circle hooks

[fishboy2]

hey i have a few circle hooks that i have used. they seem to work great, if you use them right..... does any one here like or dislike these hooks? lets get a good disscussion going so people can see or dissee for that matter on this subject.
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[TubeDude]

[cool]There is a lot of discussion ongoing about the merits of circle hooks. These strange-looking contraptions have been used for years, by commercial fishermen, who needed hooks that would help the fish hook themselves, and then prevent them from coming unhooked easily. Every fish means money to the commercial boys.

Sports anglers also discovered that circle hooks had a place in the tackle box. Since they tend to lodge only in the corner of a fish's mouth, they result in fewer gut-hooked fish. But, because of their design, they also require a different "hook set". With circle hooks you do not rear back and cross their eyes. You let the fish pull the line tight and then just start reeling. The hook does what it is supposed to do...find the fish's corner of their mouth...and it embeds itself.

Although these contraptions were designed for bait fishing, an increasing number of fly tyers are also wrapping big saltwater patterns on circle hooks. Again, the trick is to let the fish turn and start heading away from you before tightening the line. They have not proven to be as effective on spinners and spoons.

One other limitation of circle hooks is that they work better for larger fish. Circle hooks small enough to fish salmon eggs or power bait simply do not have enough of a gap to count on a good ratio of hookups to bites. There will always be a need for small hooks with regular super-sharp points.

So, if you care about the survival rate of fish you release, after catching them on bait, you might want to add a few circle hooks to your hook supply and give them a try. They are absolutely great for catfish...especially when you are bank fishing and snoozing at night. The fish hook themselves, you don't have to dig for the hooks (or cut them off), and once they are hooked they seldom come unbuttoned.

TubeDude
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[frogfish]

They work great for halibut. They hook themselves in the same corner of their mouth every time.
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[One_eyed_jack]

I have never heard of this type of hook, which is not saying much I am still old school bait fishing. From what I read from TubeDude it looks as if I need to give this type of hook a try especially for strawberry fishing where I like to release all the cuts and most of the rainbows. Thanks for the info guys.
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[fishnate]

Ditto the Tube Dude comment. I love them and have caught lots of fish with them. I've had good luck with as small as #8 Eagle Claw Lite circle hooks. I haven't tried any smaller. I think I've only had one fish hook deep in the mouth and that was cuz I set the hook. Every other fish has been right in the corner, easy removal and release. they're great for kid so they don't have to set the hook.
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[DennisW]

I think they're great for the right application. Bait fishing, of course, to prevent gut-hooked fish. And Yamamoto even sells them for bass fishing. As long as you don't set the hook, the fish catch themselves. That makes them good for beginners.

[Fish-Dog]

I use Eagle Claw Lite in size 6 or 8, Browns and Rainbows will hook in the side of the mouth about 75% of the time. Splake, and Brooks swallow the hook 90% of the time. I find that the hook rate is a little lower than with regular hooks.

One of the secrets to using these hooks is to just pull your line tight instead of trying to set the hook.

If nothing else is working I have used a ball of power bait molded to the circle hook in a hook shape with maybe 1/4" around the hook. It seems to work fine.

FDG
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[maddawg]

I recently learned from someone on here that coasta rica has made it a law that you have to use them on certian game fish

Trent
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[leaky]

Tube,

Glad someone posted this question - good info. My question - is there any particlar advantage/disvantage to using them (probably the thinnest version) for drop shot fishing, i.e. bass?

[crazy]Leaky

[TubeDude]

[cool]Some bassers use circle hooks for split-shotting, Carolina rigs and drop shotting. When the fish are aggressive and grab the plastics and go...then they will get hooked.

If the fish are in a negative or neutral mode, sometimes the strike consists of only a slight "tick"...felt when the fish sucks in the bait and then quickly spits it out again. They often do this while facing the angler. There is no "turn and surge" strike, so if you try to set the hook with a circle hook you will get a lot of frustration and few hookups. On those occasions, you need the super sharp fine wire hooks that bite deep on the hookset.

Circle hooks are designed for use with bait. However, when the fish are aggressive and eating plastics like bait, you can make good use of circle hooks. Because it is rare that a fish swallows artificials, the need for circle hooks with plastics is not nearly as great, if your concern is gut-hooked fish.

In short, when fishing artificials you are likely to have to plan on some missed strikes if you insist on using circle hooks. I would never consider using them on my little jigs. I hone the points to as sharp as I can get them, and I still miss a few nips and even hard strikes. I would be talking to myself if I fished jigs with circle hooks and was not able to set the hook on every hit.

That's my opinion.

TubeDude
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[FlyFishingMoose]

How small to circle hooks come?
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[TubeDude]

[cool]The light wire circle hooks, available from Cabelas and made by Eagle Claw, are available in sizes down to 14. I don't know anyone who has successfully used them that small though.

TubeDude


[url "http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml;jsessionid=AWA3NY04VEKOACWQNVDSFFYK0BWUQIV0?id=0012179115427a&navAction=push&navCount=4&indexId=cat20291&podId=0012179&catalogCode=ID&parentId=cat20291&parentType=index&rid=&cmCat=MainCatcat20166&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fitem-link.jhtml.2_A&_DAV=http%3A%2F%2Fa1460.g.akamai.net%2Ff%2F1460%2F1339%2F6h%2Fwww.cabelas.com%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcontent%2FItem%2F11%2F54%2F27%2Fi115427sm01.jpg"][/url] [url "http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml;jsessionid=AWA3NY04VEKOACWQNVDSFFYK0BWUQIV0?id=0012179115427a&navAction=push&navCount=4&indexId=cat20291&podId=0012179&catalogCode=ID&parentId=cat20291&parentType=index&rid=&cmCat=MainCatcat20166"][#0000ff]Eagle Claw L702 Circle Hook [/#0000ff][/url]
Light wire hooks have a ringed eye, nickel teflon finish. Per 20. Sizes: 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0,
4/0, 5/0.
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