Chix Livers

[ratherbe]

With weather turning a bit, time to chase the night bite with some chix livers. I currently use small rubber bands (kids USED to love the loom bracelets....) to help keep them on the hook. Looking for some tips to help clean up the process. Nothing worse then a rubber band snapping liver gunk in your face....

Any better techniques out there? Fish finder rig still the most popular go to?Appreciate the input fellas.

[Andrushkin33]

Dental Floss.

Enough said

Andre

[Jhunter1]

Dental Floss.

Enough said

Andre

Agreed

[mondofish]

Back in May, I met an Englishman new to the area while fishing the Hook. I gave him a couple of rigs after he lost a few to some large blues. When I was leaving he gave me elastic fishing thread. It worked very well with bunker chunks. I'm sure it would do great with livers. I just googled it and found some on Amazon called Atlas Mike's Miracle Thread Bait Saver. Hope this helps.

[Chrisper4694]

I've heard you can stick it in a thin pantyhose and tie it making a little sack. I would think it might affect the bait but some sort guys insist it doesn't. I fish from a boat so I don't even cast it. Just hook it through the tough part and drop it down weightless.

And btw...you don't have to do this at night, they will go nuts on it morning and afternoons too!

[NorthJerzyG]

All I use is a barbless treble hook. If you cast right, usually it will stay on. If not..... It's chum and repeat step one!! :D

[PCO]

I was told this by a customer! take a ice cube tray and spray it with WD40 and put a treble hook and chicken livers in each cube and freeze it, take them in a cooler bag frozen and attach with a snap and cast them,They say it works great.

[RicanThunder728]

Get some sewing thread and wrap it around the Ckn liver a few times. Works best for me. We do the same with clams for stripers. Keeps a nice chunk on longer especially better if casting.

[jimmythegreek]

the few times Ive used them w chum for hybrids I would just wear surgical gloves the night before and clean them all up into the right size chunks for the hooks Im using. I know guys said trebles earlier but that is almost a guarantee for gut hooks unless your keeping the species of fish. a single hook u can cut off the line and it will rust away fish will live, a treble usually blocks the tongue and the fish will starve not being able to get food down to its gullet. Thread works great and ive seen a nice trick. Tie off some hooks w snells or regular knots and get a large sewing needle. leave 2-3 feet of line off the hook and wrap them on a pool noodle. Use the large needle thread ur line and then go thru the chix liver a few times sewing it basically then tie it off to ur swivel and main line. works great takes a little longer but they hold well

[Capt. Lou]

Toughen livers w Kosher salt the day before , use steelhead snell extend wraps on snell from 5 to 10 , this allows u to open a larger loop & pinch livers in place ! Quick , easy works fairly well elastic egg thread my second choice if u don't know how to snell !

[mondofish]

This is some great info!!!

[ratherbe]

Why this board is the best. Thanks for the input fellas. Walmart has elastic thread for very cheap...didnt know you get anything under $1 anymore...

And i'll toss some floss in the backpack as well. My last liver outing had some nice stripers as well as a couple channels. Hopefully similar success

Thanks

[NorthJerzyG]

I know guys said trebles earlier but that is almost a guarantee for gut hooks unless your keeping the species of fish. a single hook u can cut off the line and it will rust away fish will live, a treble usually blocks the tongue and the fish will starve not being able to get food down to its gullet.

Sorry, let me clarify. The only night fishing with livers I partake in is for kitties. For this, I do use trebles and don't think I've ever gut hooked one. The important thing is not to sleep on the rod. If I see the tip start bouncing, I grab the rod. As soon as I feel like the fish has it in its mouth, I set the hook. Being barbless makes it easier to remove if they get two or all three of the hooks embedded which is still a rarity.

I seem to have more issues using single hooks with liver cause I usually use a smaller chunk and the bullheads just inhale it. Then I end up needing to cut the line and re-tie......

[Mark B.]

Line up the individual livers on an old wooden board in the full sun. Bake for a while & then flip.

Toughens up the outside for secure hooking,………inside remains soft, juicy & flavorful!

[Delawareriver]

I save my trout heads from spring, or catch some suckers, gizzard shad or bluegills. Less messy, less of a pain, smells a heck of a lot better and works better for the bigger channel cats. Trout is my favorite followed by shad, suckers and finally bluegills rock bass etc

[ratherbe]

I caught a few chubs in the SB a week or so ago when fishing with my little girl. Considered using them as bait but wasnt sure on the regs so let it be. Is it kosher to keep minnows from the trout fisheries?

[Eskimo]

The important thing is not to sleep on the rod. If I see the tip start bouncing, I grab the rod. As soon as I feel like the fish has it in its mouth, I set the hook. Being barbless makes it easier to remove if they get two or all three of the hooks embedded which is still a rarity.


Yes - this.
I am a recent convert to using barbless hooks. I am currently using a single 1/0 hook with the barb flattened with a pair of pliers. Even if the hook is all the way in the back of their mouth, it will slide out easily.

An angler can't set up 14 rods in the dark and not expect to deep-hook fish. Catfish swallow the bait quickly and hybrid stripers just attack the bait esophagus-first.

I hold the rod in my hand and feel the line for any takes. As soon as the line starts to move, I set the hook. I'm almost never too early on the strike and rarely deep-hook any fish this way.


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