# What was it? What did I do wrong.



## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

This June I went down to the fort Morgan pier a couple times to try for shark or redfish and got skunked. We were catching croakers off the pier and hooking them everywhere with a 4/0 circle hook on a Carolina rig with a 2oz barel weight and slinging them out about 50 yards or so. Every fish, probably 20-30 got hit, but we didn't get a single hook up. A few were obviously small sharks as they were just chomped in two, but most of the hooks that we got back that weren't bare had a chunk of fish that looked like it had been run over by a truck. I figure those were redfish, but have no proof because we never hooked up. We hooked them behind the head, behind the dorsal fin, at the tail and through the nose and got either a bare hook or a chunk of fish.

What did we do wrong?


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

We used to have a hard time with catfish and some other bottom feeders that would maul the baits up pretty bad.
If you think there are small sharks playing with the baits, throw one out with a smaller hook and bait to attempt a hookup and see.
When we used to shark fish a lot, we would let the shark pick up the bait- they would usually make a short run, then stop..... Then eat and go! Are you allowing time for the shark to eat before attempting to set the hook?
Hope this was helpful.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

I think so. When I fish for bigger sharks I let them run quite a bit. These seemed to just play with it a bit and then just leave it. After about 10 minutes with no more action we would get what I described. I think some were small sharks, but not many. These were pretty good sized live croaker. Could a catfish do that to a live one? Why no hookups?


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

More often than not, if the bait looks like it was run over by a truck, as you described, it was probably a bull red. Live croakers are almost second to none when it comes to fishing for big reds. The only thing I can think of is that maybe you weren't allowing the red to run long enough with the bait first? That or the hook was too small. I always use either 5/0s or 7/0s, & I usually use Eagle Claw, which are generally a bit larger than comparably rated hooks from other brands like Owner, Gamakatsu, Mustad, etc. Sorry to hear you guys didn't do so well!


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

Thanks, I'll get some bigger hooks for next year. We would have torn them up if we could have hooked them. Will they be on the sound side in Navarre? That's where we'll be next summer.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Like ThaFish said, maybe try a bigger hook. Also, be sure you're not hooking the bait too deep, filling up the bite of the hook - which doen't leave enough room to hook the fish. And a drag that is too loose or a rod that is too soft will cause the fish to notice something's wrong and spit the bait before the circle hook rolls up in his jaw. Good luck next time.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

I'm gonna say you weren't wearing a salt life shirt


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Take the hike and go to the other side. Beach side. I have done that once and all we caught were little 10 shark around three foot and smaller with pinfish on carolina rig.


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