Shark Hooks

[Bend-Lure]

What are you guys using for shark hooks? Circles? Mustad 39960? 20/0?

Does it even matter? Are you just throwing a slab of bait on the biggest strongest hook you can find?

[Russ D]

Big cirlces, wired to a 3-4 foot secontion of heavy single strand, then a heavy swivel to 15 foot of 300-400# mono.

[rich daiker]

I still use "J" hooks 10/0---12/0----sometimes in tandem with a shell squid to add a little color....6 ft of 278 lb wire and a 300 lb wind on leader

[Bend-Lure]

I guess the risk in going toooo big with the hook is that you won't hook the bluefish that keep stealing your bait. I saw some 20/0 circles on ebay last night and wondered if anyone was using them.

[Russ D]

J's work great Rich but circles once set will never pull out. We've been 100% on hookups and fish landed since switching. Bend I need to check and see which size I'm using, but we keep toss baits on smaller rigs for when the blues show up.

[sloth]

Big cirlces, wired to a 3-4 foot secontion of heavy single strand, then a heavy swivel to 15 foot of 300-400# mono.

Russ when you "set" the C-hook on a shark, is it similar to marlin, i.e. slowly engage the drag, point the rod at the fish, & wind tight? Do you give it any drop-back 1st? Do you wait until the fish is running at an angle? What's the process?

I've had great success with C-hooks on billfish, & I'm thinking of switching over on sharks. Thanks!

[Russ D]

I leave the drag on the rod at about 1/2 strike. That way as soon as they eat it heads for the corner of the mouth. I give it a few seconds and go to strike. By then it's right where it should be. At that point its virtually impossible for the fish to throw the hook. The good thing about wire to the hook is that it has room to swing around. I think the key is to use smaller baits that they can eat quickly and keep the hook as free as you can. For a whole fish bait I pin the bait above the hook and leave the circle free to swimg behind it.