Question,
I was picking out hooks yesterday when I noticed that the eye on the top can go either to the left or the right.
(I've attached a picture below that I drew in the PAINT program...gimme some credit, eh?)

The guy in the store said it made a difference in how you hook the fish.....can anyone elaborate or explain this?

when you pull on the line it pulls the hook point a certain direction. With the eye at different angles this will change how that point is pulled.

with circle hooks (I have yet to not get a gut hook when using them) I am not sure how much this matters.

tie a line onto them both and then pull the line and see which way the hook point travels.

To get a direct pull, you should snell any hook that has an offset eye--no matter which side the eye goes to.

You can make a quick, easy and strong snell using a uni-knot.

Sweetie,
Either you're using the Area Rule SOBEY hooks or you got the barbs on the wrong side :rolleyes:

If you going to snell the hook or push a loop through the eye and slip the hook over the loop (in other words tieing the knot to the shank rather than the eye) I would use an offset hook. If your going to tie the hook on at the eye (with a polamar knot or the like) I would use a straight hook. This will cause the hook to pull straight in both cases.

If your gut hooking with circle hooks try the Eagle Claw L2004 lazer point 6/0. Don't bury the point in the bait, just hook it deep enough to keep it on. With chunks bring the line tight soon as they pick it up.

I've not had trouble gut-hooking yet, they seem to all get lip hooked. I was just wondering if there was a big difference. Good idea MikeT.

Mako, are you knocking my spectacular drawing?? I have no idea what Sobey hooks are, but my barbs are shown just as they are on the hook...

Oops, never mind. I was thinking of the little catches.... you're right.

sigh. I'm not much of a fisherman OR an artist...:bc:

I am a artist myself too. Did you doodle this on your computer, SF?

Yes, Notaro, mistakes and all.

Forget the fancy hooks. Get something like Mustad 3407 in 8/0. Use a 50 LB Ande leader. Old fashion but effective!!

SH, should I be using a wire leader due to bluefish in the area?

(what's Ande?)

Nope , no wire leader. You take your chance with blues when after stripers. the wire leader will shy the bass away.

Ande is a mono line that's been around as long as I can remember. All tackle shops should have some. There is Ande green which is an IGFA line. That means it actually breaks at or less than its rated strength. For a leader , I prefer Ande pink. That menas it breaks at no less than its rated strength. 50 LB Ande pink probably breaks at about 75 pounds. More importatntly as a leader , its thick and wear resistant. Great for use as a leaderr for bait fishing.

Lots of people recommend flourocarbon leaders but In my opinion they are not as tough as Ande. They are suppose to be more invisible but I'll take the toughness over the visibility edge.

There are a lot of modern hooks and leaders. What's importatnt about a hook is that its sharp and strong. The mustads are both and if you want even sharper , take a file to them. The Ande is tough stuff. Just an opinion but I would guess that more fish are caught on Mustad hooks and Ande leaders than most everything else combined. Its not yuppie modern style stuff but it works well!! :)

Thanks Saltheart, as usual, great info.

Fishing isn't about yuppie or modern. Not to me. I'll take the Dad and Granddad generation advice over my own age group anyday!

" Grandad Generation" ....... I think I'll drive to Newport now......and jump off the bridge!!! :)

Oh, stop.
You know what I mean. You aren't old, besides, *I* have more gray hair than you!

Please allow me to rephrase: Its nice to get such experienced advice from a young, hip, seasoned fisherman like yourself, a gentleman just exiting his 30's with the knowledge of a 50 year old pro.

How's that?

I like it!!! :)

SF, you sure bailed out of that one! :laughs:

You got a couple of gray hairs on you, SF? I thought that you are 25 years old?

SH, yes, it's true about the fluro leader. I used a 17 lbs stren fluro line as a leader and caught a ten inches blues from the wing's neck behind my uncle rick's house from his dock. but imagine a 4-10 lber maurader giving u a run for your spool! snap and pop!
SF, i used a nylon leader and it worked well for a 5 lbs class (1-5) bluefish. and i didnt see any damage bec i was using frank daiguhant ( pardon my sp...) hi-lo rig system. however, nylon is way tooo freaking stiff! it's bad for people with soft skins.