Bait fishing hack...

[Suntzu]

We used a ping pong ball with a screw eye hook

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Suntzu

We used a ping pong ball with a screw eye hook

Thats what I used as a kid a LONG time ago. the screw eye we used was a cup holder screw.
stayed on until you picked up the rod then came off as soon as you lifted it

[Eskimo]

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That's a creative hack. I've used the rim of a foam cup as a lightweight strike-indicator.

I don't know why Americans traditionally don't use strike indicators. The Europeans have always used something to indicate a when when is messing with their bait from ultra-thin rod tips that move when a fish takes the bait to electronic beepers that alert the angler to when the line is moving.

For me, the main advantage to using a strike indicator is being able to set the hook before the fish actually swallows the bait. This results in a lot fewer gut-hooked fish and lower post-release mortality.


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[JDTuna]

Originally Posted by Eskimo

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For me, the main advantage to using a strike indicator is being able to set the hook before the fish actually swallows the bait. This results in a lot fewer gut-hooked fish and lower post-release mortality.

Use non-offset circle hooks. This will avoid gut hooking far more effectively than attempting to set the hook early, especially with fish like bass that can engulf a bait in a split second.