Live bait

BHAfcAngler · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Brighton

Can anyone let me know the best way to put a joey on hook so it stays alive and able to swim, just cant seem to get the knack of it, was shown a long time back but have forgot, when i try it stays on the top and never swims down on the slider rig, cheers happy

leethegecko · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 9:19 am Post subject:

i use a small treble through the nose for float fishing from the boat seems to work well with good hookups

BHAfcAngler · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Brighton

but will the joey stay alive and still swim about, a distressed joey must b more of a catch to a bass than one it has to put more effort into catching

jim79 · Member Joined: Mar 23, 2008 Posts: 99 Location: Pompey

when ever ive done any live baiting ive either hooked it through the nose or through the tail , but ive seen on some TV programe's recently that in the states they hook it on the back ( top/middle) of the bait.

BHAfcAngler · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Brighton

I will give it a go, i know where you mean

Welchy · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 6:47 am Post subject:

Hi BHAfcAngler
Hook through the nose and some say trim the tail fin down a little to slow it up.

welsh · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 8:58 am Post subject:

You can hook it thru the flesh just behind the tail. Might help if you have like a penel rig with one hook above the other.

BHAfcAngler · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Brighton

Cheers guys all will be tried, my next question is about size of hook and should it be a treble

welsh · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 10:16 am Post subject:

You dont need to use a treble but probably prefered by most. I think somthing like size 1/0s wud be fine. But im not certain.

jim79 · Member Joined: Mar 23, 2008 Posts: 99 Location: Pompey

depends on the size of the bait , if its only small then you can use a normal hook as the point will still be exposed but a treble allows you to pin the bait with one point and still have two hooks exposed

bassaddict · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 10:55 am Post subject:

I have read a lot on the net recently about the use of circle hooks when live baiting like this, Mike Ladle apparently gave a talk at the recent bass fishing get together about lip hooking mackerel and free-lining using circle hooks. I wasn't there but understood that he was using 2/0 hooks and starting with small mackerel at this time of the year moving up to bigger mackerel later in the summer.

Was told no need to strike just to tighten up once taken to set the hook.

Lots of theory I am afraid as I have not tried this yet but hoping to put into practice next weekend. Tight lines. Jon

jimjam · Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 4:24 pm Post subject:

i personaly would use a treble big grin

BHAfcAngler · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Brighton

Thanks guys going to give it a go on single and treb hooks as soon as i can get a Mac

shannock · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject:

i would use a trebble also as you cant be sure that the hook point will be showing to hook the bass ,as the livebait will be moving about so much

fisherben · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:33 pm Post subject:

hiya,

having done a lot of live baiting in australia and the south pacific islands, there are a few different methods that i have used.

fishing from a boat in a current in shallow-ish water (down to about 30ft), i use a rig which has two hooks. the top hook is snooded onto the leader (so that it slides and can be adjusted to the size of the bait) and the lower hook tied onto the end of the leader. leader is then attached to swivel. a barrel sinker above that on more leader line, then another swivel then your line. the sinker used depends on wether you want the bait to sit on the sea floor or be suspended mid water in the current. i have used the circle hooks mentioned above, but find that in shallow they are not so effective, and that the thickness of metal is often too thick and damages the bait too much. i prefer to use thin gage wide gap hooks (or short shank normal hook), through the bottom lip up through the nose on the top hook and treble "stinger" hook as the bottom hook, hooked either under the tail or just above it. this way, the bait swims into the current, keeping them alive longer. i call it a stinger, as most of the fish i have caught with this rig were hooked with the top hook (bait swallowed head first), but the stinger was often imbedded on the outside of the fishes head, and i've landed a few good size fish like that after the top hook pulled free.

another method is simply a single hook on a leader (a little lead is added if the fish swims on the surface too much) suspended below a float (or balloon, depending on how big the bait is and how deep its fished). the hook is put into the baits shoulder, just behind the head. i've used this method while fishing offshore from a boat over reefs where the current is slow or non-existant and also from the shore in deep water or from cliff tops. when its used deep, circle hooks are good here as they are "self hooking". a stinger could also be used with this method, but i've never done this.

most of the time,i keep the reels out of gear so if something takes the bait, they have enough time to swallow it. hook size depends on bait size, but make sure they are big enough to clear the bait properly and allow a good hook up. fish like bass have a mouth big enough to take 1/0 or 2/0 size hooks. i have found that for energetic bait, trimming the tail (top or bottom) with a pair of scissors slows them down and they swim eratically.

what sort of baits would you guys use for large bass? small mackerel? whats a joey? (i hope its not a baby kangaroo!)