b'HOOKS T he first important connection to a fish on the end of your line is of course your hook. A fish has found your bait and picked it up, but as you will be aware, it doesnt guarantee an instant hook-up and it very much depends on your style of hook as to what your next move is.Our instinct is to strike hard and lift the rod to set the hook, but often this will put off your prey and it will drop the bait and you have missed your chance.There are many styles of hooks, and we all have our favourites to suit the different methods such as ledger rigs, straylining or live baiting.Choosing to strike or not comes down to what hook you are using.I typically use hooks and baits when land-based fishing, either surfcasting, off the rocks or live baiting.This is because when boat fishing, I am predominately using lures these days.Not that this matters as the methods and style of hooks I am about to discuss can be employed on either boats or land.HOOK TYPESSnapper have tough mouths andThe most commonly used hook type you want a sharp, strong hook toby Kiwi anglers when bait fishing penetrate their hardened mouth.would be the Suicide or Octopus hook.These are basically the same design and were also often called beak hooks and typically come with a tilted back eyelet and offset point.Octopus hooks are short-shanked hooks that also feature a round shank and bend.They are best when bait fishing with minimal hook weight and size key for a natural bait presentation.Often employed for straylining for snapper, and I prefer to use them when fishing off the rocks or a boat and casting baits back into the berley trail.These hooks require you to set the hook and it is best to hold onto your rod ready for the strike.If you want to leave the rod in a rod holder, then it is advised to switch over to a circle or recurve style hook.A kingfish hooked perfectly inQuality brands to consider: the corner of the mouth on aBlack Magic, Eagle Claw, Edge, Black Magic 7/0 livebait hook. Gamakatsu, Mustad.38FISHING IN GODZONE NOV/DEC 2021'