# What hooks for Tarpon?



## jackieblue

Ive fished with a guide in Florida and caught one he estimated at 175-200# it took over 2 hours to get it in. I didn't pay attention to the hook he was using but I believe it was a j hook. I use 10 0 circles for bull reds and release all of them with good results. Would a big circle hook say a 10 0 work? I hope to go to Port O'Connor and try to locate some soon.


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## Permit Rat

I think it depends on the bait you were using. A live fish (mullet, pinfish) can take a circle hook much better than a live crab. That said, I never used circle hooks but in my day they were just beginning to be "discovered." My go-to hook for tarpon was the Mustad 9175 in 4/0 or 5/0, for any sized tarpon that might possibly come along. Can't say enough about this hook and it is the only style I carried in my box when I was a guide. I even devised a way to rig a live shrimp on one, so I didn't have to carry those Eagle Claw baitholders, anymore.


Here in Texas I would think that one should use a 3/0.... and a 2/0 might even be better, since many fish are juveniles (under 50 lbs.) and the tendency is to use softer rods here. A dedicated tarpon rod is more like a pool cue and can set a hook well. But we fish for trout and reds so much, that we don't need rods like that. But at the same time, who is not going to at lest cast to a school of tarpon, should they show up unexpectedly and all we have in the boat is a trout/redfish rod?


Be sure to touch up the point on a 9175, and I prefer to use a little hook stone, instead of a file. Diamond board would be second best. Triangulate the point in such a manner that the flat side of triangle is on the same side as the barb. YES, you might make the barb a little smaller, but that would help in deeper penetration. And if you hook up, you're not going to allow any slack in your line, so a tiny barb should not be an issue.....right?


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## Bill C

When I first started fishing for tarpon in Texas the word was to use 14/0 circle hooks. I took those to FL and they told me I was nuts. They were using 10/0 and 11/0 circles and catching tarpon with them. Thatâ€™s what I would use here in Texas if I was using bait instead of lures.

I would certainly listen to Permit Ratâ€™s advice too and experiment with different hooks and rigs to see what works best for you.


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## jackieblue

Thanks I'm somewhat excited about the prospect of hooking a Tarpon. I've heard the mouth is very bony is my reason for wanting to know the proper hook. I was using 4-6 0 kale hooks on the reds at Sabine and had lots of fish floating, switched to 10 0 circles and not a one has died. At least not at the scene of the catch.


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## Meadowlark

*Tarpon hook*

Jackie,

Attached is a picture of the hook I used back in the 70's to catch my first Texas Tarpon. It was a very special event to me...so special that I saved the hook/rigging and hung it in the replica mount where it resides today.

My guess is that it was about 5/0 triple x, long shank, mustad hook that I had rigged up for catching kings on cigar minnows. Turned out I used that same rig for many, many more Tarpon over the years through the 80's. When the rain minnows are running, they will hit just about anything you can get in front of them...even this simple rig works great. The wire leader did not in any way detract from the bite as best I could tell.

For flies, of course, a much smaller hook with a long shank is better...such as 2/0.

The Tarpon's mouth is very bony and this is one reason for the need for the "bow to the King" maneuver. My first Tarpon on the fly was lost exactly because of failure to execute that maneuver. Pressure during the jump just lifts the hook right out of that jaw.

Best of luck on your trip! You deserve to be excited and hopefully you will be rewarded.


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## Permit Rat

Meadowlark said:


> Jackie,
> 
> Attached is a picture of the hook I used back in the 70's to catch my first Texas Tarpon. It was a very special event to me...so special that I saved the hook/rigging and hung it in the replica mount where it resides today.
> 
> My guess is that it was about 5/0 triple x, long shank, mustad hook that I had rigged up for catching kings on cigar minnows. Turned out I used that same rig for many, many more Tarpon over the years through the 80's. When the rain minnows are running, they will hit just about anything you can get in front of them...even this simple rig works great. The wire leader did not in any way detract from the bite as best I could tell.
> 
> For flies, of course, a much smaller hook with a long shank is better...such as 2/0.
> 
> The Tarpon's mouth is very bony and this is one reason for the need for the "bow to the King" maneuver. My first Tarpon on the fly was lost exactly because of failure to execute that maneuver. Pressure during the jump just lifts the hook right out of that jaw.
> 
> Best of luck on your trip! You deserve to be excited and hopefully you will be rewarded.


Wow.â€¦.Meadowlark, I have read all your posts since I joined this forum. You are an exceptionally well versed fly fisherman in all aspects.

But I have to disagree with both of the 2 main points in your post; long shank hooks....and bowing to tarpon.

