Advise on hooks and swivel for Orion BigFoot 140

[Paul Lee]

Hi all.  I am a newbie in sport of GT popping.  I have recently purchased some BigFoot from Eric, and in his website, he recommends to use the 4/0 treble on the 140gms.  After reading all the very informative posts and advise on terminal equipment (eg: Luke's and Brandon's),  I notice that 5/0 are highly recommended for general to big GT type of fishing.  Will the 5/0 treble hooks be a good match for the lure size and will the hooks be sufficiently secure with 200lb test swivel or the 300 lbs?

[Mark Harris]

If only hook sizes were standardised then that question would be very easy to answer.

That being said, an Orion Bigfoot 140 screams out for a 5/0 of any brand I think.  4/0 seems like under-hooking to me.  Others might feel differently. 

[Sam Conacher]

Hi Paul.


with-out being rude at all or anything,


not that i know myself as there is and are plenty of other members hear who know much, much more then i do and that their knowledge and experience is far, far, far greater and superior then mine will ever be.


with and in regards to your question being - will the hooks be sufficiently secure with 200lb test swivel or the 300lbs?


again there's many other's (2 of which you already mentioned) who know heaps, heaps more then i do and maybe able to give and or provide a better answer or be of more help and or of better assistance if that is what you are seeking,  i myself do not see (why not) that hooks would not be sufficiently secure with 200lb test swivel/swivels,          if that makes sense?



if you are in doubt about the 200lb, go up to the 300lb, though i believe either way you can and or could go with either one -- 200lb/300lb.

[Nathan Cefai]

Hi mate

id say a Owner 5/0 ST76 on the rear end and 2 SJ41 cable tiedfor the belly of the lure,swims perfectly...200lb is  strong enough definetly..

[Brandon Khoo]

Paul, the Bigfoot 140 is a very forgiving lure on hooks. You could go easily enough with 2 Owner ST-76 4/0s or ST-66 5/0s. I tend to fish the lure with a ST76 5/0 on the belly and a single hook on the tail like an Owner SJ-51 11/0, Fisherman Shiden 13/0 or Shout Kudako 7/0.

If you like Baker rigs, then SJ41s in 11/0 or 13/0 work ok.  I prefer a single hook on the tail if I have a Baker on the belly.

on Swivels, I can only suggest you use high quality swivels. If the 200-300lb swivels really are capable of withstanding that weight, they should be fine

[Paul Lee]

Thanks guys.  Much appreciate all the inputs and info.  I will test it out on my next popping trip.
Cheers and happy popping.

[Sam Loh]

Hi Paul, just to share, I have a few success using only one Owner Super Mutu hook at the rear of stickbait without any hook on the belly. As such there won't be any hook fighting each other, stickbait tends to swim more natural, like any circle hook it is more safer on angler, easy on the catch and release as it always end up the the jaw side with 100% fish surviving rate because there won't be any hook swallowing or onto the belly. Also lesser hook off because it has an angle to it as compare to the usual round circle hook.

For the Bigfoot 140 I use the ring super mutu hook size 10/0. Give it a try and you will be surprised on the result

Cheers

[Brandon Khoo]

Sam,this is new to me! You run a circle hook on a lure and you've had good success with this?
The way a circle hook works is that a fish actually swallows it and swims away. As it swims away the hook comes out and the angle of it lodges it in the corner of the mouth of the fish. I'm just wondering how this works with an artificial which the fish will release as soon as it realises it is not something to eat. I'm really intrigued by this.

[Sam Loh]

By pure experiment I discovered using the super mutu hook during my first trip to Maldives. Initially it was all decoy treble hook but later I got very fustrated as l was loosing 70% of my fishes due to hook off because GT popping in Maldives required us to carry long distance sometime 100m hence the longer slack line and on top of that we all debarb our treble hook for safety reason - for both angler and fish.

Without thinking how the hooking mechanism I just rigged up a 8/0 owner super mutu hook at the rear of my tailwalk gunz 180 and a double hook at its belly. Upon the first strike a GT trearred off the double hook but subsquently I was able to landed 90% of my hook up, total 8 of various species of 3 are GTs within half a hour. Surprisingly all hook up were inside out with the debarb super mutu hook.

I landed a mackerel with the same setup on Orion crazy dog but added a baker on the belly. Again it was the mutu hook that penetrate its lower jaw and not the baker.

I have yet to try this setup on a popper but will certain give it a go next month to Maldives which I have loaded with all Super Mutu 8/0, 9/0 and 10/0 except treble hook. Understand how GT suck in from head down, will also try the head rigged method but with mutu.

Will share the outcome once back

Cheers

[Sam Loh]

Feel that I have the obligation to be specific - I have only tried the Super Mutu Hook both with and without ring. I personally don't think any light gauge mutu hook can withstand the power of GT and I have yet to try the conventional round circle hook.

The mackerel I hooked up last Sep, I added a swivel at the rear of my Orion before connecting the super mutu hook. Even so I couldn't understand how it hooked onto the mackerel's center lower jaw inside out instead on the jaw side.

Sam

[Chuen Fan]

Brandon, maybe you can experiment at NC next month with some bigger circles and give us a report!