Loomesy Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Hi All Went for a fish from my favourite black fish spot this morning with fresh cabbage to see what was around. Fished for approx 2.5 hours with over a dozen downs but no hook up. The question i have is that I'm using new hooks. Mustard hooks that have a square profile and are made for luderick. Do these hooks perform better used like a circle hook with a longer take period and slow lift of the rod to hook the fish as i missed every single down today. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers Loomesy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volitan Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 No. They are very much a J hook, so should be fished like a J. I don’t recall ever having a special problem getting a hookup with those hooks. Could there have been some very small fish where you were fishing ? Maybe too small to even get the hook/bait in their mouths properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackfish Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Small Sawtail maybe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loomesy Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 I'm not sure. Just that this was the first time I had used these hooks, but could have been small fish or saw tail as when i would strike i would have maybe a 1-2 second fight then gone. I just thought I might have been using them wrong. Cheers Loomesy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
61 crusher Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 I’m wondering if they might be a touch small, I use a size 6 to 8 off the rocks in gamagatsu & have caught 35 to 55+cm fish on themThe gamaktsu seem to work better, the guys who helped me out suggested for me to use these instead of the mustard ones, interestingly a couple of the guys prefer using suicide hooks in similar sizes but extracting the hooks can be a pain I ended up making this de-hooker which I copied off one of the guys (made from flooring tongue) very handy for a deep hookup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
61 crusher Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Get some mustad 540 bronze in 8s and 6s or try some short shanked black chem sharpened 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 A hook is a pretty simple device, although there is hundreds of shapes and styles, most achieve the same thing, certain shapes "might" suit a particular type of bait better, but in the main, they all do the same "work" lots of people seem to go crazy over a new style of hook, or some brands marketing blurb about a hooks "features" but fish have been caught, and will continue to be caught on just about every type of hook ever made. Not that I am a great Blackfisherman, but I do get a few, I just buy those same hooks in the picture, or the 540 as mentioned, can't say that I have noticed any difference in hook up rates, I do know that at times, Blackfish can be "tricky" no idea what they get up to, but they can be near impossible to hook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burger Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 (edited) I use Daiichi 2171-b in a 6 or 8. 6 off the rocks and 8's in the harbour. cheers, stu. Edited May 13, 2021 by Burger 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 Like Burger, Daiichi 2171B is my go to. Not kept on the shelf or the rack at my local. Front counter, under glass. Handy little box for swivels and beads. I think Big Neil told me they are also used for tying flies, the bent shank. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 I like Daiichi 2174 hooks. They are the same as the 2171B's but green in colour (even though they don't look that green in my pic) and as Ryder said the bend in the shank helps the fly dubbing disguise the hook. 8's and 6's for bait, but I find the 10's give me a better hook up rate on flies, unless the fish are really biting well. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 1 hour ago, motiondave said: I used mustad size 10 for catching yellowtail @motiondaveThe idea of using a small hook on the fly is to encourage the fish to take it whole, rather than suck it in and possibly realise its a fake before taking a hook into it's mouth. Same reason I feel its important to trim the fly quite short. I assume your harbour yakkas must be a lot smaller than the ones we get down this way? Ours average around 200-250mm and I get them on #6, long shank Mustads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koalaboi Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 I only use the mustad 540 in size 8. Have tried the green hooks but don’t like them. Used to use size 10 but stick to 8 now and have done for many years. I usually find that lots of missed downs are usually bites from undersized fish. Try lengthening your leader, varying the depth, adding a little more lead under your float and the time you wait until lifting the rod to set the hook. These tactics may help but little blackfish are generally very hard to hook! KB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burger Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 I also have some 2174 green Daiichi's, but find with bait the green comes off after a couple of hours leaving a shiny silver hook. I prefer the 2171-B's. Probably different/fine when used as for a fly. To those using Mustad 540's, do you use a snell knot? cheers, stu. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 42 minutes ago, Burger said: I also have some 2174 green Daiichi's, but find with bait the green comes off after a couple of hours leaving a shiny silver hook. I prefer the 2171-B's. Probably different/fine when used as for a fly. I'm still using the 2174's that I bought in bulk quite some time ago. The green finish on older ones was far more durable and a darker green than the new ones. The flies get torn up after about 10 fish, so I just retire them and I find when using bait, sooner or later a fish will take the hook down deep and rather than try and recover it, I cut it off and tie on a new one. That being said, I carry the 2171-B's in my kit as well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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