Dangles: as usual, Iron Mike is right on! IF $ is no object, then no- doubt Gami Live Bait hooks are the absolute best for Live- eeling! But they are VERY expensive!!
With the preponderance of rat Bluefish over the last few years-- even during traditionally Bass Witching hours!... and the ever- present rocky/ boulder- strewn Coastline that we fish here from Montauk to Newport (and as opposed to the sands of the Cape, N.J., P.I., etc.), I just find these hooks too cost- prohibitive! Not to mention the ever- present need to clip off our eel- hooks when taken deeply by a ready-for-release Bass...
The hooks #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& recommends are dirt- cheap by todays' standards: if they also work great-- then we'll be less shy about using them around Blues, or rocky/ sticky areas... & that in itself will produce more fish! (Can't tell you how many times I pulled a cow Bass from among small Blues!)
I'm sure the Ironman gets his hooks & tackle free at this point from eager sponsors/ tackle Co.s? (or at least he well should! He's the "Michael Jordan" of our sport!)
