Stinger Hooks

How many of you folks use stinger hooks for kings and spanish? I always use a J hook with a Treble stinger when fishing for those species. in my opinion, it's a must because when using live or frozen cigar minnows or finger mullet a King or Spanish seems to always strike short of a single J hook when the bait is hooked in the eyes or thru the lower jaw and head. Just wondering if a stinger is common practice in Gulf Shores At the Pier and surf.

​I always used a stinger trolling, but on the pier they get a better look at the bait and can see the extra jewelry, IMHO
I have tried it and; no bites!

Last fall in the surf I had several short strikes when using single hooked cigar minnows. The bite was always just behind the head on a rod I was fishing long on the back side of the second bar, thought it might be spanish. Was going to try a stinger but was catching whiting in close so I never did rig a stinger. If as you say they are seeing the hardware, maybe threading the wire for the stinger down the baits throat and out the belly before haywirlng the treble on might work.

Only time I ever use a stinger from a pier is on a trolley rig and then I just let it hang free so it doesn't mess with the way the bait swims.

I have seen a few stinger rigs reeled in with a cig head still on the main and the tail end still hanging on the stinger.
On the pier, less is best.

Fin, I admire your adherence to your "Less is best" conviction. I guess I should have known that when I saw you fishing with no hook at all that time last year. (Yeah, yeah, I know you said you just got bit off.) Heck, there are a lot of days that you aren't even there---can't get any more minimal than that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Haywire

Fin, I admire your adherence to your "Less is best" conviction. Heck, there are a lot of days that you aren't even there---can't get any more minimal than that.

---

Thanks George, but based on the reports of late, the fish think "Less is Best" also!
Less time around the pier is best for them.

I usually START with a single treble hook. If the kings are short-striking, I'll go to a stinger and put on the biggest cig I can find! A bigger cigar minnow helps conceal the extra hook, I figure.