How Do You Hook The Jews?

[RPL]

I fish live baits, eg squid. I get takes starting slow then long runs. I let them take it for about 10 seconds then strike.

I fish with a live squid aprox 10cm long and a 8/0 suicide hook.

What am i doing wrong?

I strike to early?

I let it take more line, i dont strike at all?

It happend to me heaps on sat night. Pick ups and drops. PLz help me land my 2nd.

[TheDiko]

I reckon go with some Octopus Circles, for 10cm squid I recommend a sliding snell rig with 6/0 hooks.

With circles you don't need to strike but increase the drag and stop their run. Because of the way the circle hooks are designed, they will come out of the fish's gut without hooking and get caught in the corner of the mouth.

If you fish them this way you're bound to be landing those picky fish.

IFS

[caine]

yes switch to a 2 hook 6/0 rig

i dont run sliding snell, i prefer a fixed snell, cause i have had the top hook slide down and pop off the bottom hook once

[Mondo Rock]

I've had the same thing happen to me RPL and I was told by an old hand at jewfishing (from this site) not to underestimate how hard jewie mouths are, to keep your hooks sharp and to strike really hard once you feel the fish running. Sometimes you need to strike two or three times, until you feel the fish is hooked.

I'm not so sure about the octopus hooks, as I reckon you need every advantage when you're trying to hook up to a jewie. Octopus hooks may be 90% as effective as J hooks, but that's 10% that you might need with a big jew - I'd stick to a snelled two-hook regular pattern 7/0 or 8/0. Although I have to admit that I don't use octopus hooks very often, and I also haven't ever landed a jew!!

[Guest]

I have let Jews run and the turds drop the bait Now the reel is in strike and as soon as I get a bite I wack em they must have it in their mouth and two big 10/0s wont miss

Cheers Stewy

[caine]

i dont think you need to strike to hard, they hit like trains! and are always hooked when you pick up the rod

[RPL]

i dont think you need to strike to hard, they hit like trains! and are always hooked when you pick up the rod

No not always the case, sometimes they will muck around with the bait.

Ill go wed and let you know how i go.

BTW how do you use two hooks if your using a livie?

[bolan]

I run a two hook sliding rig with 7 or 8'0 hooks, however, lastweekend I lost approx 10 butterflied "livies" that I had caught that afternoon and by 4.30am, and on my last fillet, I was desperate.

Not sure what I was up against, but getting the odd good run, I needed to know what was sitting 60ft below.

I tried a new set up , this being a sliding 7'0 with a treble sitting at the end.

I ran the 7'0 through the eye and shoved the treble where the backbone used to be with one hook from the treble going through each fillet and the third sitting nice and cosy inside. 3 minutes later, I had my adversary on board. A 600mm black tipped shark- and rather fat.

The treble , although not used as much, is widely used by many fishos as a serious part of a rig mainly used for kingys.

Put a sliding hook up front, and a lethal treble down back. Some of my mates, (Who are great fishos) swear by them!

[RPL]

Yea thanks for the advice boys. I know its not always favorable to fish unweighted but do you think because it was weighted the jew might of got a sense that the squid wasn't natural.

I was using a size 2 ball sinker.

[Red]

I have let Jews run and the turds drop the bait Now the reel is in strike and as soon as I get a bite I wack em they must have it in their mouth and two big 10/0s wont miss

Cheers Stewy

Good advise there Stewy. A pair of big sharp hooks are the way to go. Sure baitrunner works and some swear by it but you will miss a few here and there and thats frustrating.

Just leave the reel in gear with heavy drag, watch the rod buckle and listen to the sweet sound of braid howling through the guides. Awesome!

Cheers

Red

[humesy]

I am finding the whole live bait thing hit and miss. It seems to depend entirely on the jewie and the way they are feeding. I have had both types of bite recently. The bite with no hook up; jewie picks up fish, runs a bit and drops it when pressure is felt (livie comes back with distinctive teeth marks). Then most recently the big hit with screaming drag. No mucking about, Jewie slams livie and heads for the hills, fully hooked. Lost the damn fish though My 2 lines had crossed in the dark and both reels were screaming. It was 50/50 and I picked the wrong rod. The pressure/friction of the 2 braided lines pulling tight in opposite directions was too much and I felt a pop through the line I was holding.

Thats the frustration with jewie fishing. Having spent a few years trying to track the buggers down, I am not yet converting all my hook ups.

I was sold a packet of triple strength trebles the other day, mainly to use with squid/flesh baits. Its not the most humane way to fish as the treble is supposed to get caught in the gills. When they end up as dinner, I don't have a problem with it though.

Good luck.

Edited May 15, 2007 by humesy

[fishyfingers]

never tried the treble, might give it a go.

I've been using a sliding snell rig with a 7'0 top and 10'0 or 11'0 bottom

if it aint big enough to fit an 11'0 in it's mouth it can get nicked!