Just tie a 4/0 hook on and go. The rattles and all the added stuff just adds weight and makes it harder for your croaker to swim around


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A 4/0-6/0 circle hook for the most part. If it’s a heavy current or a lot of birds in the area you might put a small split shot on there. It gets them down faster from the birds and holds the bait in your sweet spot if there’s a strong current.

Sometimes rattles/popping corks are good, it just really depends on the conditions. I typically hook them through the anal fin, but again conditions can change that too.

 

You might want to use live shrimp and popping cork with kids. But here is a good video on fishing with croaker.

I have been using croaker for about 5 years and have found that sometimes it is not as easy as people make it out to be, depends on the bite. Sometimes they hit it hard, but with a lite bite it can be tricky. Also not a sure thing, you have to be on fish.

 

I think they always hit them pretty hard but it really depends on which way the fish are going... if you are in grass and cast past a grass line they go out to get it and swim back to the grass for protection causing slack and the appearance of a weak hit. If you are in sand/mud casting toward grass it will appear as they slam it when headed back to grass.

Interchange "grass" with any structure (shell, dropoff, etc...).

 

Tie straight to a 5/0 Khale hook and hook them just above the anal fin. If birds are bad at diving in and getting them a split shot about a foot up.

Simple as that...

 

Free line the croaker. No bead swivel or weight we do tie on a mono leader with 4/0 to 5/0
Kahle/Croaker hook.
Key is to hold rod up at 1:00 position when you feel bump or line pull lower rod horizontal with water wait for line to get tight then set hook. If you miss hook set stop and most times they will hit it again. Give bait a coupe of sharp jerks every 30 seconds or so to bring them out of grass or out of shell.
If croaker is not real lively put another one on. A fresh bait will get hit quicker than one barely kicking. I believe this is why one person will catch more than others as they catch a fish put on fresh bait and get another hit.
Contrary to what you hear they are not like using dynamite.

 

We use the pink texas rattling rigs, tie about 20 in of floro leader, and a 5/0 Kahle style hook, and 6/0 when croaker start getting bigger. We prefer VMC hooks, as they are super light, and put less stress on the croaker. If i want them to swim down, like when fishing a flat, i'll hook them higher, if fishing shell, i hook them lower. You gotta work them to entice bites, and this means keeping a fresh one on. It's not cheap doing it like this, but it's how you catch trout when others don't. Like stated above, keep pole high, you will usually feel a hard thump, then a few secs later, they will start pulling. Let your pole drop, then put the forearm on them!

 

I have fished with a guide out of SPI a few times and all he does is remove the soft plastic from jig head and puts a croaker on it. I asked him about rattles and croaker hooks and his response was if you are on the fish it doesn't matter what you use. It works for him because we have landed solid fish on every trip. Not the small barely legal trout alot guys put their clients on.

 

He's right, when they are feeding heavy, it really don't matter what you put that croaker on. Those days where the bite is slow is when they need a little enticing. All guides have their beliefs, as us regular guys. Being confident in whatever you're using is the main thing.

 

I've always believed a fun way for kids to fish croaker is under a popping cork (assuming you're not in 12' of water) because they get the visual effect too. If you're fishing the ICW or drop-offs near deep channels, then freeline is the way to go.

 

Thanks. We are going Friday morning, try to get in and out before the July 4 rush, lol. I will post up a report.

 

Good luck!! I'm expecting Friday to be pretty wild already, most people have off. I'll be out there soaking croaker bright and early.

 

I only fish artificial these days. But I used to fish at night with ballyhoo at the POC Jetties (thus the name). I would strongly recommend that you learn how to tie a good snell knot. It might only make a small difference, but every little edge contributes to success. I think it's even more beneficial with croaker than with ballyhoo.

Trout teeth aren't like kingfish teeth, but they will wear on a leader. You want to keep an eye on the last few inches, including the knot. I used to have a dozen or so snell rigs tied before a jetty trip.

Even if you don't believe it helps, you have to admit it looks really cool. Here is a picture, and a link to a good article about snell knots and why you might want to use one:

https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/snell-knot-video/