Striper Luck Continues!

[Reel Tune]

Great rundown of your equipment, the correct equipment for the fight is essential for success, and with a 100% landing percentage it shows.

[JKTrevecca]

Thanks Adrian. My set-up is somewhat similar. I use Abu Garcia Ambassaduer c3's, ugly stick medium heavy 6'6 rods, 2oz egg sinkers above a swivel, 2-3 foot leaders, but where I differ is the hooks. I've never used circle hooks. I've used l042's and for the last few months have used octopus hooks. The biggest difference is hook size and I'm hoping that is what's hurting me because it's an easy fix. 2/0 might just be way to small for an 8 inch gizzard. I've been using primarily 2/0 hooks regardless of bait size. My last trip I used some gamu 4/0 octopus hooks and the fish landed came on that with the fishes missed on the 2/0's.

How are you fishing the circle hooks? Are your rods in rod holders at the time of strike or are you holding them. If they are in rod holders, are you doing anything to set the hook or relying on the strike/turn to set the hook for you? How fast are you getting to your rods in the event of a strike?

I don't set hooks when striper fishing. When the rod doubles over with the tip into the water and drag smoking like a choo-choo I wrestle the rod out of the holder and am careful to maintain tension/pressure but I never "set" the hook. I'm curious to know what your actions are from the time a fish strikes to when you have the rod in your hand and know for sure the hook is fully embedded in the mouth of the fish.

Thanks again man. Missing 5 of 6 pull downs/strikes SUCKS! I feel like my line of questioning makes me sound like an absolute rookie and I'm okay with that if it improves my landing ratio. I have no pride. The fish have won the last few battles but I will win the war! (any non-fisherman would read this and say "what a freaking dork")

-- Jason

[FloatNFish]

Awesome fish Adrian! Keep wearing em out.

[Adrian]

JK, if you never use Circle hooks for stripers, you owe it to yourself to go get you some. They do all the work for you. I put the rod in a rod holder & sometimes hold it in my lap. When the stripers swallow the bait and turn their head, that Circle hooks buries in the lip and it's "Fish On"! Once the rod tip hits the water & I hear the clicker I know it's coming into the boat. The 20 pounder my wife caught last week was on the Owner size 6 hook I was talking about. She was using 50lb Braid & 17lb fluorocarbon. You only get 1 fish per hook with those things if they are that big using a 6. I kept telling her, don't bend your hook out!

All that said, I think the Circle Hook is going to up your percentage dramatically.
BTW, I'm sure no one here thinks you're a Dork & we know by all your other posts that you are definitely not a Rookie. I'm totally expecting some pictures of some Big ones when you get your hooks.

[MNfisher]

Nice work Adrian! I impressed with your catches every year! Wish I had the gear or time to try this. It would take a lot of paddling in the yak to find the schools I would imagine.


Mike

[Reel Tune]

I fished with a very experienced Striper fisherman on Boone several years ago, and I always like to bring my own gear. We were using Brown Trout in the 10-14" range, and trolling them with planer boards. I decided to use 8/0 Owner Circle Hooks and he looked at me like I was nuts. I ended up going 3 for 3 that day all 30 - 35lbs. He said he never gets hookup ratios like that, so I think I changed his mind. Anytime I'm using live bait shiners, shad, trout, skipjack, cigar minnows, creek chubs, etc I'm using a circle hook appropriate to the size of the bait. The hooks are not cheap, but landing the fish quickly, and safely is more important.