Using circle hooks to catch shad

[Gatiepie2]

Believe it or not I am battling to catch shad. I am very frustrated when others are catching shad all around me and I can't hook one. I battle to feel the bite and how hard one needs to strike. I am using braid so I expect to feel the bites more directly. So I am wondering if using circle hooks will be the answer. Please advise re technique if there is one to use with circle hooks
Thanks

 

[_zaahid]

my personal preference when targetting shad is to use J hooks. I feel that the way you present your bait for shad is extremely important with respect to your hook up rate, the hooks needs to be proud and places correctly on the bait with regards to how the fish feeds.

As a simple example, with shad, and this is my opinion, it is always a good thing to have a double hook trace with the stinger/trap/skelm hook places close to the bottom of the bait and placed in such a way that it stays proud.

 

[DD]

Short answer - for shad a J hook will always out-fish the circles. I have witnessed this too many times.

The script gets flipped when targeting Kob though.

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

What everyone says. No, not circles for shad...what size are the fish, match the hook for the shad you are targetting..bigger fish bigger 5/0 hooks and smaller pansizers like 2/0-3/0...pansizers best catch on drift bait, if you struggling to hook them make the bait neat, clean and bite size..bigger elf need a bait that will last through the peckers, 5/0 hook and wire hidden in bait I find best and a little floatation for neutral bouyancy, but not critical, and a limiteddd slide and wait for him to pull you down before you stick the hook in him, smaller ones you feel the drrr drrr drrr of the shad lift your tip anddd half the time you hook them.

 

[gethy]

+1 to what everyone says above, go J hook. just something from my experience early this year targeting kob in false bay, using dangles with either dacron or braid and circles, i noticed if the elf are around they would pull you flat and bite right through 120lb braid and even dacron, so just to keep things interesting for my self i would try circles again but with wire this time and see what happens. and hope you catch them cricket bats.

 

[Ben REINERS]

Hi there Gatiepie.

I agree wholeheartedly with all the responses you have received so far.

Ask your tackle dealer to show you a good J hook for targeting shad. There are literally hundreds on the shelves & each angler will have his own choice & reason.

Bait presentation is key with a proud hook.
Use a hook with an off-set gape/point.
It works almost as good as circles but when targeting shad it's all about the angler catching the shad, & not the shad hooking itself.

Catching shad is not difficult, though there is no fun to have using circles.

Hope you land a monster soon.

 

[Gatiepie2]

Thanks all for your input. It is most appreciated

 

[_zaahid]

considering that we're on the topic of shad/elf...

How do you make your bait so that it last a bit longer in the water for the bigger fish to get to it ?

the little bastards always get to the bait before the bigger fish can get to it ::cavmn

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

Sardine does not last long either way... Natural bait you catch yourself does..i like the combo with the natural bait around the sard fillet protecting it. If it is just pan sizers around then thats a waste of time, just use a smaller bait and hook that will get swallowed, or a half sard drift bait on a bassrod and retrieve as slow as needed to keep the bait getting snagged and ja you have to hook them they don't hook themselves unlike others. Bigger elf are different, proper tough bait and you wait to be pulled down, lift back into him and you know if he is on, set hook properly once on as they shake that thing out in no time and with that bony mouth..

 

[Echo7]

This might help.

https://youtu.be/z38WjH10Kt4

 

[On_Dad]

With shad/elf, never use a circle as you will need to strike to set the hook.
the best hook is the needle point J hook by Mustad.
For stronger baits that will last longer, i use a fresh streepie/ karra fillet flesh side out.

 

[BigBen]

Gatiepie2 wrote:

Believe it or not I am battling to catch shad. I am very frustrated when others are catching shad all around me and I can't hook one. I battle to feel the bite and how hard one needs to strike. I am using braid so I expect to feel the bites more directly. So I am wondering if using circle hooks will be the answer. Please advise re technique if there is one to use with circle hooks
Thanks

Rule of thumb..when others catch and you don't..Check their trace lenght to yours..Elf are mid to top water feeders. J-hooks definately