On short vs. long shank hooks, anyone can prove this for themselves, simply by taking a very short shank live bait hook (like my 9175); a medium shanked hook like a 3407; and then a 3Xlong shank hook. Using a length of mono, tie a loop knot into each hook and then barely impale them on any on any piece of wood. Then pull parallel with the piece of wood. Chances are, the 3X long hook will skip easily out of the wood. The medium shank will dig in more, but will probably come out with a few good tugs. Only the short shanked hook will endeavor to dig itself deeper into the wood and this is what you need for tarpon. In fact, Keys people use the 9175 for some flies. But for most of the popular patterns, there isn't enough shank to tie them onto, although I think today, the worm patterns are tied on these hooks.

We agree on one thing: Tarpon have an incredibly hard mouth. It is my contention that _almost_ nobody using flies or artificial lures, actually gets the hook IN, during the hookset. Rather, it works itself deeper into the bone, during the fight.

As for "bowing" to tarpon, this is a fly fishing technique, brought about in the early 1960's, possibly by Stu Apte. Occasionally, leaping tarpon were breaking tippets when they jumped, because the single strand tippet was just 12 inches away from the fish's body and a 100 lb. tarpon in the air weighs just that; 100 lbs., should they land on it. But our OP is bait fishing and will have 40-80 lb. leader at least 5-6 ft. long and no tarpon is going to break that if he lands on it. BTW, on the other end of the extreme, I have seen guys rear back when a big tarpon jumps and literally pull the thing backwards, while it is still airborne. This I do not advocate, but it can be done and believe it or not, has a purpose, especially when using jigs.

Nowadays (and for decades now), I do not bow to tarpon, even using fly tackle. In all my years of tarpon fishing, I have never lost a fish because it jumped and then landed back down on the line.


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## Meadowlark

Permit Rat said:


> ...
> Nowadays (and for decades now), I do not bow to tarpon, even using fly tackle. In all my years of tarpon fishing, I have never lost a fish because it jumped and then landed back down on the line.


Make a post trying to help a friend...any post on the internet these days... and someone will always take exception. Never fails.

Jackie, the rig I posted helped me catch many Tarpon on the Texas coast.

I offered it...not because it is anybody's standard(it isn't)...but because it worked for me over and over without fail and will work for you.

Regarding the bowing...to each his own. I know for certain why I do it and not particularly interested in debating it.

In my minds eye, it is as clear today as when it happened. My friend Jan was with me...the Tarpon jumped right after strip set and by keeping pressure I literally watched as I pulled the fly out of the jaw of the airborne fish where it was lodged. It was a certain visual that I will never forget, absolutely no doubt what happened. Jan asked me why I didn't bow...he never had to ask me that again, ever.

Again, best wishes to you Jackie, my friend.


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## jackieblue

Thanks to my friend Meadowlark whom I have known for many years. He has never gave me anything but sage advice. We talked about Tarpon back a long time ago when redfishing Fairfield. At that time I figured to never get to catch one. I went to Florida a couple of years ago and with a guide caught a nice one. Now I want to try to catch one at Port O'Connor, and we going Monday.


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## Sugars Pop

Standard for us when we fished Scott's tournaments back in the 1996-2007 time frame was a 16/0 circle hook with a 200 lb. mono leader.
Used this size for drifting shad, soft plastics and **** pops.


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## TrueblueTexican

*Since we primarily baitfish/cut bait fish*

With 12" plus mullet - most often we use wide gap circles / we have been having great success using Gamakatsu Big Cat Circles, the trick is to let that tarpon come tight - most hooksets in the top right or left side lip, occasionally in the corner - most folks just rip em away from the fish before they can do the trick - drag set should be where it slips at around 12-15# -

You can certainly get away with 8/0 to 12/0 too - we are after bigger fish most times --

tarpon aren't hook shy -


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## Ish

when flyfishing the only time you have to "bow to the king" is when you have your drag set too tight, which is the mistake most rookies make.


if you have the drag set only to prevent backlash and you're fighting the fish off the reel by palming the spool like you should be doing, when the fish jumps you just release the palm pressure until the fish settles back in the water, then you get back on it. 



sure, that eliminates all the drama and theatrics some anglers like to perform on the bow, but if you're doing it right you don't have to "bow".


drags should only be tightened towards the end of the fight, and even then only slightly. early in the fight you want the fish jumping around and making long sprint runs because that's how they burn the most energy and get gassed the fastest.


with a dragged cranked way down the fish doesn't sprint...he goes into "jog" mode and the fight drags on for way too long.


think about it...are you going to wear out faster with no pressure applied to you while you sprint and jump as hard as you can, or will you wear out faster with a piddling ~16 lb of resistance applied to you while you walk and/or jog everywhere?






re: hooks...j's and circle's both catch tarpon. period. use whichever one you like.


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## salty_waders

I have tarpon flies with hooks that are semi-circle. Not really a full circle like a bait circle hook. That seems like the best option for a tarpon lure or fly.


