I WAS READING THE POST ON THE PERCH AND SAW WHERE NOT EVERYONE HOOKS THEIR BAIT THE SAME WAY, JUST WONDERING WHAT SOME OF THE PEOPLES THOUGHTS WERE. I PERSONALLY HOOK THEM THROUGH THE EYE SOCKETS AND NEVER LOSE THE BAIT BUT OCASSIONALLY MISS THE FISH, I USE AROUND A 4/0 SIZE HOOK.

I use 2/0 or 3/0 hooks kahle style, have messed with circle hooks, but i always go thru the nostril.

Do not know about bait at Proctor, it was easy last year, but have not heard for this year.

I have always hooked my live baits just like I do a minnow. Behind the dorsal fin so the fish hangs horizontally . Now I have been known to lose baits easier than throught he eyes, but if you are paying attention, there isn't a difference.

I like the kahle hooks as well for live shad.
I always hook them trough the nostrils.

cattle69,

I haven't talked to you in a while. Are they biting at proctor yet??

JT

On shad i run the hook in thru the mouth and out the upper lip so water runs thru the mouth giving them water which creates oxygen thru the gills. Plus I heard a fish will try to swallow the head first creating a chance of getting hooked. On perch I have ran hook in below bottom lip and out thru top lip so there mouth is hooked closed and easier to swallow. A perch needs a double hook so it wont get off. Plus if i set the hook perch might live thru it to get bit again.

ON big shad, and i mean 8 inches up, i hook them thru the upper lip and out one nostril, thanks 8lb for saying that as i forgot.

on perch if the bite is subtle, then i will hook them thru both lips, especially the small ones.

I usually hook small shad through the eye sockets as it appears to keep them alive much longer as there is very little stress to them and they almost always get hit in the eye so you get an immediate hook up.

For faster, bigger bait, I usually hook through the lips as described above. On these fish I find that the eye sockets do not hold the hook in place and the hook often works its way out so that it foul hooks them on the side, making it very easy to miss the strike because the barb is buried in the bait.

Also, bigger bait is usually much heartier than small shad anyway so there is little or no benefit to hooking them through the eye sockets in my opinion.

If I'm drifting, I never hook behind the fin but do on occasion if I'm anchored with bait either straight down or free swimming on balloons - my favorite way to live bait fish - click, click, click, click, etc... Love to hear the clicker run and see the balloon as it lets you know which way to set the hook.

My hook size depends on the size of bait. Big bait - big hook, small bait, small hook.
Good luck,
BlueMoon