Which tuna hooks for fly lining bait?

[pjstevko]

I'm starting to get gear together for a short multi day trip in late summer early fall and need help with bait hooks.....

Generally I prefer to use lures/jigs etc but if I'm gonna travel all that way and spend decent $$ than I don't want to hinder my chance at success but limiting myself to lures only.

So what brand and size hooks should I have for fly lining sardines/mackerel to SD tuna (yft/bft)?

Thanks
Pj

[Swami805]

Hard to beat Owners,flyliner,mutu,super-mutu. Ringed or not ringed. A lot will depend on the size of the bait to figure out the size of the hook. Might wait until you get to the landing and buy them then when you'll know the bait size. Also most boats sell that stuff on board too. It's hard not to obsess a little I know

[Ron Jones]

I am pretty much sold on Super-mutu ringed circle hooks. Worked for me everywhere all last year. I'm ready to buy stock.
The Man

[Keta]

I use ringed Owner, Mustad and Gamakatsu hooks.  I ring the low price Mustad hooks and use them when the pest fish are thick so the more $ hooks last the trip.  I'll look up the Mustad hook # and post it and a few other hook numbers later today.  Mustad Ultra Point hooks will also work well.

Owner Super Mutu, Flyliner and Guerrilla   

Gamakatsu  Live Bait

[MarkT]

For cheap hooks for schoolie Tuna and Dorado I like the Mustad 94151.  That's your standard bronze colored bait hook with a slightly turned in point.
For bigger fish I like the Owner Gorilla.  In circle hooks I use the Mustad 3x or 4x perfect circles or Owner Super Mutu.

You size the hook to the bait, not the size of the fish you're trying to catch.  Usually a 2/0 for Sardines and a 4/0 for Mac's.

[Keta]

For cheap hooks for schoolie Tuna and Dorado I like the Mustad 94151.  That's your standard bronze colored bait hook with a slightly turned in point.

Thanks Mark, the bronze Mustad 94151 hooks are the ones I ring and use when the rats are eating the paint off the bottom of the boat and I don't want my big $ hooks going in the slush tank.

[SoCalAngler]

For most fishing I use the Mustad short shank hooks for fly line, I don't remember the model number it may be the same as above but I know them when I see them.

I am often given hooks to try out or get freebies when fishing tourney's so I have tried a lot.  Gamakatsu, Owner, Eagle Claw and others are in my hook box right now and all seem to work about the same.

Now you will need to decide if you want to go J, circle, ringed or not in your hook selection. I now only use circles when hunting big game for everything else I use J's for bait but I set the J hooks just like a circle hook when fly lining.

[Keta]

.....I set the J hooks just like a circle hook when fly lining.

Me too and get a lot of J hooks in the corner of the jaw.  I use C hooks for tuna but not YT.   For Pacific halibut I use 16/0 Mustad C hooks.

[SoCalAngler]

Also if you don't want to buy the whole range of hooks from say #2 thru 4/0 you may want to wait until your trip is a couple of weeks away to see whats working or just grab some at the landing before your trip. I have been on trips where a #2 even with deans are the only thing that will get bit. I also tend to go a size or two smaller than what the deckhands recommend in hopes of keeping my bait fresher longer.

[pjstevko]

My semi local Turners was having a sale on Gamakatsu hooks so I picked up a few different sizes. I hate trying to buy hooks at the landing right before a trip.... Here's what I got, what do you guys think?

[Swami805]

Looks good! Might want a few bigger ones if you're using bigger mackeral. Takes a little practice to use those small circle hooks on a live bait if you've never done it.

[SoCalAngler]

Looks good! Might want a few bigger ones if you're using bigger mackeral. Takes a little practice to use those small circle hooks on a live bait if you've never done it.

Especially if you butt hook your bait.

I don't know how long of a trip you plan on going on but if your thinking about trying to catch the larger BFT here in So Cal you may want to wait to buy the larger hooks. Who knows if the big fish will show again this year or be around when your trip leaves.

4/0 circles were what most boats were recommending for bait on the larger BFT. If you have another use for hooks that size then buy them, if not you may want to wait.

If the BFT is your target remember the limit is 2 fish per day.  So one small pack like the ones you have shown should be fine. You should not go thru a lot of hooks, if you are something is very wrong in your approach.

[pjstevko]

Any updates on your circle hook choice for bft?

I'm thinking of trying out the ringed Charlie Brown circle hooks.....

[MarkT]

Last week I was using owner 2/0 mutu, we had nice big sardines. For smaller 'dines I like the Mustad demon offset ringed 2/0 which are pretty small.  The quick rig 2/0 Charlie browns are very strong, fairly thin wire and smaller than the 2/0 mutu.  I use a bigger hook for a night sinker rig since it isn't visible. Go as small as you can during the day for stealth!

[Swami805]

The Cadillac of hooks, can't go wrong with those.
Get some non ringed small J hooks too in case the bait is weak they're not towing around all that hardware. Sometimes a small fiesty bait will out fish a big beat up one. Doesn't cost much for those