Bad hookups

[TankEvans]

Hi guys

I have been targeting some leeries on live bait this holiday and been having some good success which I am really happy about.

I use a 5/0 VMC sport circle hook tied with a snell knot. When the leerie takes I count to 10 before setting the hook.

I do however seem to be getting some bad hookups deep in the fishes gills... About three of the five fish caught have been hooked like this... Why is this happening? I thought circle hooks should prevent this? It is not nice to see such a beautiful creature getting hurt....

Please give me some advice regarding this so I can let them swim off without harm...

Also what is the best approach to minimize damage when a fish is hooked badly like this...

Thanks!

 

[AlecJ]

I have not yet had a bad hookup on any fish(except puffer fish with no 10 demon circle). I do not strike I let the drag do the work, leave it for min 10 seconds tighten drag and start reeling it in, where do you hook your live bait? I put the circle through the nose.

I have not yet caught a leerie on live bait only on chizzle nose plug with no1 Mustad treble with only great hookups in the mouth all but two safely released. the other two got to be me and my family's dinner.

check that your circle is not bent open as it could lead to deep hookups?


That is my experience I am a novice/newb!

I will follow to learn and see what the others have to say.

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

Dont strike as said above, tighten your drag and he/she will be on. Give one or two reels to make sure and you can then give a pump to set the hook but the fish should be vas and its not needed. The circle should find its spot when it has tension applied to the line.

 

[ghaap]

NEXT TIME USE TWO CIRCLE`S ONE SNELLED AND THE OTHER ONE SLIDING

SNELLED HOOK THRU TOP JAW SLIDING HOOK THRU BACK JUST BEHIND ANAL FIN

OR SNELLED HOOK BEHIND ANAL FIN

REMEMBER LEERIES/ ELF/SHAD TAKES THERE PREY FROM BEHIND DAMAGING/BITING OF ITS MODE OF PROPULSION ITS TAIL AND COMES AROUND FOR THE SWALLOW
DONE THAT WAY CIRCLE IS CAUGHT IN MOUTH PART AND NOT SWALLOWED

STYWE LYNE

 

[CraigT]

TankEvans wrote:

Hi guys

I have been targeting some leeries on live bait this holiday and been having some good success which I am really happy about.

I use a 5/0 VMC sport circle hook tied with a snell knot. When the leerie takes I count to 10 before setting the hook.

I do however seem to be getting some bad hookups deep in the fishes gills... About three of the five fish caught have been hooked like this... Why is this happening? I thought circle hooks should prevent this? It is not nice to see such a beautiful creature getting hurt....

Please give me some advice regarding this so I can let them swim off without harm...

Also what is the best approach to minimize damage when a fish is hooked badly like this...

Thanks!

You are using a sport circle and that is the reason. A sport circle is offset in other words the eye and point of the hook are not in a straight line so the hook has a chance of hooking onto some place else after being swallowed. To avoid this buy the Tournament series they are not offset and you should then have a 100% hookup in the corner off the mouth.

 

[TankEvans]

Thanks everyone!

The explanation regarding the offset makes alot of sense since the hook definitely has a big offset. Will definitely try some others out.