Bait/hook placement

[ifslob28]

Looking for a little advice on where/ how to put my hooks into bait.  For years I put a treble through the top of the fish's back with ok results, but the last few years I have been threading the hooks right behind the fin.  Seems like I get more flags but less landed fish.  Any advice would be appreciated. 

[fishysmell]

Normally I hook my bait just behind the head and have good luck with flags and hook ups.

[Lavman]

Recently Big Ben posted up about hooking through the cheeks of the bait and did not use a steel leader, said he had good luck with this and the bait was more lively and the pike liked that. I am going to drop the steel leader on half of my jacks and restring with mono and larger snell and try the cheek hooking.

[Fish-On-VT]

I hook 75% of mine in-front of the dorsal, the other 25% is behind the dorsal or thru the lip & out the nostril...

[FondoFishin]

Live bait: Just in front of the dorsal

Dead bait: behind the dorsal so the bait hangs nose down in the water.

[smithsfish]

i hook my larger bait in front of the dorsal, and my smaller bait behind!

[mrch33]

Recently Big Ben posted up about hooking through the cheeks of the bait and did not use a steel leader, said he had good luck with this and the bait was more lively and the pike liked that. I am going to drop the steel leader on half of my jacks and restring with mono and larger snell and try the cheek hooking.

I would go with a flouro leader.  its much harder to bite through and is harder to see in the water.  its a little more expensive but you can just buy it in leader lengths that makes it much cheaper

[northern nightmare]

I use a 50lb flouro leader and 2/0 bait holder hooks. I hook my bait from the back to the front along side the dorsal and then lay my hook flat. In theory the fishy will grab my bait from the front and bingo bango it's hooked. Seem to have pretty good luck and dont really lose many fish.

[ifslob28]

Thanks guys, from what I hear I am going to go back to hooking the fish on top in front of the dorsal again.  Its not quite as subtle as threading them but definately exposes more of the hook.  Had two nice fish get off the other day so need to switch up the way I do things.

[Lavman]

I use a 50lb flouro leader and 2/0 bait holder hooks. I hook my bait from the back to the front along side the dorsal and then lay my hook flat. In theory the fishy will grab my bait from the front and bingo bango it's hooked. Seem to have pretty good luck and dont really lose many fish.

Sounds like a winning set-up. What brand fluoro are you using? I have only found 30# in Seaquar brand - would that work?

[northern nightmare]

I use seagar flourocarbon. I got mine at dockside.

[finlessbrown]

i use 50lb yo-zury from fish 307. it works great

[Big Ben]

I hook the bigger baits like perch and goldens threw the nose. So they can breath threw their mouth they last longer ,and are able to swim better. That's also a great way to fish bait in a current. If you hook a shiner threw the back in a current when its looses its strength and it will lay on its side VS in the nose for a straight presentation.  Comman sense says don't use a 3/0 hook on perch bait for this method.

Ponds/bays with no current should maybe be fished threw the back for a better "dead hang". If your bait happens to die it will look better to a passing by predator.

I don't use Fluorocarbon for ice fishing, only in the soft water season. Fluorocarbon requires sun light for it's magic to work, 18" of ice doesn't help that cause.  

I am a Power Pro fan ...... but not on your jig stick it forms ice to fast because of the braid.

[stubborn1]

I use flouro leaders, and they seem to work.  I don't use very heavy flouro, but it has kept me from getting bitten off by pike.  Don't think that it is any more visible than mono or wire.  As for hooking, I don't fish in areas with current, so I hook just in front of the dorsal.  I've fished with guys who did lots of fancy bait piercing, and their hook-up rate was lower than mine.  Just my experience.  Good luck!

[gogetthegaff]

We've had real good luck with black Fireline for leaders. It's very low vis in the darkness under the ice. 20# seems fine for pike as long as you don't horse 'em. We use 8 lb for trout, eyes, etc. In fact we've caught several pike on perch set ups with 8# test this year with no break offs. I always place the hook in front of the dorsal just behind the head, parrallel to the spine with the point of the hook facing the head.

[fishingidjit]

Lace double #6's or double #8's behind the head. All fish eat their buddies head first so this setup makes a good hook-up as the hook points are facing away from the head.

[trout slayer 21]

if ur using single hook hold the bait fish twds u and insert the hook twds u buy dorsal fin and rotate hook up and  so this way ur not goin thro the fishes spine and its just firmly in the side .use it that way ull never lose a fish i was tought this buy and old timer lasts longer than threading and easy to get out than a treb hook

[1Badboy]

we face the smelt toward us and hook just in front of the top fin then pull it through and slide the hook through the gill and out the mouth...leaving the hook in the corner of the smelts mouth
havent missed a fish all year

[Troutmagnet]

Sounds like a winning set-up. What brand fluoro are you using? I have only found 30# in Seaquar brand - would that work?

I use 15 & 20 pound fluro on my leaders (depending on where I'm fishing). Rarely get any break-offs, if I do  it can usually be attributed to "operator error". Good Luck!!!

[mroy44]

I use 15 & 20 pound fluro on my leaders (depending on where I'm fishing). Rarely get any break-offs, if I do  it can usually be attributed to "operator error". Good Luck!!!

 

Yeah when you horse them is when they break off with lighter leader.  But sometimes the fish will turn and catch his teeth that will do it too.

[ifslob28]

my buddy caught a nice salmon yesterday with a treble and an octupus hook in addition to the other hook the fish was caught on in its mouth.  I guess they can still eat and survive with hooks in there.

[WildFisherWomanVT]

For pike... bait hook behind the dorsal.... flouro all the way...  works stellar for me.    I poo poo on steel leaders power pro and sinkers on my tipups..  = lots of failure for me.

[campfindit2]

Make my own steel leaders with 7Strand wire and crimps. Classic Outfitters has the hardware. Hook placement depends on quick strike or single hook. Singles are run beside the dorsal fin, quick strikes just behind pectoral fin and behind dorsal fin.