Matching the hook size to the fish

[Chris Shelton]

I saw an interesting documetary on Kyknet recently on fishing in Hentiesbaai, and the bit on kabeljou fishing at the end made me think.

When baiting up for Kob, I tend to choose a 6/0 hook, because firstly, it matches the size of a half a pilchard perfectly, leaving behind a sizeable gape once the pilchard has been cottoned on, and Kob have got a large mouth. Even the smallest kob readily take a half a pilchard.

Now, the thing that interested me is that these guys were using no 10 hooks, yes, the same size hook that you would use for a Mrs Simpson fly. The reason being that they were targeting fish for the pot and they reckon that the hook-up rate is much better with the small hook, because the Kob swallows it in one time. Most of the hook-ups were deep in the throat.

I'm not quite sure if I'll ever go to this kind of extreme myself, because what do you do when you catch an undersize kob? Cut your line? Sure, the hook will rust out eventually, but I'm still not in favour of this kind of practice.

Anyway, I thought the documentary was interesting enough to mention.

[Halfstone]

I assume that they were using heavyduty hooks,don't think a standard nymph hook would be able to withstand such pressures unless the guys were using light-med. tackle and 10-15lb line.As a youngster I used to catch kob with #4&6 hooks with a sliding sinker in combo with bass rod and a Abumatic reel with 10lb line.

[Chris Shelton]

They were using standard Mustad hooks, the silver coloured ones

[chris williams]

Chris, I'm with you here. I think this practice is totally unethical especially as it is knowingly done. At best they could use bronzed not stainless hooks as at least these would rust quicker - see my rantings on another thread yesterday. If an undersized fish is hooked (or indeed any fish that is hooked deeply or in the gills) it's often better to cut the line as close to the hook and let the fish go rather than trying to remove the hook and risk even more injury. Guys years ago in England used a ghastly system to gut-hook pike. The fish would be left on a 'longline' with treble hooks in their innards for hours till the scum hauled them in. If one's going fishing for the pot, one's ethics/responsibility should also be for as quick and as humane a dispatching of the fish as possible.

Deliberately gut-hooking fish to me is redneck barbarity.

[chris williams]

PS, a lot of legal longliners in Oz/NZ use circle hooks with a wire appendage at the hook-eye to stop deep hooking so the fish usually only get lip-hooked so juveniles etc can be released

[Jasper]

PS, a lot of legal longliners in Oz/NZ use circle hooks with a wire appendage at the hook-eye to stop deep hooking so the fish usually only get lip-hooked so juveniles etc can be released

that sounds SOOOO sensible ... wish the damn longliners off our coast would do something like that!! ..... the sportfishers here use the area near the longliners and trawlers to fish to Tunny .... a "chum line" of all the small fish that have been killed!!!

in the bad old days the Durban shark anglers always allowed the shark to swallow the bait right down!! ... then struck repeatedly .. pulled the sharks guts up into its gullet - hence killing the big fish!!

[chris williams]

Apparently these adapted circles scare off smaller fish on average, have only an approx 2% mortality rate from releasing undersized as opposed to circa 40% on standard hooks, and also means sharks/lice etc are less likely to attack the hooked fish as with circles the fish have a bit more energy to fend for themselves. Thse are rough figures I've been given so I pass the info on 'in good faith'!

[Jasper]

unfortunately I think that we have more chance of falling pregnant than getting OUR dear longliners to adopt anything like that!!! :mad::eek:

[chris williams]

Maybe we can test out this interesting theory of yours after 'lights-out' on OV1??:eek: :eek: :eek: :D

[poppernel]

HI guys,

They used small hooks to catch small fish (for the pot) If a huge or big cob took the small bait on a small hook, the hook would straighten almost immediately, thus minimum damage to the fish.

Dave

[Chris Shelton]

HI guys,

They used small hooks to catch small fish (for the pot) If a huge or big cob took the small bait on a small hook, the hook would straighten almost immediately, thus minimum damage to the fish.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I never thought of it that way. Makes sense.

[chris williams]

Them guys must buy cheap hooks!..:D

[jock0]

Nah he probably just used grips. Anyone notice the footage of snapped hooks on wildfly the other night :) Ha ha, great advert...

[Byron]

Nah he probably just used grips. Anyone notice the footage of snapped hooks on wildfly the other night :) Ha ha, great advert...

So there is progress... snapped rods to snapped hooks :D