Hook placement in bottom baits...

[Mokarran]

What is the recommended place(or method) to hook a live bait(pinfish,grunt, beeliner,tall baits) when fishing for Grouper and Snapper? I lost some fish this past weekend due to hooks fouled into baits.

[Squid]

What is the recommended place(or method) to hook a live bait(pinfish,grunt, beeliner,tall baits) when fishing for Grouper and Snapper? I lost some fish this past weekend due to hooks fouled into baits.

Right up through the jawls. Grouper swallow their baits head first so put your hook right through it's lips.

[Capt. kapoc]

IN THE FACCCEEEEEEE LOL if you hook it anywhere other than the face it spins all the way down but if you hook it in the head it screams all the way to the bottom without reistance

[rarhomes]

Both lips from bottom to top.

[Mokarran]

That's what i've been doing! I lost three fish last weekend when the hooks fouled into the bait. I am using non-offset 7/0 circles tied up to 80# fluo with a palomar. With dead baits(usually butterfllied) I start the hook in the bottom jaw all the way forward and pierce the top lip between the head bone and the lip bone so it will tear out easily( or so I hypothesize). On live baits I usually place the hook through the nostril horizontally so it can still breathe. I figure if I hook it through both lips it will die quickly right or wrong? Since the bait gets swallowed head first the hook lays flat against the baits face and when the line comes tight I was thinking that was when it was fouling. Any other thoughts about what I might be doing wrong? Anything I should do differently? Would a snell be better? Are my hooks too big?

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the help!

[Jared D]

First thing your doing is still using Circle hooks. If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times... J hooks snelled onto the leader.


Seriously though, with a circle, your hook may go back into the bait if its hooked horizontally through the bait. Go bottom to the top. It allows the bait to breath, and helps prevent rehooking the bait.

All this could be avoided if you would just call me up before you go, and I come along and demonstrate the technique. I am probably going to the Shark hole next Sat. Will call you this weekend to set it up!

[Mokarran]

First thing your doing is still using Circle hooks. If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times... J hooks snelled onto the leader.


Seriously though, with a circle, your hook may go back into the bait if its hooked horizontally through the bait. Go bottom to the top. It allows the bait to breath, and helps prevent rehooking the bait.

All this could be avoided if you would just call me up before you go, and I come along and demonstrate the technique. I am probably going to the Shark hole next Sat. Will call you this weekend to set it up!

What's your biggest Red Snapper? Oh! that's right smaller than the one I caught on a circle hook! The real question is why are we typing on an intnl. forum when we can just call and rag on each other?