Just an observation: I usually use live macs circle hook through the nose and very seldom hook the striper anywhere but the lip. Yesterday using harbor pollack, circle hook through the nose, not a single lip hook, everything was deep.

Thoughts?

You waited to long to set the hook and the bait was already down the basses thought

Were the pollock and macs that same general size or were the pollock a lot smaller (length wise)?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Were the pollock and macs that same general size or were the pollock a lot smaller (length wise)?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Pollack about same length as macs. Trolling speed? They just inhale the pollack? Advantage of circle hook is you really don't have to "set the hook". While trolling tendency is to self-hook.

i think it also matters what way the fish runs once it picks the bait up.

i know the last few times i used circle hooks and live bait/ chunks, the fish that ran left to right where all hooked in the corner of the mouth but the fish that run straight out were hooked deeper in the mouth.

its when the fish doesnt turn after the take. i get it alot drifting chunks into the slick - they just keep swimming up the slick

try hooking them in front of their dorsal with the circle hooks Buzzy :)

try hooking them in front of their dorsal with the circle hooks Buzzy :)

That's what we did with pogies. Use to use a treble through each nostril but with circles we went to in front of the dorsal fin.