Octopus Hooks for Surf Sharks

[Latimeria]

I've used many hooks now and gravitate towards the octopus hooks.  They rotate in the mouth and catch much easier than a normal J hook or even a circle in my humble opinion.  Besides that they are not super bulky and have great penetrating power, but the weaknesses are they get a slight flex in them under heavy loads and they usually stop at 10/0.  I've never thought I needed anything bigger until I lost my last two fish and realized the bite and shank to barb length is short which probably means leading into a pulled hook.

After much searching, I found my answer in a heavy 12/0 Gamakatsu Big River hook.  The damn things are 10 times the price or more, but I am digging the design and can't wait to give it a try.  I started getting them ready for the surf and they look good all rigged up with wire!  Hopefully they catch the fish as good as they caught me!

Here is a standard 10/0 to the big river 12/0.



I can't wait....

[WheresMyBeer]

Holy crap!!  What a shank diff.

Just got my re-stock of Gama 10/0 Octo ... but damn may do that next time.

Did you say 10x price? Hmmm... maybe not.


You still use the offset eye for the shark rigs? Isn't that a problem with the big game double loop / crimp and shrink wrap?

[Latimeria]

Holy crap!!  What a shank diff.

Just got my re-stock of Gama 10/0 Octo ... but damn may do that next time.

Did you say 10x price? Hmmm... maybe not.


You still use the offset eye for the shark rigs? Isn't that a problem with the big game double loop / crimp and shrink wrap?

The hooks I've been getting, I've found on ebay in bulk for about 50 cents a hook.  These BR hooks don't come in bulk, only sets of 3 and the cheapest shipped I could find is just about $10 for 3 which makes it $3.33 a hook.  In the end, I think it will be worth it as I keep trying for bigger and bigger fish, so need to step things up in the mean time.
I wish I could find these in bulk as it may take the cost down a bit.

[Latimeria]

I haven't found the offset eye to be a problem.  I've been getting better crimping and heat sealing my hook crimps and they seem to work just fine.  Truthfully, I wish the 49 strand tie-able steel leader came in sizes about 90 pound test.  If they had a 135#, I would easily just snell the hook with it, but don't want to risk 90# as it is a little too thin for my liking on these big hooks.

[Eric H]

I wouldn't worry about the price, having your hook stick is more important.

Glad you found one that works for you.

[LONGCAST JOE]

Im guessing that 10/0 is one that you would use exclusively on your bay fishing rigs? as I noticed Its barbless or has been debarbed. Well, actually its probably more of an "educated the hard way guess" based on this experience of mine... I realize the thoery behind doing it is for easier penetration upon hookset so a few years back, it seemed like a good idea, thinking, since I always keep a taught line once I'm hooked up it should be of no negative consequence.So I tried debarbing my surf rigs hooks. It took me a few soaks but after a while I realized, when fishing the surf where your bait sits in any kind of turbulence,the barbs purpose is holding the bait on your hook more so than it is for keeping the hook set once your hooked into a fish. Usually a mack head pinned on through the nose won't come off a barbed hook no matter how it's cast, soaked or retreived for me. Not until reeling in a bare hook 3 consecutive times when doing bait checks, on what was a pinned on fresh mack head upon splash down , did it strike me that I'd probably been soaking bare hooks for 85 of the last 90 minutes. Just 1 of uncountable lessons Ive learned over the years when it comes to the nuances of this sport... So is my guess correct, that if fishing from the shore you would'nt use that barbless on a rig unless its in the bay or where you would cast out well beyond any waves?...
JOE

[sasquatch]

Look closer, I had to, that is a barbed hook. I think barbless would be right next to circle hooks on Tom's list of hated things.

[LONGCAST JOE]

Look closer, I had to, that is a barbed hook. I think barbless would be right next to circle hooks on Tom's list of hated things.

Oh, ok, now that I look close....you can tell I was baffled by the barbless ...So Tom won't be seen using barbless circles anytime soon Id guess...

[Eric H]

I over looked that hook being barbless. A simple head shake will pop that puppy loose.

[Latimeria]

It's not barbless.... Just blends into the background.

[lamnidae]

Both have barbs.