Can your hook link be too short?

B

Barbelman

New member
I've recently being suggested by a sales assistant in a fishing shop, to use short hook links not longer than 4 cm in length. I like to use them at around 10 cm long.
When they are so short, won't it make it more difficult for the fish to suck in the bait with hook? Won't it stop in mid-air err...., mid-water:)

What is the shortest hook length you are prepared to use?
I've seen suggestion on the net of even just 2.5 cm. Dit klink net so bietjie te kort!!
 
I

IWyk

Sealiner
Sounds a bit too short. I have always used 100-200mm on a single hook trace(hair rig) with a sliding sinker above.

Who knows maybe the guy's in the know, know something we don't?

Only time I use short traces is for mudfish.(and bronze bream in close gully's).
 
B

Barbelman

New member
toli wrote:
What was his reasoning for the short hooklink, where is it used ?
Click to expand...

Apparently fish has a much harder time to eject the hook.
Also best used in small waters over beds of bait.
It just feels a bit too short for me, but I am waiting for replies to help me make my mind up.
 
W

Wean

Member
It all depends on where/how the rigs is intended to be used.

4cm... I won't use that short hooklinks.

What happens when you're fishing silty or weedy areas?

I fish with longer hooklinks which I prefer and I fish it with confidence.

P.S - This is my opinion. Fish with what you are confident with.

Regards
Wean
 
E

EugeneC

Sealiner
Short hooklinks can be effective when you're fishing particles and you're feeding a lot in a tight area around your hook bait. In such cases the carp will only move very small distances while they hoover up the bait off the bottom.

If you watch a carp feeding in a situation like that you will see they are constantly sucking in food items and blowing out debris (like your hook). Because they move so slowly in this scenario, they are likely to blow your rig out before it tightens to the lead, which is why a short hook link offers an advantage.

In contrast, if you were loosely feeding boilies and fishing a single boilie hook bait for example, you would get the opposite effect, where the fish would dip down to pick up a bait and swim away a meter or two to get to the next bait. In this scenario a longer hooklink makes more sense, as it will hopefully end up a little deeper in the fish's mouth, offering you a better chance of a hook-up.

Hope this helps :)
 
T

toli

Senior Member
I tend to agree with Wean, 4cm or less is just to short as 99% of all waters that i fish, has a silt layer, and therefore your hookbait will be under/in the silt, and out of sight due to the lead dragging it down.
 
H

HennieB

Sealiner
@Barbelman don't lend your ears out too much to sales assistants or shop owners. A lot of times those guys don't fish as much and deal with a variety of angling facets to give enough attention to a specific facet.

4cm in my opinion is too short. Personally I wouldn't go shorter than 10cm and to me that is very short.
 
B

Basspro

Senior Member
Dude seriously now ......

Have you ever sat yourself down in front of a mirror and said: "I Barbelman" aka - (Your real name goes here) .. "Hereby swear under Oath to the Carp Gods to stop listening to diatribe spoken to me in person or believe everything I hear and read AND START DOING what I think WILL WORK FOR ME IN MY CARP FISHING?"

There is no RIGHT OR WRONG man - just common sense - start using yours now.

This is Carp Fishing - Not NASA's Space Programme or Genetic Engineering.
 
B

Barbelman

New member
Basspro wrote:
There is no RIGHT OR WRONG man - just common sense - start using yours now.
There is a right or a wrong. I jusy seem to get it wrong


This is Carp Fishing - Not NASA's Space Programme or Genetic Engineering.
Click to expand...

True, fish do not have huge IQ, but they still seem to outwit me:)

I think my biggest problem is the venue. Not my bait or equipment.
 
F

Fishpaste

Sealiner
Barbelman wrote:
Basspro wrote:
There is no RIGHT OR WRONG man - just common sense - start using yours now.
There is a right or a wrong. I jusy seem to get it wrong


This is Carp Fishing - Not NASA's Space Programme or Genetic Engineering.
Click to expand...

True, fish do not have huge IQ, but they still seem to outwit me:)

I think my biggest problem is the venue. Not my bait or equipment.
Click to expand...
I have fished a small venue now for the last 4 years and I have been blanking my arse off solidly...Basspro knows ;) and I have only in the last year or so figured it out with the help of another fisherman who targeted the same venue... All things work but certain things give you the edge. Perseverance is the most important thing!
::tight:
 
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