Hook setting and types for 4 upcoming species.
Should we use different hooks and hook sets on different species? It might seem obvious that hooks need to be different, but how about hook sets? In my experience, the behaviors of different species require different hooks and hook sets. That said, I am required to make a good case for my hypothesis.
Striped Bass
I prefer to match hook size, style, and design to the fish I’m targeting on any given day. For example, when targeting stripers with bucktails and soft plastic lures, I use a wide gap hook when I expect larger fish, and a narrow gap hook for schoolies. Similarly, I set harder on larger fish since they have more cartilage and bone in their mouths, and set easier on small fish. Of course, braided lines and graphite rods make hook setting easier overall: an idea to remember lest we straighten hooks with overly powerful sets. Also, the big-three gamefish feed mostly by sight, and the lure and fish are moving, so the collision facilitates the hook set.
Fluke
Not so for bottom dwellers. Possibly, fluke and blackfish are among the most difficult saltwater fish to put a hook into, with bait stealing porgies a close third. Bottom feeding fish have more time to look, smell, and taste our natural bait offerings, because they are either stationary or moving slowly on bottom.
Fluke for example. Unlike the big three, they lie on the bottom and wait in ambush. When they spot movement, they rush towards it, settle down and strike based mostly on smell and taste. That’s why Gulp works so well, and that’s why setting the hook on the first nibble is almost always a mistake. My approach involves smaller jigs with smaller hooks, and a lot more hook setting patience. When I sense a pick up, I drop my rod tip, then lift very slowly. If the fish lets go, I drop the jig and Gulp combination to the bottom. Often, the fluke will hit again, and I repeat the process. I do not set the hook until the fish hangs on through the slow lift, and then I set sharply.
Blackfish
Some may disagree, but I find blackfish to be the hardest bottom fish in our waters to set a hook into. They are very wary eaters, they have small mouths for their size, and they can nibble and taste the bait with only their lips, and pick up and drop baits repeatedly. Certainly, there are those days when blackfish hit and run aggressively, but most fish are cautious. How wary they are, depends on the level of feeding competition. The greater the competition, the more aggressive the feeding.
I prefer inshore light tackle bottom fishing, and use a hook style that usually works well. I use Gamakatsu 1/0 Octopus hooks (#02411-25). It’s a thin strong hook with less steel exposed for the blackfish to taste. My fishing buddy Rich Lazar accelerated my learning curve. He says; “Don’t hit the small bites. Let them munch and wait for them to pull the rod tip into the water, and then set hard.” He’s right, but this kind of patience is difficult to sustain.
Porgy
Last but not least are pesky porgies. It is impossible to tell whether a porgy is large or small by the magnitude of the hit. Even 16-inch knobby headed fish sometimes nibble gently. I use Mustad 1/0 bait-holder hooks (#92642) because it holds the bait better and I survive the nibbles-sometimes! When I use a jig, I prefer 1/8 to 1/4-ounce heads with smaller hooks. The technique is similar to fluking. I lift very slowly, drop back if the fish drops off, do this over and over until the fish remains on during the lift, and then I set hard. I must emphasize, that with fluke, blackfish, or porgy, the lift must be very gentle and slow. This is a detection approach and not a hook setting approach, and anything other than light and easy sends a fish away. Difficult to do, but worth the effort.
Although I’ve suggested a sharp hook set for bottom fish, I urge the angler not to set sharply when there is an aggressive bite. Just lift and they will hook themselves.
