Circle hooks Good or bad?

[dimock44]

I recently read that a lot of guides are using these so there clients can land more fish. I have often wondered about them since the point seems to be pointed inward towards the back of the hook. Could anyone enlighten me about these hooks? I fished yesterday with them on 2 poles with 2 more poles with regular hooks. Caught all day on the regular and nothing on the circle hooks. Or was it just my fishing luck

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

Not a salt water guy but I'll give an opinion. I think circle hooks are good. As a catch and release guy circle hooks are a must for live bait. Fish tend to swallow live bait, circle hooks are shaped in such a way that a steady even pull on the line will pull the hook out of the gut and normally will set in the jaw.. It don't take much of a violent hookset to get em. The hook basically sets itself when you reel in.

 

[gunner1]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

If used correctly, I feel they are the best things out there. The most important thing you can do when using them is- NOTHING! Let the fish do the work and you'll have no problems. I use them exclusively for stripers during their spring Hudson River run here in New York and the only time they don't hook up is if the Bait is too big for the striper hitting it.

 

[pgpg5860]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

We use circle hooks for bottom fish, with the shape of the hook you always get a good lip hook if set right. The thing to remember is have no part of the hook outside of the bait or the fish feel it and spit it out, also let the fish take your bait wait then set. We've released many halibut in the 40lb range quite easily with these hooks, much easier than treble hooks.

 

[turfman]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

I actually use circle hooks on pretty much everything except tog and sea bass. When fishing for blues or stripers; the circles cut out the need for a steel leader. As pretty much everyone above me said "let the hook do the work"

turfman

 

[skimmer]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

Exactly what those guys said ^^^^ I use them a lot down here for the reasons mentioned above, great for fish that tend to swallow the bait whole, great for bottom bashing, and the fish pretty much just hook themselves on em.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

I'm not a fan of circle hooks at all. I do a lot of dead sticking and have way too many run offs without hooking up when using them. Bending an offset in them helps but you still miss fish that should have got stuck.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

Im no expert but the circle hooks are favored by the catch and release fishermen because they are made to not ripp up the fish and kill it as other hooks can, Also you lose more fish using them......

 

[Boatist]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

If useing bait mooching then along the California coast must use Barbless inline Circle hook for Salmon. In the 10 years we have been useing only lost one fish. That fish was when we had a double hook up and ask the guy with the smaller fish to lag behind so the lady with the monster fish could get her fish in first. That was a big mistake should of had him rush his fish while lady fought hers. That is how we learn.

Also on the California Coast if have Salmon on board must use barbless hooks and we are useing Barbless circle hooks for rock fish and other bottom fish. We have not noticed any change in hooks ups or lost fish. They are eaiser to get out once have fish on board. Circle hooks very good as long as keep pressure on the fish, no slack line.

 

[m&m252]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

i cant say for everyone that fish religiously day/nite in the fla.keys flats or open water but circle hooks are the practice especially catch and release . and when you really want that one fish a circle hook is a sure bet. i personally have been using them for years with much success and failure if that fish wants to fight hard he will ...

 

[ebear]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

I've been using them for about 2 years now. Although thru time I've learned hook placment and depth in my bait is important with circles. As is bait size for my target fish.

 

[Grits]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

I like the circle hook for the reasons mentioned above. I use them for large catfish in fresh water. It is important to let the hook to the work. I feel they are the best thing going.

Grits

 

[paintitup12]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

I think circle hooks are better because not only do they tend to b easier to out of the fish but also they tend to be more popular(at least where i live) im not sure about the fact that u had better luck with the other hooks. Maybe it had to do how the u hooked the bait?

 

[boatmanjf]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

It depends on how you fish...If you like to set the hook and feel the bite...you wil loose more fish with a circle hook....If you want to just reel them in once thay hook themselves.....circle hook

 

[tylerr83]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

Turfman said exactly what i was thinking...I do a lot of striper fishing with live or fresh cut bunker...not only do the circle hooks do a good job preventing "gut hooking" the stipers i'm after...it also cuts out the need for a steel leader in the event that I run into bluefish...because they are "lip hooked", their teeth cant break the line the way the would with a treble hook.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

Ditto. If you tend to get excited and set the hook (looks cool on TV, huh?) you'll lose fish with circles. Just relax, and as said many times - let the fish do the work. You'll miss few if any.

 

[tylerr83]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

ya, when you're gettin hit dont try and rip thier lips off, gotta let the hook do the work, just reel up easy and ya got 'em.

 

[tylerr83]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

another thought....circles are great for fish like blues and stripers....but not for everything...avoid them for fish like fluke or blackfish

 

[linxlvr]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

I love circle hooks for Freshwater Bass and Stripers. In the case of Freshwater Bass, using it while Jersey rigging and dropshoting, w/ the stripers w/ bait. Works great for both. As stated above, don't set hook, just give it a good steady pull. The hook will scrape along the inside of the fish until the eyelet comes out of the mouth, which causes the hook point to catch on the inside of the Jaw.
--
dw

 

[larryo]

Re: Circle hooks Good or bad?

How would you hook a good size chunk of bunker or head . Thanks