When do yo use circle hooks

[gogecko]

I know the general theory of how they rely on line pressure and lip hook the fish. So they sound good for bottom bashing and and Ive had success with them on flesh baits in estuary work.

When wouldnt you use them?

Would they be a bad choice if you want to freespool a braid line in a river? Could sudden pressure rip the hook right out of the fish?

What about when you want to gut hook a fish, like a jewie when you want him to swallow and run?


Thanks guys.
Andrew

[nigelr]

Personally I use them in any situation where I am leaving a line in a rod holder, ie while snapper fishing inshore/offshore, and when livebaiting for mackeral etc. from the boat. I've been using the Mustad Demon pattern in the 8/0 and 9/0 sizes and am rapt with the hook-up rate. These hooks are quite fine guage and do not have offset points, are very durable and are quite sharp out of the pack. Well priced also, IMO.
Cheers.

[kitty_cat]

i agree i use them now for all offshore free spooling or not
my hook up rate has increased and thats what counts more fish
wayne

[The_Walrus]

Use them for all my bait fishing.

Now where's the size 10 & 12 for garfish. ;D

I wonder what they'd be like on lures. ::)

Luc

[SURF_SNIPER]

have been using them for my tailor fishing for some time, work very well and loose fewer fish.

[nigelr]

Just a query please Surf Sniper, do you strike when the tailor hit, or just wind in?
Cheers.

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Mate of mine used them on a reef trip and hook up rate was double that of mine on the trout AND not one gut hooked - small ones went back in good shape. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[FishOn]

Have used Mustad Tuna circle 39960D's (10/0 and 12/0) for bottom fishing for a long time. Used them for cobia (on the bottom and the top) with good success also.

Didn't find them helpful for mackerel pelagics (wahoo, spanish, spotties etc). Use Hoodlums here and have been using Hoodlums for the bottom fish as well now for the past couple of seasons. However. I intend to try the circles again on the pelagics with some different rigging.

Given that with circle hooks you would generally allow the fish to run a little, sometimes you don't want to give the fish any chance to run back and wrap the line around something sharp.

Kind regards
Trevor

[jeffo]

why would you want to gut hook any fish??

use circle hooks any time you are bait fishing and can let the fish run a bit with the bait. striking will pull them clean out of the fishes mouth....

rig a circle hook up, drop it in a bucket then pull it out slowly letting the line run over the edge of the bucket as it would in a fishes mouth, it will give you a good understanding of how a circle hook works.

only time i wouldnt use a circle hook is when you have to give the fish heaps as soon as it bites...ie. live baiting for amberjacks and kingfish where they will deck you as soon as they feel the hook.

[wayneoro]

circle hooks are known as jap longline hooks they have being used in nz snapper longline pro boats for 30yrs i know of they self hook and stay hooked better then any other hooks

[Bowser]

Have to agree with most of the posts here and say that they are a great hook for bait fishing in or out of freespool.

Can't resist commenting on the idea of striking, IMHO more fish are "missed" by people vigourously striking and pulling the hooks away from the fish. Since I have started to get floatlining worked out and use circle hooks, most snapper I have caught have been on the drop in free spool. I cannot remember a case of a dropped fish in the last 12 months with the circles. every fish taken on the drop has picked up the bait and when the preasure is felt it is simply a matter of engaging the gears and fighting the fish.

[Feral]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a circle hook?

[Owen]

I've been playing with them for bottom fishing after reading about them on Ausfish.
I'm impressed with them for flesh baits, but the ones I have are a pain to rig prawns etc on.
Are there any that are offset?
And are they as effective?

cheers,
Owen

[jim_farrell]

Feral, next time your in a decent tackle shop, look for 'Mustad Demon', 'Gamagatsu octopus circle', and 'Owner' have one, I don't know what they are called.
Basically they are a very open round shape with the point turned all the way around to face the shank.

[TinarooTriumph]

Circle hooks are probably my favourite to use in some 'heavy' situations e.g. bigger fish. They hook and hold on to the fish better then any type of hook, no matter what way your trying to get hold of the fish e.g. gulp and run, peircing etc etc.

The Mustad Demon is a good one to use, they are strong and affordable. But theres no way you can go past the Gamakatsu circle's or the Eagle Claw circles. Strong, sharp, responsive (depending on line), sure they might cost a little more but theres no price you can put on a good fish.

TinarooTriumph 8-)

[jeffo]

gamakatsu octopus circles and a few others are not a true cricle hook.

there is only a few true circle hooks around. eagle claw's are proven to be the best as far as mouth hooking fish goes.

I have used the gamy octopus circles before and have found you can actually strike a bit with them and get them to set..although thats usually in the guts and gills.

the new fine wire mustad demons (the light grey ones not the black ones) seam to be very close in shape to the eagle claws and they are nice and fine and super sharp. also made in smaller sizes to suit bream and what not.

[Feral]

Feral, next time your in a decent tackle shop, look for 'Mustad Demon', 'Gamagatsu octopus circle', and 'Owner' have one, I don't know what they are called.
Basically they are a very open round shape with the point turned all the way around to face the shank.


Ta for that, sounds like the bass hooks I use. Hummed a box of 100 early last year from my old man, dunno what type or brand they are, but they fit the description.

[Tony_N]

So where do Kahle hooks fit into all of this? I read that of all the hooks they tend to gut hook more fish, yet they are supposed to be a non-strike hook, designed to catch the fish when it turns and runs for cover like trout do. I have used them on the reef for trout, held firmly on a handline without striking. I was advised that this technique is used to ensure that the trout didnt brick me on the coral. It worked too - I dont recall missing any fish on a decent bite and they all seemed to be lip or at least mouth hooked. None were gut-hooked

Regarding the circles, if I was using 6/0 Kahles, would 6/0 circles be the corresponding hook to try?. The one's I have seen seem to be very heavy guage.

Thanks

Tony

[SURF_SNIPER]

Nigel r, i tend to fish these sorts of setups more with rods in holders where most of the fish hook themselves( to some extent ), most big tailor just swallow the bait whole, so there is no need for reefing the guts out of it.

[nigelr]

Thanks for your reply, SurfSniper, more power to your worming fingers!
Cheers mate.