Quick strikes are the way to go........ a pair of 2x strong #6s is more than enough for up to 14" bait and mid 40" fish.
You can bend hooks out if you want but I usually nick 'em in just enough to hold the bait. It ain't gonna swim away
Nice pic nocod, where do you get the mackerel?
Whale1979 - don't worry too much about how they hang......... dude, they're DEAD!
Seriously, think about how you've seen dead fish in the water. Nose down, nose up, upside down, on their side......... pike know exactly what they're eating and they really don't care. If you insist, you can hook up your dead like in the pic and poke a 16p nail up the vent for weight and it will tend to lift the nose a bit.
And stumpjumper, no offense, but if you plan on releasing any of your catch to either grow up or conserve the resource, Swedish hooks are proven fish killers. Because of the way they hook (by leverage) lots of brain and spinal damage is incurred that is not always instantly fatal. Fish released that have been caught by this method do not do well.
I know they are traditional and effective, but if you intend to release any of your catches please consider trying a quick strike.
markrazzy - I use Q/S rigs for bigger shiners, suckers and chubs. Seems like a single hook is OK for bait that is a quick snack, but at about 5-6 inches live bait will support a couple of hooks. My Q/S rigs for live bait up to 10" are a pair of 3x strong #10s. This rig has also been "pressure tested" by 20 pounders.
Just my opinion based on my experience, user mileage may vary........
/m