We landed one last Wednesday and it was hooked from the outside of its mouth in the corner of its jaw....Ive never seen that before.


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## Flyrod

I have fished many times down at Parismina, Costa Rica, one of the most noted tarpon fisheries anywhere. Have caught well over 100 tarpon.

They exclusively use circle hooks and tell everyone to bow.


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## Meadowlark

Flyrod said:


> I have fished many times down at Parismina, Costa Rica, one of the most noted tarpon fisheries anywhere. Have caught well over 100 tarpon.
> 
> They exclusively use circle hooks and tell everyone to bow.


Must be a lot of drama queens and theatrics lovers there, lol, or maybe all rookies.

Nope, it isn't any of those because I've been there also and they absolutely know what they are doing!


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## TrueblueTexican

*Hook Science*

Back in the day when I was sponsored by a Japanese hook maker, we went to a scientific hook seminar and went into the mechanics of how hooks were designed and how they should work, line tie points, best knots etc -

For hard charging fish like tarpon or offshore speedsters, short shank hooks were recommended, semi circle wide gap offset, before they were outlawed, were designed to start digging the moment they came in contact with the interior portion of a fishes mouth, hooksets were often deep in the gullet and subject to ripping out -

Most international billfish tournaments use short shank J XXX hooks , Tuna use straight shank XXX now mostly live bait hooks from Gamakatsu,

Tarpon with their bony tough mouth, and hard hitting charging style will most times (given the right person on the rod)- hook themselves, that's why circles are usually a best choice, as the tarpon engulfs the bait, you wait for the line to come tight - the hook however its positioned in the fishes mouth is DESIGNED to first slide if its in the gullet and then ROTATE at the moment the eye of the hook clears the edge of the jaw, where the hook THEN, starts digging, almost always getting purchase in the lip membrane (for me usually in the top side lip or the middle jaw membrane, that hook MUST be needle sharp to work correctly - (chemically sharpened usually sharpest) - before Circles were around many successful guides used short shank wide gape hooks, and indeed tried to drive that hook into that bone somewhere, I'd venture about a 50% success rate, with circles you will usually stay hooked, as long as other terminal points don't fail - If you have ever **** pop jigged ,you will know how hard and fast these fish are when in deeper water, I have caught tarpon from Islamorada to Nicaragua, seen many different styles, many different fish - I've caught more than I can count and really I burned out on them -- (too much work nowadays) I still enjoy the occasional fish, but would just as soon catch something to eat - Stu Apte really popularized "bowing" to Tarpon, usually because he was using a light tippet, since I never intentionally fished for tarpon with Chicken feathers, (but have caught a few incidental) I never bowed and relied on my drag, the times I have LOST tarpon was not due to the hook, but usually other failure of knot, leader etc - head shaking will usually dislodge ANY straight shank hook, break rigid leaders, bend what can bend -- keeping tight to the fish allows LESS slack to allow things "rattle" loose, the analogy would be like attaching a hook thru a hole in the lip edge of coffee can, shaking it on a loose leader, it falls out, doing the same thing on a tight leader and it will stay attached -- BUT Bow if it makes you fell better - keep a log for a year and compare Bowing VS staying tight - see for yourself -


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## Permit Rat

Good post, Trueblue. As I have said before, I used to use that 9175 in almost all my bait applications. Incidentally, I have never gut-hooked a tarpon, either. This is probably due to the fact that after several years of fishing on charters with my dad, and the captain would drop back a live mullet when the tarpon hit. 
This was a long,long time ago, but it was at least 50/50 as to whether the fish would be there when we eventually came tight. So I began to reason that the deepest a tarpon ever had a hooked bait (with hook, heavy leader, drag on the line, etc.), was usually when he first took it. So I began setting baits and then putting the rods in the holders on the gunwale. I pre-set the drags rather tight. When the fish hit, we just let him run and jump, while I went forward and threw off the anchor. By the time I got back to the stern, I told the angler to grab the rod. My only instruction was to keep the line as tight as possible. My catch/hook-up ratio went up dramatically and all fish were hooked in the mouth area.

Now I'm not saying this is the way to do it in Texas. Like Trueblue, I'm still a little burned out on tarpon and have yet to target them in the 3 years that I have been here. But that is how I would start out, if I ever felt the need again.....and then go from there, if necessary.

And as for bowing to tarpon, sure....go ahead a bow if you want to. Just remember that it was meant to be a fly fishing technique (and largely dis-proven, IMO) and not necessary with other forms of tackle. I would only SUGGEST that if you're using artificials on spin/casting gear, that bowing and throwing slack into your line, is only helping the tarpon shake loose your plug or jig, since they are of significantly more weight than a bare hook or a fly.


