Live lining question
 

How often would you say you lip-hook a fish when LL? As a primarily C&R fisherman, I'm thinking (something I don't do well) that LL is not conducive to C&R. Am I wrong?? Obviously the spot gets the shaft no matter what you do with the Rock but I was just wondering. Educate me wise ones!!

IMHO - live lining is not good option for Catch / release - even with circle hooks. Summertime - again , IMHO is not best time to do C/R fishing for Rock.

To answer your question directly - it varies some days but overall for me - lip hook is about 25% and deep / gut hook 75%.

When I get a hit on a live Spot - I plan to keep the Rockfish so I let it run about 5 seconds so this could be reason I deep hook so many.

I'll get my limit - then try for other fish.

Thanks Skip, that confirms my thoughts. I don't do a lot of fishing this time of year anyway because of the higher water temps (and higher air temps for fat fishermen, hence the lack of reports lately). But to spend $15 on bloodworms, to try to catch spot, to try to catch rock, just to throw back, sounds like a lotta work, time, and money.
I'll stick with my red hoses when I have some meat hunters onboard OR stick to a crew of hot girls and a full cooler when I leave the dock!! :D

We tell customers to let it run 8-10 seconds. As long as 12 seconds if we are missing fish or using large spot. I want that spot all the way in it's spleen before the start cranking!

No C&R when livelining - near 100% mortality rate.