Pennel rigs - same size or different hooks

[Kine262]

When making up Pennell rigs I don't know why but I have always used a slightly smaller hook on the top of the rig, ie 3/0 above and 4/0 below, or 4/0 above and 5/0 below. I also often tend to use a slightly thicker gauge hook on the bottom hook, for example a Kamasan 4446b on top but a 4447b below.

I don't know why I do this but I always have. Am I doing it wrong? Does it matter? How do you do it?

 

[Mukiwa]

That's an interesting point, I was doing the same , smaller on the top, but I found that most of my fish this year were caught on the top hook, so I changed to smaller on the bottom, and larger on the top.

Sounds crazy and goes against what is the norm. The thinking was on the lines of live bait fishing, where I put the bait he hind the big hook if that makes sence

 

[Mr Fish]

I don’t think it hurts if you need it for bait presentation as long as the smaller hook can also deal with a bigger fish if needed.

Someone did convince me years ago, with the logic that often the fish will take the top hook, so why wouldn’t you use two hooks of equal size and strength.

So generally I just use two the same. I suppose put it another way, is there any benefit to having a smaller second hook?
If the bait size and presentation needs it, then fair play, but I don’t think it matters too much either way as long as you’re not losing fish.

I think sometimes we get a bit over involved with producing perfect neatly presented baits, or indeed rigs, when the fish really don’t care what it looks like, as long as it vaguely resembles something they might eat and smells good.

 

[Mukiwa]

I don’t think it hurts if you need it for bait presentation as long as the smaller hook can also deal with a bigger fish if needed.

Someone did convince me years ago, with the logic that often the fish will take the top hook, so why wouldn’t you use two hooks of equal size and strength.

So generally I just use two the same. I suppose put it another way, is there any benefit to having a smaller second hook?
If the bait size and presentation needs it, then fair play, but I don’t think it matters too much either way as long as you’re not losing fish.

I think sometimes we get a bit over involved with producing perfect neatly presented baits, or indeed rigs, when the fish really don’t care what it looks like, as long as it vaguely resembles something they might eat and smells good.

Well put Mr Fish.

The reason I put a small hook, depends on what I am fishing for, with hound it's only to stop the rag worm, when they are feeding on it , from going up the snood. Because of big King rag , a bead stop didn't work for me.

The other reason I put a big hook on the front , was for bass. The smaller hook was easier to remove than a big hook, held the bait better when using worm, most of the time the second hook was set in the nose or in the sizzers.

Just an observation this year with so many fish caught on the second hook so adapted

 

[Mr Fish]

Well put Mr Fish.

The reason I put a small hook, depends on what I am fishing for, with hound it's only to stop the rag worm, when they are feeding on it , from going up the snood. Because of big King rag , a bead stop didn't work for me.

The other reason I put a big hook on the front , was for bass. The smaller hook was easier to remove than a big hook, held the bait better when using worm, most of the time the second hook was set in the nose or in the sizzers.

Just an observation this year with so many fish caught on the second hook so adapted

Yes, I do tend to use a second smaller ‘crab hook’ for sole fishing.
I agree that a more refined hook set up works better with delicate worm baits.
Tbh it’s not a bait we use as much on my local coast. The hounds want crab, or squid later in the season.
I know it’s good hound bait on the south coast, it doesn’t seem to do as much up here.
And for surf beach bass fishing I’m very much a big fish bait person. Have used worm but it just tends to pick up the smaller stuff, usually, on our coast.
My bassing targets are the bigger trophy fish, for photo and release, or the circa 4lb fish for release over the frying pan!

I guess as with anything it’s what you do and where you fish?

 

[Mukiwa]

Totally agree, I two are big bait lover, when I bait up on the worm, I use 3 or 4 King rag with, 4/0 or 5/0, hooks.

Hounds love the worm baits early season , same as you squid and crab later on.

agree with you, I don't want to fish for small, it has to be big, big girls need a big feed, that is what I go on .

I have change also, when fishing whole squid, when I make the rig, and tie on the hook, I leave the tag end long, so that when binding on the squid, I fold back the tag over the squid and bind, so that I don't have to use a pennel rig, squid I leave long, passed the bend of the hook, and with sizzers cut strips into squid to make a muppet, sorta.

Ok I am woffiling

 

[Jonah]

I tend to use same size top and bottom unless I am doing something quirky like presenting single worm with a squid head, in which case I go smaller at the top than the bottom.

I don't catch owt though so make of that what you will.

 

[Mr Fish]

Totally agree, I two are big bait lover, when I bait up on the worm, I use 3 or 4 King rag with, 4/0 or 5/0, hooks.

Hounds love the worm baits early season , same as you squid and crab later on.

agree with you, I don't want to fish for small, it has to be big, big girls need a big feed, that is what I go on .

I have change also, when fishing whole squid, when I make the rig, and tie on the hook, I leave the tag end long, so that when binding on the squid, I fold back the tag over the squid and bind, so that I don't have to use a pennel rig, squid I leave long, passed the bend of the hook, and with sizzers cut strips into squid to make a muppet, sorta.

Ok I am woffiling

Yes I noticed worm is one of the south coast baits but it really doesn’t do much up here. Oh, I expect the odd one would take it, but they’re usually moving into rocky areas where the crabs are just starting to peel so we match the hatch.

Added to that, king rag isn’t the easiest to come by here, the local shops get one delivery a week and it doesn’t appear naturally, so not something we use a great deal of.

 

[Simon b]

I use same size hooks, I don't mess about, worm on squid on chuck it out?

 

[Nottah747]

If I'm fishing a competition I sometimes use a small pennel set-up on the bottom snood whether that be be a loop rig or a 2 up clipped using three hooks.So the bottom snood is the pennel with two hooks usually a size 2 with a size 6 offset carp hook for the top hook and a top snood with a size 2 or 4 so still fishing three Hooks but only two snoods.
I usually use a large rag or lug on the pennel with a strip of mackerel ,squid or crab tied on.
Works for me.
Caught the undulate 8.75lb below on this rig last month on lug and mackerel it had both hooks in the mouth.
Pete

 

[Shirleycodlin]

I go same size but the top is a semi or full circle, held secure with neoprene sleeve or phone wire.

 

[Kevin3110]

Depends on the sizes of hooks to what I use.....

sometimes it could be say a Varivas 3/0 big mouth with a 2/0 big mouth TDE above, other times I’ll change the 2/0 pennel for a chinu. Smaller pulley’s and up and over’s I might go 2/0 BM with a 2/0 TDE with a sandeel bait, squid might go 4/0 BM & 4/0 TDE or 5/0 & 5/0 Chinu. Much bigger and it’s the 6/0 BM xtra with the 6/0 TDE xtra hooks.







All depends on baits I’m using/fish I’m trying to target.

 

[Tatunka joe]

Was useing a size 2 hook and a size 4 sakuma top gun on me sole rig last night kept the blacks nice and straight and it Caught so happy days

 

[Nottah747]

Was useing a size 2 hook and a size 4 sakuma top gun on me sole rig last night kept the blacks nice and straight and it Caught so happy days

Also good for when the dogs come out to play

 

[Tatunka joe]

Also good for when the dogs come out to play

Yes we were plagued by them last night probably why we didn’t get more sole ???