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Random Quote: Keeping a boat nice is not difficult, just don't plan on doing anything else.
What is everyone using for hooks these days. I always used smallish bronze mustad live bait hooks or mustad big guns in the smaller sizes(when they were legal). Last year I tried some Frenzy's (4/0-6/0) and some of the same hooks I use for tuna mustad BL model in the same size. I feel like I miss lots of fish with these hooks. I try to bury the hook in the pogy chunk instead of impaling it on the hook, but it tends to fall out a bunch.
Has anyone gotten a ticket yet for using J hooks. Can't I say I'm fishing for lemonfish and the mangroves are just bycatch?
Until they look in your fish boxes and its full of mangroves and you just say" well.........um............(scratch scratch)" lol
But seriously, I haven't seen a ticket for anyone using J hooks, but I haven't been checked that closely yet, the only time I've been checked recently they didn't even open the boxes and all our rods were stowed so it was a moot point anyways
This weekend I tried a small Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hooks (1/0 I think) in pogies. It worked good for the small mangroves. When using live baits I've been using the Mustad 39950BL's 7/0. They work if I don't forget I'm using a circle hook and jerk. Still being a new circle hook convert it's hard for me not to jerk, but the circle hooks do get em. I just find with the circles I lose more live bait without a hook up. With the Mustad Big Game Live Bait Hooks I would hook up on almost every bait. With the circles I feel the mangrove kill the bait and wait for the line to peel off, but sometimes it doesn't happen. The bait is just gone.
Off the subject but concerning the newer regulations. Half way through making our snapper limit, a Red Snappy went crazy and knocked my vent tool out of my hand and into the water. We were all looking around at each other about what we should do?
Will make sure we have 2 vents on the boat for now on!
Non-stainless steel circle hooks are required, along with venting tools and dehooking
devices when angling for reef fish because they reduce mortality on
released fish.
I'm guessing that means that if you have "reef fish" in the boat, then you better have a vent tool, some circle hooks, and a de-hooker. And I guess if you are fishing on a reef, then you are considered fishing for "reef fish".
I use 2/0-4/0 circles as well.....but i think in general mangroves are sometimes master bait steelers....they hit like lightning...we miss a good many of them...i dont know if its because they are so quick but we probally average a 50% hook up ratio
I had always use Mustad circle hooks for over 25 years. I just don't know the number,but they are the cheap ones that sell 100 to a box that are 10/0 but if you put them next to other 10/0 circle hooks,they are about 2/3 the size smaller.They cost around $20.00 per box. A tip using circle hooks is the way you thread your leader thru the eye of the hook. The leader MUST be put thru the eye from the barb side of the hook to work right are your hook up will be less then 50% of the time. To check this,snell a hook both ways. From there,lay the leader in the palm of your other hand and pull it thru. The correct way will hook up in the corrner of your hand were the other way will slip thru without hooking up.
If live baiting, just hook the fish thru the lips,never jerk,just reel and let the fish hook itself! Hell,most of the time I just leave the rod in the rodholder and the fish hook themselfs 99% time.
I fish out of Dauphin Islan and usually only catch mangroves as incidental catches. We are snapper fishing sat but I was thinking of anchoring up on a rig sunday and chumming for mangroves. How far offshore do I need to be, or what is a preferred depth for starting out?
Thanks,
Maclin
The thing I hate most about the circle hooks is after hook up you must horse the mangroves away from the rig. With the circle hook you have to let the fish take the bait and just reel......SO from the get go the fish has the drop on you!
That's how I feel Gmack. I usually have the drags locked up on the reels when I set the hook I'm moving towards the back of the boat. If I'm tied up to the rig and let em take the bait for a second they get right back in the rig. When I catch 30-40 mangroves, I usually use about 60-70 hooks. Some due to blues and trash fish, but most break off in the rig.
Mangrove Snapper
