Halibut hooking ????

[Dynamite]

I just finished my first year of halibut fishing and noticed that we hooked up less than 50 percent of the times we got bit. We were using 16/0 circle hooks and let the fish bite until they almost pulled the rod out of our hands. Is this normal or are we doing something wrong?

[Threemuch]

Your doing something wrong. I think you want to make sure your hooks are wicked sharp. Those big hooks are stout and need to be sharp to penetrate. Also push the barb down some.

Keta put on a clinic hooking fish on small 8/0 gamakatsu, and I was a believer until he broke one on Friday, or so I heard. I use 20/0 and usually don't have a problem hooking fish. I did drop one this year about half way up, and I can't really explain that. Usually with the big circle, once hooked, they are yours.
KB

[HawgJaw]

I have switched to using #9 and #10 J hooks. I just like setting the hook and have had a better landing percentage with J's. I use both 12" and a 3" stainless steel leaders and have the hooks pointed in opposite directions and sticking well out of the bait. The the most important thing is the hooks need to be needle sharp. I've been doing well using 1/2 shad and 10" long black cod strips. HJ

[tailchaser]

Did you offset the circle hook or did you use them as comes out of the package?? Make sure you have at least a 1/4 turn outside of the shank and you'll get a lot more hookups on the circles.

tc

[Sea Jypzee]

I generally use #10 J hooks as well and don't generally lose a fish once it hits. I wait for the third pull before I try to set the hook though, then once it's in, they're all mine.

I figure the first 'pull' is when it grabs the bait. Pull #2 is when it's repositioning the bait in its mouth, and #3 is when it's working it down the gullet. That's when I give a good set, and let the fun begin. Have not had one pop off doing it this way.

[Miss B Haven]

These "J" hooks are sized different than other hooks? Or are you folks really trout fishing? I've never seen hooks that didn't use the "ought" scale. :whazzup: Of course- maybe that's why I'm not a Halibut fisherperson (that's for the Salty Gals)....yet. :grin:

[Sea Jypzee]

I'm talking 10-"ought" hooks. :tongue: ie., 10/0

[Pitch Pocket]

We used both set ups. An offset (in my vise) #16 circle sharpend to a fine point and a double #10 J hook setup. On both setups, we used a triple glow B2 squid and fresh herring.

We landed two on the circle hooks. When the but took the hook (easily told with 60 lb tuff line pro) we flipped the bail and let it swim away. Landed a 50 and 45 lber on that setup. My son lost one when he 'set the hook' early and it came off. The hooks were in the corner of the mouth and the hook came out of the big one in the net. It had worked a pretty large hole in the jaw and the hook just fell out.

I landed a small one on the twin J hook setup. Those 2 hooks had him buttoned so tight it took pliers to extract the barbs. He could have swam around all day and we would have landed him.

The circles worked fine, but in my opinion, require constant pressure on the fish. If the big one sounded, I think we may have lost him. I think in the future I'll use the J hooks. I don't think these halibut are leader or hook shy and I like the positive hook-set and the double hook pin. It's too darn hard to yard them to the surface to possibly lose them on a head shake.



[ 06-24-2003, 09:52 AM: Message edited by: Pitch Pocket ]

[Sturgeon Tom]

Pich Pocket now that is what I call a Fattie. Way to go.
[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] st

[Pitch Pocket]

Thanks Tom, I was telling my wife to hurry up and take the darn picture. My arms were very tired.

[ 06-24-2003, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: corrirod ]

[Dynamite]

OK, I did most of that----50 lb tuff line, siwashed my hooks, free spooled until they should have swallowed it, was using king size herring tipped with squid stretchy threaded on and 24 ounces of lead so the fish could run with it. Maybe my hooks were not sharp enough.

I started by using a double hook set up with an 8/0 Gammi top hook and a 16/0 bottom circle hook with a green glow hootchie on the top hook. Several of the fish were caught on the top hook and the bottom hook was dangleing outside their mouth. Also notice several times that the head of the herring where the J hook was was more chewed up than the rest of the herring.

Guess this is why they call it fishing instead of catching!

[Mello-Yello]

I doubt it's anything you're doing, it's just the way things seem to go. You're setup should work fine, and it sounds like you're giving ample time for the fish to take the bait.

It's all about statistics Dynamite. I don't think I missed a single bite, and don't recall losing a fish all season. So, statistically, someone had to lose a few fish. This was your year...

Statistically, next year should be better for you!

[Miss B Haven]

Statistically Speaking....it still sucks to be on the wrong side of the bell curve. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] Don't ask me how I know this!

[greenbuttskunk]

I like to use the double hook set up with the #10
and #8 j hooks, the bigger on the bootom and the top one slides. I feel a bite, give him a few feet of line,feel the bite again, and grip and rip. Seems to work good for me. alot of guys swear by circle hooks, but I've just done better with my rig.

Dbl circle hook is a waste of gear and time. Use one hook.

[Big TULE]

We used double circles the day i was out, and i did not set the hook with the circles, i would wait untill they were trying to pull the rod out of my hands, and i would start reeling. We did not lose any fish.

[TideRipper]

Dynamite,

First time I fished Halibut, I chartered out of Neah Bay and the Captain insisted that we not “pump” the rod too hard. He claimed that pumping the rod allowed the heavy weight to drop down each time, eventually working the hook out of the fish’s mouth. He told us to set the hook and then place the rod in the rod holder and just reel. I found this kind of boring as I wanted to feel the fish, so when I got one on, I kept the rod in my hands and cranked away. However, I still found it necessary to lift the rod and then reel down if I wanted to make any headway. When the Captain saw me, he yelled “don’t pump the rod!”.
Well, I was getting tired anyway, so I put the rod in the holder and just cranked on the reel like everyone else. His method seemed to work though because I don’t remember any of us losing any fish. We used J-hooks and black twister tails on a spreader. No bait. What I don’t understand, is how any fish can find a black piece of plastic laying on the bottom in 600’ of water and eat it! :smile:

When I fish from my boat, I still lift the rod and then crank down on the fish, but I’m careful not to drop my rod tip too quickly so that the weight doesn’t work the hook out.

When you feel a bite freespool line and let the fish swallow the hook. In a bit put your reel in gear and wait until you feel the fish again and reel in the slack. The fish then will be
hooked.

I like to use sliders on the weight too.