Mackerel rigging for halibut

[Trowser]

I was up in Bamfield last summer and caught a bunch of Mackerel about a foot long. We vacuum packed them up for hali bait.

I haven't had much sucess using mackerel so I'm wondering what do you find to be the best way to rig these things up?

Thanks,

Shaun

 

[scott craven]

2 - x-strong trebles tied about 8-9" apart.
lead hook through the nose, trailer hook buried about 2" from the tail
just below the lateral line.

 

[Betty Boop]

Just like Craven said, I like to slit the tail section with sharp fillit knife on each side of backbone, lets lots of scent out, these things seem to bleed up to a couple of hours of use.

 

[IronNoggin]

I run them (and pilchards) backwards, as in the nose faces away from the spreader bar. Halibut seem to like ingesting their food face first. A large single in the tail on a tight slider, and a large treble - line coming in from the rear of the gill plate and treble centered in the yap. Caution on that rig is it is lethal. Won't be able to release many as they WILL be hooked deep. Can alleviate that with a larger circle hook run through the top of the skull of the bait if you're planning on letting any go...

Cheers,
Nog