Circle Hooks.

[JB]

Does anyone use them?, and could somebody recommend a decent brand please.

 

 

Hi @Autumn@,

I used a form of circle and other verities of hooks when long-lining about 16 years ago. This gave us a much improved catch particularly with bigger fish. I got much information from the Institute of Fishery Research Bergen, Norway. I have a very interesting video from them about different types of hooks; it also has underwater footage of fish tacking hooks.

Much of this information would apply to shore angling, as I think a fish would take your hook much the same way as it would take a long-line hook. I will take the video onboard the boat tomorrow. If you are interested in borrowing it pop onboard and get it.

 

JB

[Norm B]

Thats good n4lly, so all those Octopus 4/0's I have will catch monsters, watch out you COD!!!

 

Nice tarpon, more signs of global warming.

[geffaz]

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QUOTE(Norm B @ Nov 18 2005, 10:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice tarpon, more signs of global warming.

that cant be in uk waters! or ar u having a giraffe?

[Norm B]

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Norm B @ Nov 18 2005, 10:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->

Nice tarpon, more signs of global warming.

that cant be in uk waters! or ar u having a giraffe?

Just teasing.

[Philthefish]

I Used several makes of circle hooks on the last couple of trips to Florida, including the Daiichi "Bleeding bait" circle hooks.

I was shown the best way to use them, and they are not intended for use with U.K.methods like threading worms etc., they are at their best fishing live baits like pilchards pinfish and blue runners. The hook should be mounted so it turns freely on a loop of monofil, so the hook is presented in the bait at exactly the right angle, no matter which way the bait swims.

I have tried the hooks with live sandeels of 6-7" long, and every fish was hooked in the scissors, and easy to release. Tried the same in the surf near Bude, classic surf, set up as a rotating paternoster, worked like a treat, pity the fish weren't bigger.

To tie the knot I used, put a double overhand knot in your mono approx.5" from the end (i'm using 25lb fluorocarbon), tighten, then thread your circle hook so the D.O. just goes through the eye of the hook, then tie a two-turn uniknot with the free end, above the D.O., and snug the uniknot up. Now wet the knot again, and slide one knot against the other to create the loop that the circle knot can rotate round. Needs a bit of practice, but easy once you've got the hang of it.

 

Hope this helps, I,m converted.

 

Philthefish

[spanner]

I've used barbless circle hooks quite a bit over the last few seasons and had mixed results.

 

I expect them to work well on fish that hit and run, just haven't caught any like that yet, but they also seem to work OK on peristent 'slow' feeders. I find the small ones great for flatties cos even when they aren't lip hooked and they have swallowed it down you can still pull it out and release them fine as basically they choke on it and never actually get hooked. They work fine on doggies and rays too, often nicely hooked in the scissors.

 

Where I have failed are with cod. Most of my cod caught on J hooks are gut hooked as they just swallow the bait in one gulp, where a circle hook won't hook untill they turn and swim away. I get the an initial thumping bite fine...but no fish, so its like they feel the hook in their throat and cough it out before turing and swimming away. I've tried short snoods as well, but never yet landed a cod on a circle. I fish two rods and I frequently landed fish on the Js and none on the circles, so I don't use them for cod anymore.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

I believe they were developed by the longliners simply to achieve a better hook up rate.

 

I use them and semi-circle hooks, the semi circle are better for baiting worms.

 

It is difficult to state they are better as the fish you catch may well have been caught on any other type of hook but in theory they should work better than a standard hook.