Choosing A Hook For Live Bait

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Choosing A Hook For Live Bait







[Introduction]

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0:46 Dave: When I'm running live bait, there's two different types of hooks that we use. The treble and the circle. Talk about the treble here. It's an Eagle Claw product. It's a 3/0, 4x strong hook. But it's made out of bronze. It's not your typical stainless hook. If we do have to leave a hook in a fish, these rust out extremely quick in salt water. It's not very long.

1:12 Dave: Also what I do is, a little tip is, I'll pinch back two of the barbs on three of these hooks and leave one barb on. And that will be the one we attach to the bait itself, the live bait. And with the other two pinched back, it will make it easier for me to retrieve the hook out of the fish. These hooks here are extremely penetrable being thin wire. It's been a great choice that Eagle Claw came up with. And we love them.

1:40 Dave: Also is a circle hook that we also use. These hooks been good in different ways. They have a large gap here which will clear the bunker's nose. The bunker are eaten head first by the bass so this will be in the bait, the fish's stomach first and obviously when we set the line, it'll pull out and catch the corner of the fish's mouth.

Been very extremely useful to us. If there are a lot of fish around, I prefer to use this.  If fishing is tight, I'll get better hookups and more hookups with the treble. But both are great products. Both are Eagle Claw products. And we'll have to put them to the test here in a moment.

2:25 Dave: We got one taking it right now. This has got the circle hook on it so I'm not going to set the hook. I'm gonna close it and let him hook himself. Oh yeah. Almost feels like a blue fish but we'll find out. Pretty erratic head shaking here, characteristic to a blue fish. But there's so many fish here, small bass will sometimes fight the same as a blue fish.

3:04 Dave: That's a bass. I'm going to put a chunk down there next time. Whew, a line burner. Oh yeah. Current's starting to move pretty good so they're fighting a little, getting their nose in the current and fighting heavier than they really are.

These are fiberglass rods. I got graphite rods also. Graphite has a lot of feel in it. And fiberglass, there's nothing like a bend in the rod. Little guy here. Look that circle hook did it's job. Right in the corner of the mouth where it's supposed to be. And this is going to be a nice, easy release.

4:01 Dave: (fish splashes) Ta da. His stomach is full. (fish splashes) He's eatin' good.

4:12 Dave: If you saw on that one there, that was a circle hook. And you notice the fish took it and ran and all I did was just close the bale on the reel and just locked it up and the fish hooked itself like a circle hook is supposed to work. Caught it right in the corner of the mouth as compared to the other fish we caught a few minutes ago. Set the hook with the treble, buried it right in the side of his mouth.

They both work extremely well. It's depending on your own personal preference. We released all the fish so far unharmed. Treble hooks are great; circle hooks are great. So try them both, I would suggest. 

4:48 Matt: As Dave was describing before, when you're utilizing a circle hook, you kind of let it set itself. When you're using a treble, you set it like that. And then you hold on.

5:10 Dave: Feel like a good one?

5:12 Matt: This isn't a bad fish. This isn't a bad fish. Nothing huge but they're all good fish man. I don't care. (reel sound)

5:28 Dave: Fighting the current there. It's starting to kick up pretty good now.

5:32 Matt: Nah, man it's all fish.

5:34 Dave: It's all fish.

5:35 Matt: He's at least 60, 70 pounds. (laughter) But I'm going to fight him so hard, he's going to lose weight by the time he gets here. (laughter)

5:43 Dave: Crash diet.

5:44 Matt: That's it.

5:47 Matt: This isn't a bad fish man. He's got some gumption going. Little bit of spunk. But he ain't tough enough for the Seaguar leader. Ahh. Man. He's not real pleased with this. Come on baby. (fish splashes) There we go. Show us some shoulders. (fish splashes) Ah.

6:25  Dave: Oh, can't believe you got me wet.

6:27 Matt: He is a good fish. Come on...away from the motor. (fish splashes) It's not bad. Not a monster. Certainly a good fish though. (fish splashes) See if I can avoid that hook there. Come on, buddy. (fish splashes) Got ya! Whoo. That is what we come out here for.

7:04 Dave: Good job.

7:05 Matt: That's why we run our three ways to get down to the bottom to these fish. This is why we spend our time here out in the morning getting live bait. That's a nice fish. Nice, healthy striped bass in the Connecticut River. Thanks Dave, man, I really appreciate you taking us out here today, man.

7:21 Dave: No problem, Matt. Good having you.

7:24 Matt: Do we have time for another one?

7:25 Dave: Time for another one.

7:26 Matt: Let's unhook him and get him out of here.

7:28 [Closing]

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