macs for halibut bait

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by steveooo

2 Words.

Trap. Hook.

Classic!

Like I said they almost always hit them in the midsection. I use traps with them but I like to run a shorter trap hook rig length to bait ratio then I do with Sardine and a larger treble hook. I then hook the treble in the top of the back behind the dorsal fin.

It's kind of the same way you rig a big Hud if you know that style of fishing.



Like I said Macs will often try to swim up, with that combined with the broken color pattern on the back makes a bigger hook less visible in the back, they last longer then if gut hooked and for some reason the hook up ratio is much better.

Looking at your pics both those fish hit midsection with the back in their mouth, with a large trap hook in the back behind the dorsal you would of had a good chance of hooking both those fish, also the top fish is bigger I'd say easily 15+ if that's a 7 inch mac.

You ever pull up a bait like that drop another mac right back on it's head. I got a 28 at Malibu doing that one day, and missed a even larger one I still keep thinking about right in the same spot a little later. You should of seen the teeth marks on that bait, all a 1/4 or more apart and the V created must of been three inches wide.