Questions on live rigging yakkas

[Gengar]

Hi All

I have had some success on live rigging yakkas but have some questions and see how i can improve. Basically i fish off wharves and use a 2 snelled rig (using 2 3/0 circle hooks with one pinned just before the dorsal fin and the other lower down the back) under a float. 

(1) I see most people seem to use octopus hooks rather than circle hooks. The reason I use a circle is because its under a float with about 5-10m of slack line. Most times I only know the fish is on when the rod bends which hopefully means the hook as already set. Should I consider using octopus hooks?

(2) If I used a simple running rig on a live yakka, do you also use a heavy sinker so that the yakka is more or less pinned to the ground? I am thinking of having two rods out, one on a float targeting the upper waterway and the other rod targeting the lower waterway.

(3) I use an adjustable snell (took me a while to learn and pretty sure i am doing it right) but notice that sometimes when i bring the yakka back in the hook has moved closer together and the yakka is in a straightjacket which probably made it die quicker. Do you guys use a fixed snell hook instead?

(4) I generally pin the hooks so that it goes from one side of the yakka to the other side. I have been watching youtube and notice a lot recommend putting the hooks under the skin so that the shank of the hook sits basically on stop of the fish.

Thanks all!

Cheers

[blaxland]

Seems to me your on the right track, If I use snelled hooks I put the top hook through the nose and the other somewhere further back above the centre line. but I fish out of a boat and may drift or poormans down rigger under a float may present better pinned near the dorsal as it swim arround one hook should do . As for fishing the water column under a float you are targeting pelagics like kingfish, bonito and tailor, weighted to the bottom or close you are targeting Flathead, flounder, jew  maybe snapper morwong etc. Circle hoooks are better if you catch and release.

[JonD]

I go through the soft part in front of the eyes.

[Gengar]

4 hours ago, blaxland said:

Seems to me your on the right track, If I use snelled hooks I put the top hook through the nose and the other somewhere further back above the centre line. but I fish out of a boat and may drift or poormans down rigger under a float may present better pinned near the dorsal as it swim arround one hook should do . As for fishing the water column under a float you are targeting pelagics like kingfish, bonito and tailor, weighted to the bottom or close you are targeting Flathead, flounder, jew  maybe snapper morwong etc. Circle hoooks are better if you catch and release.

Thanks for the reply. I am trying to target the pelagics so guess float is yhe way to go. Maybe i thrwo out a live yakka and strip squid boyh under floats.

Do u use just the one hook? What kind of hook do u use?

[blaxland]

21 hours ago, Gengar said:

Thanks for the reply. I am trying to target the pelagics so guess float is yhe way to go. Maybe i thrwo out a live yakka and strip squid boyh under floats.

Do u use just the one hook? What kind of hook do u use?

I have used live bait hooks which have thicker caliber material but now I use the same I think 0/4 black magic or similar I use for most rigs. As to depth trial and error is the way to go. You need to get he bait where the fish are.