Hooks for live bait

What hook type and size do you guys use for live shad? I am a lure guy and used live shad for the first time this past weekend and the hooks I had, fish were getting gut hooked a lot. Do you guys use circle hooks? If so, what size? Thanks.

I do a lot of catch and release with lures and bait. For live bait I use Eagle Claw barbless 3/0 lazer sharp circle hooks with a split ring in the eye of the hook. Even gut hooked fish come off with almost no injury. The barbless hooks create less injury to the bait and they are more lively when they swim.

Plus won !

Your target fish will be around next year,.

Definitely use circle hooks with live bait because fish tend to swallow live bait quicker than lures. Different brands don't seem to follow sizing conventions so I usually size the hooks to the bait I'm using. A 3/0, 4/0, or 5/0 usually. I like to use something that's nearly the size of my thumb when using a 6 inch live bait, shad or perch. I don't use stainless hooks. "Your mileage may differ."

I prefer 2/0 octopus J hooks

Gborg, what is the purpose of the split ring in the hook eye?

The split ring allow the circle hook to turn upright as it exits the fishes mouth. A straight pull will sometimes move the circle hook out of the fishes mouth without rotating into the fishes upper lip. The split ring ensures maximum hook ups.

I use owner #6 so the shad swim freely...

Very large circle hooks.

circle hooks it is then. Thanks guys.

Another vote for octopus J hooks hooks. I use the ones with an upturned eye and snell them. Very high hookup rate with very few thrown hooks!

thanks. I'll try them out too.

When you get tired of missing fish, come on over to the Khale hook gang. Size depends on the size of bait you're using.

If Im using the bait clicker, balloon, or other long line method where the fish can run with the bait I'm ok with the circle.

I am Khale hook guy myself. Light wire Gamakatsu usually 2/0 or 3/0

4/0 (mostly) Gamakatsu Octopus. When I started transitioning over from catfishin most of the time, I used circle hooks. That came to a screechin' halt after about two trips.

3/0 Owner Tournament Light circle hooks. When I started live bait fishing for stripers and hybrids I was using 1/0 circle hooks and was losing some fish. I would get some in and see that they were hooked in the skin just inside the mouth and the circle hook did not wrap around the jaw. Switched to the larger 3/0 and have not had an issue losing fish and almost all are hooked solidly in the jaw.

Khale hook no bigger than a 3/0 for me when fishing live bait for hybrids.

I've tried the 3/0 owner light circle hook this past weekend. Worked good. Had a couple sandbass that still got gut hooked, few that swallowed the whole bait and hook but didnt get hooked. They would just fall off the hook when I pull them out of the water. Also got alot of misses, which is fine for me cause I really weren't targeting sandbass. I catch so many of them and only keep the gut hooked ones. And that, still gives me plenty of sandbass to take home between the live bait, lures and slabs. The reason I wanted to use live bait was cause I heard the hybrids only biting shad right now. After 2 years of not catching one, I finally got one with the shad. Circle hook was where it suppose to be. In the corner of the mouth. Caught it on the last shad I had left. Sandbass made me go through my bait really fast. I may try the octopus and khale hooks but really don't care too much to increase my hookup ratios for sandbass. I'm fine with the circle hook getting swallowed and getting pulled out of the sandbass mouth without harm. If only my shad could survive that process, it would be great.

That's because you didn't use 4/0 Gama Oct.

In all seriousness though, I've had days where Hybrids will only eat live shad and I've had days where cut shad outfished live. Easily. If I know I'm on Hybrids, I'll have both out. I generally don't use shad that a sand bass can swallow, though.