Preferred Hootchie Hook Set Up

[searun]

In answer to your question I use 5/0 single stainless. Just use one single bead behind the gum pucky, its just to allow me to set the correct distance for the hook to trail near the end of the hoochie. Tandems are a pain to release fish, especially coho when they trash around. I prefer to be able to quickly reach over the side with a gaff hook, quick flip and gone without ever touching the fish and leaving it in the water.

 

[Mako 22]

South of the Border style:

 

[searun]

Pretty much same as mine except I place a single bead between gum picky and swivel to set how far hook trails back

 

[hambone]

I switch back and forth from tandem 4/0 octopus to the single 4/0 siwash depending on where I'm fishing.

After working at a lodge for several years near CR I noticed many of the Chinook bites were very subtle, almost like they were investigating what the hoochie is rather than hammering it. For whatever the reason, maybe the smaller wire of the 4/0 octopus, maybe 2 hooks vs 1, im not sure but the tandems out performed the single siwash by a wide margin.

WCVI or anytime you're on good numbers of aggressive fish then yes the siwash is the way to go, especially if you need to release a few.


....... Wait did someone mention over thinking it a few posts back??

 

[Tyeefisher]

I am afraid that I am one who may be guilty of over thinking the seemingly simple hootchy hookup as is described in the above posts. I am a devotee of tandem mustad stainless octopus style 4/0 hooks and that is a product of my long mooching background, it's just the fact that smaller hooks hiding in the fronds of a hootchy as opposed to a larger single hook freely spinning in the current, just makes sense to me.

But where I am fishing depth is a huge issue and and the extra sharp point to hold the fish just a fraction of a second longer in order for my guests or myself to set the hook appears to work well. Sharp hooks are the most important thing in my arsenal though and I spend many hours each winter sharpening each hook with a dremel tool prior to being tied up on pieces of styrofoam pool noodles along with my most consistent hootchies.

 

[Islandgirl]

A single siwash hook and swivel with beads placed so that the bend of the hook is at the end of the hootchie or about 1/8 inch behind. Mostly I prefer stainless hooks BUT for sockeye I prefer the galvanized hooks ( siwash)
It seems a softer mouth on these fish so the galvanized hook holds better.