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## Ish

Flyrod said:


> I have fished many times down at Parismina, Costa Rica, one of the most noted tarpon fisheries anywhere. Have caught well over 100 tarpon.
> 
> They exclusively use circle hooks and tell everyone to bow.


of course they tell everyone to bow...because while they very well may know what they are doing, they also know that their average sport does not.

if i was taking sports' money i'd be telling them to bow too.

they know they can't rely on the sport to have the knowledge and experience to know how to fight the fish off the reel with the correct amount of palm pressure, and they can't expect the sport to know when to let off.

but that dudn't mean the correct technique is being used...it just means their using the technique that potentially maximizes the success rate of a sport that dudn't always know what they're doing.


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## Ish

Meadowlark said:


> Must be a lot of drama queens and theatrics lovers there, lol, or maybe all rookies.
> 
> Nope, it isn't any of those because I've been there also and they absolutely know what they are doing!


so you're claiming that every single angler that runs through that place knows exactly what they're doing...?

yep, i agree, you should keep bowing.


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## Ish

Permit Rat said:


> And as for bowing to tarpon, sure....go ahead a bow if you want to. Just remember that it was meant to be a fly fishing technique (and largely dis-proven, IMO) and not necessary with other forms of tackle. I would only SUGGEST that if you're using artificials on spin/casting gear, that bowing and throwing slack into your line, is only helping the tarpon shake loose your plug or jig, since they are of significantly more weight than a bare hook or a fly.


hey dumb-dumb, you should never make valid points or suggestions to any of the old, "more experienced" and prestigious anglers around here.

they know how they've always done it, they know it's the right way, and by God it's the only way.

pointing out better ways to do things does not fly around here cuz erbody and their egos get all butt-hurt.

let them bow, and let them look silly to all the anglers in the know.


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## lil mambo

keep up the conversation. you are all bringing up valid points.


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## jackieblue

Of the three we had on only one stayed hooked on. A double to start the day and one 4' came in the other got off. Later another was hooked but broke the hook of the hook on the first jump. This was an expensive Talvor, I believe made by Eagle Claw. The eye of the hook is welded up.


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## Ms. Salsa

10/0â€™s work best for me. Even on the ****-pops...10/0â€™s seem to be best size!


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## uscgnazzario

I like the trokar hooks in 7/0 or 8/0. As for Bowing I only do it when using a spinning rod with braided line and bait/crabs. If using a conventional rod with mono and jigs I do not bow. That is just my opinion and it has worked well for me for the last 15 years and a fair amount of poons.


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## Snookered

Permit Rat said:


> And if you hook up, you're not going to allow any slack in your line, so a tiny barb should not be an issue.....right?


bahahahaha! well, yeah, that's the plan for the angler, but may not always be the plan for the tarpon...

regarding hook size, you could poll 100 people and get 100 different answers on that one...I've landed small tarpon on fly rod throwing a clouser on a 1/0 J-hook, and also landed a big one on a 15/0 circle hook incidentally while fishing for sharks at the beach...you just never know what you might get lucky with...
snookered


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## Snookered

salty_waders said:


> I have tarpon flies with hooks that are semi-circle. Not really a full circle like a bait circle hook. That seems like the best option for a tarpon lure or fly.
> 
> We landed one last Wednesday and it was hooked from the outside of its mouth in the corner of its jaw....Ive never seen that before.


I landed a four footer last season on a swim bait that was originally hooked in the mouth, but during the fight, threw the hook and got re-hooked in it's eye socket (eye was fine, swam away with 20/20 strongly)...

a local angler here (who catches several dozen a year) hooked a little one in the mouth, and during the fight, the fly came out and re-lodged near the anal fin...evidently the tippet was wrapped around the fish...changed the fight for sure, but the fish was landed and released...

you just never know with tarpon, which makes them exciting fish to chase...
snookered


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## Meadowlark

Snookered said:


> â€¦/regarding hook size, you could poll 100 people and get 100 different answers on that one...I've landed small tarpon on fly rod throwing a clouser on a 1/0 J-hook, and also landed a big one on a 15/0 circle hook incidentally while fishing for sharks at the beach...you just never know what you might get lucky with...
> snookered


Very true words...they ring true to my experience as well. I've caught juvies on #4 and #6 bonefish flies....but wouldn't recommend it, LOL.


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## Snookered

Meadowlark said:


> Very true words...they ring true to my experience as well. I've caught juvies on #4 and #6 bonefish flies....but wouldn't recommend it, LOL.


LOL! I hear you...while I do like using my buggy-whipper, I have no interest in attempting to land a 5 foot tarpon on an 8-wt...

can it be done? likely....SHOULD it be done? 
snookered


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## Dubdee

I like wide gap, non-offset circles. Generally in the 8/0-10/0 range, but if I'm looking at 100lb+ class fish I'd move up to 12/0-14/0.


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