trolling macs - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

taggermike · 07-15-2015, 07:12 AM

Gotta nose hook em for trolling. If you butt hook you drag em backwards and kill them. You can also hook the mack under the the dorsal fin which makes them troll deeper. I switched from hooking my baits across the nose to going up thru the top jaw and out the top. This caused less foul hooking where the hook turns backward in to the baits' head. This season I have been rigging my baits with a bait needle like many east coast anglers do. I haven't been able to conduct a side by side comparison to see if the rigged get bit better. The baits definitely stay lively longer rigged than hooked. And I have yet to have a hook turn back in to the bait. Rigging also allows for the use of bigger hooks. For 8-10" macks I use 5/0 circle hooks. Mike

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07-15-2015, 07:12 AM	#5
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Gotta nose hook em for trolling. If you butt hook you drag em backwards and kill them. You can also hook the mack under the the dorsal fin which makes them troll deeper. I switched from hooking my baits across the nose to going up thru the top jaw and out the top. This caused less foul hooking where the hook turns backward in to the baits' head. This season I have been rigging my baits with a bait needle like many east coast anglers do. I haven't been able to conduct a side by side comparison to see if the rigged get bit better. The baits definitely stay lively longer rigged than hooked. And I have yet to have a hook turn back in to the bait. Rigging also allows for the use of bigger hooks. For 8-10" macks I use 5/0 circle hooks. Mike