# How to rig a fish head on a circle hook?



## Eleventy5 (Oct 9, 2013)

So I have been virtually stalking for a while on 2cool, and I am still a fishing newby. I am trying my hand at Surf Fishing, and my wife's hands as well! We have seen a couple of bull reds being pulled in at the end of sea wolf pier and want to get our hands on something bigger than the croakers and whiting that we have been able to land with pieces of shrimp. 

Our first attempt was last Friday, and it was miserable. choppy surf, wind blowing hard in off the water... I will check the surf cams before leaving the house from now on . But we were not to be dissuaded! Back out Saturday afternoon! We get to the beach, I set up my significant others bait rod and off she goes! Only to return in about 30 seconds with her first catch a smallish croaker. Hooked it behind the dorsal fin and threw it out on her surf rod and let it sit. Not sure where it went, but a short while later it was gone. In the inbetween we had caught several larger croaker and a whiting or two. 

Now to the heart of my question. I cut the head off of one of the larger bait fish and spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out how to put it on the big circle hook on my surf rig. I finally got it skewered through the side of it's cheek and up through where the rest of the fish would be if I had not cut it's body off. While this worked, and the head stayed attached through 3 casts, it did not entice anything to bite it! Also seeing other people fishing with heads (where I got the idea in the first place ) the head seems to slide down over the hook?!?! Is there an easy way to make this happen?

Any other tips you want to throw at me would be greatly appreciated as well!


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## jeeptex (Jul 28, 2009)

I run the hook through the bottom of the mouth and right out the top of the head. Just make sure you are as close to the end of the mouth as possible to leave plenty of hook exposed. On larger heads I will sometimes go in through the mouth and out the top of the head.

Good luck. Im sure someone on here has some nice pics or diagrams they could put up.


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## wickll (Oct 6, 2009)

Not sure I am doing it the best way, but I usually hook through the eye socket , then up through the top of the skull. Or from the back of the head and up through the top of the skull. I don't like to have much of the hook buried in the bait. I believe that to successfully hook a fish, it is best to have the "inside" of the circle as open as possible. Little fish will "peck" at it, but good sized fish will take the head, hook and all in their mouth. Works well for me, catching the nice size fish while not hooking little fish. I believe that the little fish pecking at it even attracts the bigger fish. Just let it set until the big one hits


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## edjman (Aug 13, 2013)

Just go through the eye sockets or in the mouth and out the top of the head. Make sure you leave plenty of the hook exposed or the circle hook won't work correctly. 



:work::work:
SLIMERS


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## fishtruck (Aug 9, 2004)

On croakers and whiting there are two holes that look like nostrils, this is a great place to hook them. It is a good fit and a good hold backed with bone and still leave lots of gap and with a circle hook the gap is what you should be worried about.

Rob C


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

All of the above will work fine, answer is it doesn't matter as long as you've got the hook exposed properly and it holds well. I run them up through the chin and out the forehead or on the meat portion behind the head depending on conditions. 

As for the live rigs, I've always ran the hook through the meat portion directly behind the anal vent and below the spine. Anything you hook there seems to last quite a long time.


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## SaltwaterTom (Jun 23, 2013)

justletmein said:


> As for the live rigs, I've always ran the hook through the meat portion directly behind the anal vent and below the spine. Anything you hook there seems to last quite a long time.


X2


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

All good answers, I have found that coming up through the bottom lips and out the top of the head gets more hook ups. Leave a lot of circle hook exposed for sure.
I don't have those hooked that way picked up and streaked down the beach and then reel it in and it looks untouched. Like it does some times when hooked through the eyes.


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## Eleventy5 (Oct 9, 2013)

Thanks for all the info! much appreciated!


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

I think that the guy's all covered of the basic's. I would add that I file or smash down the barb on my circle hooks. I use a 16/0 circle hook for BTB fishing and fishing from the sand. And I don't want to get one of them big boys stuck in my hand or any other body part. Also I don't think that I've lost many fish because of it. As stated above the most critical part is good hook exposure.


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

Oh, I forgot to add that if your just starting to use circle hooks, and when a fish strikes don't jerk the hook, just tighten the line and let the fish hook them selves. They will set the hook.


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## Lone-Star (Dec 19, 2009)

The head is the bait of last resort for me. Sure you can catch stuff on the head but in my experience you will catch more with portions of the body or the whole fish. I dont use a head unless it is all I have left and I cant catch any more.


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## Eleventy5 (Oct 9, 2013)

Lone-Star said:


> The head is the bait of last resort for me. Sure you can catch stuff on the head but in my experience you will catch more with portions of the body or the whole fish. I dont use a head unless it is all I have left and I cant catch any more.


I was wondering about this, when I cut the head off for my rod, I sliced two more sections of the body vertically. I hooked one of those through the side under the spine and out on the other side for my wife's rod. I would think this makes it a little easier for smaller fish to pick apart, but wondered if this might be more attractive than an ugly old head hangin out there.


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

I have found that I catch more with the head section. Now the head section is the head and about two more inches of the body. And most or a large portion of my fishing is BTB fishing 8-12+ feet of water. When fishing for slot reds and smaller fish I just use small portion of the fish.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

Not as big of a deal with bull reds. I would focus on getting hook through the hard part of skull. Through the chin out top of head. A red fish will crush the head and you will have plentybof room for a hookset. Sharp, big circle hooks. Whiting heads are my favorite baitsn seems to out fish mullet heads everytime.

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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Fishin' Soldier said:


> Not as big of a deal with bull reds. I would focus on getting hook through the hard part of skull. Through the chin out top of head. A red fish will crush the head and you will have plentybof room for a hookset. Sharp, big circle hooks. Whiting heads are my favorite baitsn seems to out fish mullet heads everytime.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk now Free


Whiting heads, to me is the best bait for bull reds. 
I have had slow days fishing using mullet, croakers, sand trout, skip jack, but when that first whiting gets caught and the head goes out hang on. The bull reds bite!
:dance:


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Lone-Star said:


> The head is the bait of last resort for me. Sure you can catch stuff on the head but in my experience you will catch more with portions of the body or the whole fish. I dont use a head unless it is all I have left and I cant catch any more.





Eleventy5 said:


> I was wondering about this, when I cut the head off for my rod, I sliced two more sections of the body vertically. I hooked one of those through the side under the spine and out on the other side for my wife's rod. I would think this makes it a little easier for smaller fish to pick apart, but wondered if this might be more attractive than an ugly old head hangin out there.





troutless said:


> I have found that I catch more with the head section. Now the head section is the head and about two more inches of the body. And most or a large portion of my fishing is BTB fishing 8-12+ feet of water. When fishing for slot reds and smaller fish I just use small portion of the fish.


That's funny, the heads are my first and go-to baits. I've thrown plenty of body and tail sections away and kept fishing with heads.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

justletmein said:


> That's funny, the heads are my first and go-to baits. I've thrown plenty of body and tail sections away and kept fishing with heads.


I am the same way. I've had too many body pieces come back in with nothing but skin hanging, little pin fish eat all the meat out. I've caught a lot of bull reds from the sand, the head is my preferred bait.

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