# Hi-Low rig hook recommendation and use?



## Wrangler (May 30, 2018)

Hi,

I am planning to take my nephews to Pt. Lookout this week. The goal of the trip is to hook as many fish as possible and have fun. What size hook do you recommend? I normally use #1 but am willing to go smaller for more fish. Do you use J hook or Circle hook and when do you set the hook?

Thank you!


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## Lukeksnyder1 (Nov 12, 2019)

Owner #4 circle hooks. Never set your hook. Just wait til the rod gives a big bend or the line goes slack and then start reeling (leave it in the sand spike for the small nibble taps and wait for the big bend or the slack). Used j hooks for 30 years and now use circles for 95 percent of all my fishing


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## Jerry Norris (Oct 14, 2016)

Use a #1 or smaller "J" hook with bloodworms, lug worms, grass shrimp or peelers. I've never had much luck with circle hooks for panfish. If you are fishing for spot, perch or small croakers, you can go to a #4 hook. We usually use spinner hooks.
Eagle Claw 128 2-Way Spinner Snelled Fish Hooks - 4 Pack | FishUSA


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## Wrangler (May 30, 2018)

Jerry Norris said:


> Use a #1 or smaller "J" hook with bloodworms, lug worms, grass shrimp or peelers. I've never had much luck with circle hooks for panfish. If you are fishing for spot, perch or small croakers, you can go to a #4 hook. We usually use spinner hooks.
> Eagle Claw 128 2-Way Spinner Snelled Fish Hooks - 4 Pack | FishUSA


do you set the hook on little nibbles?


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## Wrangler (May 30, 2018)

Lukeksnyder1 said:


> Owner #4 circle hooks. Never set your hook. Just wait til the rod gives a big bend or the line goes slack and then start reeling (leave it in the sand spike for the small nibble taps and wait for the big bend or the slack). Used j hooks for 30 years and now use circles for 95 percent of all my fishing


Thank you!


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## Espresso (Mar 18, 2005)

In my opinion it depends on how many rods you fish and how you plan to fish. If you only have 1 rod per person and want to catch anything, it's better to hold your rod vs dead stick it (place in a rod holder). There should be spots, croakers, whitings that will hit bloodworms and lugworms. I typically use a long shank size 4 J-hook on a hi-low rig. You could go slightly larger on hook size but may miss on smaller fish. It will land you those species. When the fish are extremely picky, only real bloodworms or lugworms will catch. BW will stay on your hook better. LW looks almost identical to BW but are very fragile. If you're lucky and hold your rod, you might catch 2-3 fish before your LW comes off the hook. I've caught 4-5 fish on the same piece of BW. The trick is holding your rod and setting the hook to prevent bait stealers. You'll end up landing the fish with your bait still on the hook. As soon as you feel a tap with J-hooks, set the hook hard. If there's no follow-up bites just reel it in and toss it out again. I always have a bag of fishbites bloodworms available as well. If you don't see anyone catching, bait one hook with real BW and the other with fishbites. At over $1 per worm, you'll be wasting real BW if fish are not around and it would be a free meal to the crabs. 

If you have more than one rod and want to target bigger fish such as blues, trout or the occasional striper then use circle hooks on those rods and dead stick them using cut bait. Croakers and whitings have been caught on cut bait in my experience. For smaller size bait, you can go as small as 3/0 up to 6/0. I don't think the larger fish are around yet but if you're using a spot head I would use a 7/0 or 8/0 hook on a fish finder rig.


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## Gorge (Jun 13, 2017)

owner #4 circles. do not set the hook on little nibbles. if the fish can't get a #4 in its mouth, fugedaboudit. Rebait and go again.


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## Wrangler (May 30, 2018)

Gorge said:


> owner #4 circles. do not set the hook on little nibbles. if the fish can't get a #4 in its mouth, fugedaboudit. Rebait and go again.


Thank you. Which one do you use?


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## Lukeksnyder1 (Nov 12, 2019)

mutu light


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## Gorge (Jun 13, 2017)

I use the mutu-light


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## jimim77 (May 6, 2016)

I use both. Muto light in 1/0 size for my 2 rods for hopefully bigger fish. My kids rod I use the 4 or 6 number mosquito hook.
My June trip we caught a lot of fish. I will say my 3 largest fish were in the smaller mosquito hooks. Lol go figure. A 1.8 lb pomp and 2 17 inch plus trout. So what do I know.

I’m going with same rigging next week when I go back. Except I’m also trying those salty pomp rigs.


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## Danta (Sep 22, 2015)

🍻


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)




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## Jerry Norris (Oct 14, 2016)

Wrangler said:


> do you set the hook on little nibbles?


With perch and spot if you don't set the hook they strip the hook and you wind up rebaiting all the time. Use whatever you feel works for you. I don't like circle hooks for panfish.


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

Jerry Norris said:


> With perch and spot if you don't set the hook they strip the hook and you wind up rebaiting all the time. Use whatever you feel works for you. I don't like circle hooks for panfish.


I agree. I wouldn't use circles hooks for pan fish either.


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## CoolDude (Sep 28, 2010)

For spot, which is probably all you're gonna catch (and undersized croaker) I use circles...a number 4 or number 6 and tip it with bloodworm fishbites to hold the bait on a little longer. No need to set the hook...just apply steady pressure once you start reeling.

Since you're at PLO, I'd put a J hooks on a rod or 2...with cut bait on them. There are lots of bluefish in the area and you'll probably loose a few on a circle hook...especially a "light" circle hook. Since those rods would be strickly for blues or occasional stripers...I'd go with a 1/0. The shank is usually long enough that the fish can't bite through and you can put a sizeable chunk of cutbait on. Oh, crabs are out in force 

Go to youtube and learn to build a "T-Rig" for your high low setup. If the eye of the hook is big enough, just slide the loop through it and over the end of the hook. If the eye of the hook is too small, cut the upper part of the loop and snell the hook with the now single lead.


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## jahtez (Aug 29, 2021)

If you're having problems with bait robbers (most likely crabs) you can use small fireball rigs or kingfish rigs with the little floats to help keep the bait off the bottom. These work well.


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