tip about not lifting their heads,maybe i'll send my dad out with you,he still insists on doing that.Last time up at Barclay Sound we got a nice one up behind the boat,he gave it the big heave ho,woke it up,i'm ducking the flasher and spoon,the fish bangs into the back of the boat,stuns itself,lays there for a second resetting itself,then swims off.He can't figure out why I couldn't net it."It's laying right there,you got to be quicker next time"Ah another day with dad.DAN