Help with live bait

[alzpalz]

Hi all i have been Bass fishing and using live bait,i have had lots of takes but always miss the fish.Any one know a good way of hooking the bait.

[Charter Skipper]

Are you using launce or mackerel..???

[alzpalz]

Hi Charter Skipper i am using live pout of the beach.

[Charter Skipper]

2/0 treble or 4/0 normal hook thro the lip will keep em alive longest,although pout are a bit fragile.

[alzpalz]

Thanks will give it a go,also after i wind in after a good bite there is some marks on the side of the pout do you think i should tie a second hook near the tail of the pout so it can still swim ok.

[John Marshall]

That will work, only drawback, the top hook will have to be fixed and live bait isn't all the same size.

More in put please guys,

[Charter Skipper]

Gotta stick with one hook,a second will compromise presentation,make the live bait as natural as poss.Don`t be tempted to strike the first take its usually the fish mouthing,on live bait the bite to pull into is the one that nearly pulls the rod from its rest.If your getting baits just marked in the mid section the fish are not really on the feed ,just playing .

[Pross]

Bass are supposed to crash into the bait first to stun the fish and bite on the second attempt so don't strike straight away.

[tjnorton]

I would gues your not gettin bass bites. It sounds more like cuttle fish. With live bait, use a 2 or 3o size fixed and a 4o on a slider like a pennel rig. With the first hook go throuhght the top lip and out, then place in 3/4 of the way down on the fishes stomach the last hook throught the botton and top lip.

tj

[gullyworm]

I think there are a few ways of hooking live fish but the method i always use is a 2/0-4/0 hook through the top lip and thats it.
I think to many hooks kill the bait and dont let it move about.