Preferred Hootchie Hook Set Up

[fishchaser]

I traditional run a small bead ahead of #4 & #5 Gamakatsu octopus hooks while fishing with hootchies. I am thinking about changing to a single larger Siwash hook attached to a bead swivel, do any of you experts use this set up?

 

[greenhornet]

I traditional run a small bead ahead of #4 & #5 Gamakatsu octopus hooks while fishing with hootchies. I am thinking about changing to a single larger Siwash hook attached to a bead swivel, do any of you experts use this set up?

I don't use head chain swivels ever anymore had a few blow up on me so those are a thing of the past. I use a heavy crane swivel and a 3 or 4 ot siwash hook. Put your bead or beads on then slide down your fav hootchie,another tip is to bend your hook a little so it's offset.

Tight lines
Billydoo

 

[TanTastic84]

If you're planning on running that set up (which many people do, especially commercial guys) they show a pretty good run down of how they set it up in the 4:50 mark of this video. Granted, they're using a "wiggle hoochie" but you dont have to have that same thing to make it work. All you need is a hoochie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jhw3BbzbGE

 

[nicnat]

I ran that same setup with the hook for years, still do a bit. one thing you have to watch for is the bend in the siwash breaking after a year or so, make sure you close it slowly yet firmly in one shot. these bends become brittle over time, I always check them maybe twice a season and more than a few times the hooks easily snapped at the bend. I have lost one or 2 fish that way over the years, lol. I tend to tie my line directly to the (haven't bought large ss siwash hooks for a few years now except for sockeye) hook for my chinook hoochies.

 

[TanTastic84]

Yeah. There should be nothing stopping you from tying an egg loop on a single large 5/0 octopus hook, putting a couple 6-8mm beads to space things out and running your gear like that. Don't fuss with a swivel or extra mumbo jumbo. Simple. Effective. And you can swap out leaders in no time.

 

[FisherTim]

I think 2 hooks are better, especially for Coho;
I'm by no means an expert, but I find fish generally get hooked with the front hook, the back hook digs in somewhere else in the head.
I've actually turned to using a trailing 2/0 Treble hook with a sliding 4/0 Octopus loops leading. This way if a fish hits, it will corner the Sliding hook, and hook the trailing under the jaw, or in the gill plate, the two hooks pull towards each other, keeping the hooks in the fish... I do the same for Anchovies

Keep changing your leaders every couple of weeks, the drawback with this system is that if the rear hook goes, as they can after a bunch of fish, the front hook has nothing to pull against...

To get the sliding hook, simply put a loop of line through the O of the hook, and place around hook, if that makes sense.

 

[fishchaser]

Thank you all for your commetns. I sure can't wait until Spring gets here so we can hit the water again.

 

[Tips Up]

Good to hear another fisherman converted to single hook hootchie set up.

With a larger hook and swivel you will land more fish, find releasing wild coho easier and kill way less fish that you plan to release.
Tandem set ups make a mess out of fish.

Good for you.

Tips

 

[Marsman]

I use a glow green bead with a 2 way swivel and then clamp on an open siwash hook. Works great.

Cheers, Rob

 

[barrie]

Single 4/0 or 5/0 siwash, 150lb barrel swivel, choose your beads, 40-50lb leader.

 

[searun]

Single siwash with heavy barrel swivel, single bead and gum pucky. Single bead is used with tooth pick to set distance of hook to match the hoochie. Never use double hooks as it is way too hard to release fish quickly and with limited damage to the fish.

 

[Jencourt]

Single siwash with heavy barrel swivel, single bead and gum pucky. Single bead is used with tooth pick to set distance of hook to match the hoochie. Never use double hooks as it is way too hard to release fish quickly and with limited damage to the fish.[/QU

What size siwash do you prefer for say cuttlefish hootchie?
Also pat the toothpick is interesting to me. Do you tfind
That multiple beeds adds too much weight?

 

[scott craven]

Do you think people sometimes overthink it ?

 

[spring fever]

Do you think people sometimes overthink it ?

Naw!! not possible-is it?? But on the other hand if we could get it puurfect!! Wait- what about the colour bead if you use a swivel and a black hook?? Cabin fever is setting in!!LOL

 

[SteelyDan]

I run 60lb leader with double opposing 6/0 hooks on my hoochies.

 

[TanTastic84]

I run my tandem hooks almost on top of each other. I mean, I tie them really close together. I also space my hoochie so the back hook is outside the skirt. This way if a fish swings at it, it'll hook them in the front of the face. I haven't had a problem releasing fish doing it like that. I can see where a tandem set up will throat/gill hook fish if you're using bait but when it comes to hoochies, the fish seem to be hitting them out of a reaction and not chewing on them like bait. Just my $.02

The website's a bit of a pain in the butt to get through but it has a lot of great info on hoochie rigging. Basically, I rig all of mine to look like the one pictured.

https://www.trolling4salmon.com/hoochies-scaling-down.html

I also agree, over thinking this is the worst idea. Line, hook and hoochie. Not a lot of moving parts to figure out.

 

[Jencourt]

Do you think people sometimes overthink it ?

...But. Not sure if this was in response to me asking some questions or not ? But That could be true at times. in my case anyway.
However!!

Over my years on the water I have noticed that it is the same people time after time that seem always to be able to grind out a few fish even wen fishing is really slow.

I also have noticed that those same people are the ones who pay attention to details. So,wen better fisherman than I, start to talk about things I have not heard of before I ask questions.

That is what made this forum so good wen I first got here. definitely made me a better fisherman.

 

[Jencourt]

To answer the thread. I have mostly preferred tandem 4/0 or 5/0 on most of my Hootchies. I have been slowly switching over to single siwash and adding beads to get desired hook placement. Have net yet decided if catch rates have changed from one setup to the other.

 

[Mike_R]

...With a larger hook and swivel you will land more fish, find releasing wild coho easier and kill way less fish that you plan to release.
Tandem set ups make a mess out of fish...

I agree that tandems can make a mess, but a larger hook can also do more damage than a smaller one. I've seen larger hooks damage smaller salmon's eyes.

 

[jeffywestcoast]

one advantage to tying snelled hooks in tandem, easy to tie and effective, apposing #4 or #5 gammys seems to be the ticket for me, they pop out easy and I am very rarely gill hooking fish..