If you want your bait to swim on top, hook behind the top dorsal fin. Small baits are hooked through the nose or behind the gills. Be careful when doing this hooking because these fish are small and easily killed if hooked in the back or in the belly. If you want your fish bait to swim deeper, the hook needs to go in the bottom of the bait at the anal fin. This works well for sardines and herring as well as hooking through the nose.

Most of the time, hooking through the nose is the best place. Always remember to take a number of different sized hooks with you when you go deep ocean fishing.
 
When deep ocean fishing, always remember that you are the mercy of the unrelenting ocean. Pay special mind to the weather forecast before going out and plan around it. Too many inexperienced fisherman get out on the ocean and end up in trouble due to storms and the like. If you are inexperienced not only at ocean fishing but at operating a boat, the best bet is to plan on going deep ocean fishing on a charted fishing trip or going with someone who is an experienced captain.

A lot of factors will change the mood of the ocean and unless you have a trained eye for these things, don't take a chance on going out there without someone being there who would know when it was time to pull up and haul it in. A storm could arise quickly and anytime! Sea fishing is a great experience, so plan ahead and enjoy it!

To get the full "Sea Fishing Tips You Can Use Anywhere" article you'll need to download it here.