Has anyone used circle hooks for Pike?

[dant]

Peter did you get my PM? It said it had been sent but is not in my sent folder. V.strange..

[Dave Bourne]

The reason for using circle hooks has nothing to do with dropped runs or missed bites and don't expect to catch more fish ,in fact compared to trebles i would think it will be less fish.But if your main interest is in fish welfare ,pike or anything else for that matter circles win hands down.

This is what circles are all about ,lip hooking fish,easily unhooked and safely returned.

If you want to see circle hooks used on pike have a look at Mike Ladles web site on the pike pages

http://www.mikeladle.com/catch/catch91.html to see how the fish are hooked.

It makes sense to me.

[Peter Waller]

If Mike Ladles is truly into pike welfare then may I suggest that he uses an unhooking mat. Laying a pike on coarse grass, bearing in mind that they don't have eye lids, is a sure fire way of blinding them.

 

Hi Dante, will have a look and will reply.

[UK_Ozzie]

But if your main interest is in fish welfare ,pike or anything else for that matter circles win hands down.

 

The concept of circles is purely that the hook is designed to hook through the jaw hinge.

 

Given circles are an automatic hook dead baiting is a perfect scenario because the fish hooks its self.

 

The hardest part with circles is not to strike. If you strike with a true circle then you'll pull the hook out of the fishes mouth.

 

Basically the fish swims off and if the circle is set up right probably best in hair rig type and you pick up the rod and gently lean into the fish with a solid hook up that wont pull. Less potential missed hook ups while your in the chair.

 

You can also sight cast baits and let the fish hook its self.

 

Setting up the right rig will be the key taking into consideration that the majority of baits will be eaten head first.

 

So the fish are better off with reduced injury, easier to release and set up correctly more hook ups while seated.

 

Just don't strike the fish, let it hook its self.

[Newt]

Laying a pike on coarse grass, bearing in mind that they don't have eye lids, is a sure fire way of blinding them.

Given that the structure of fish eyes is very different from people's - much tougher surface - I have to wonder about that.

 

Granted, poke a stick into the eye hard enough to puncture it and you will have a one-eyed fish but I have trouble with the thought that simply laying them on the ground sans unhooking mat is likely to damage the eyes.

[noodle996]

It was probably half-an-hour before we managed to tempt another pike but as with the others it was neatly hooked, easily landed and returned in mint condition. I know that I've said it a number of times but I really am sold on circle hooks for bait fishing (for pike, bass or what have you). Of course you will miss the odd fish and occasionally the hook will finish up in the throat of a fish or round a gill arch. In these circumstances they may be a bit more difficult to remove than a J hook or a set of barbless trebles but it is so infrequent that as far as I'm concerned there is no contest.

 

have a read by not hitting runs and waiting for the fish to hook itself you can occasionally .....

 

also have a look at the photos anyone tell me whats missing

http://www.mikeladle.com/catch/catch92.html

Edited August 25, 2007 by noodle996

[Peter Waller]

Given that the structure of fish eyes is very different from people's - much tougher surface - I have to wonder about that.

 

Granted, poke a stick into the eye hard enough to puncture it and you will have a one-eyed fish but I have trouble with the thought that simply laying them on the ground sans unhooking mat is likely to damage the eyes.

 

Hi Newt, there is just too much empirical evidance to support the contention that pike are blinded by coarse grass, especially that that has been cut or trampled. Since more and more folk have taken to using unhooking mats, or unhooking in the water, the incidences of one eyed pike has dropped quite noticeably over the years.

 

Unfortunately Mike Ladles is a writer, and I think that he should know better.

[ChrisBishop]

Hi Chris, everything is just fine, phone and ISP problems. Will phone Trev although I did speak to the round fella a week or so back. Trust that you are also well.

 

Glad to hear it Pete. Haven't bumped into the big fella for a while, Gerry Castles' funeral was the last time.

 

I'm fine thanks - just getting ready to start fishing again.

[Newt]

Thanks for the info Peter. It seems like an odd bit of damage but if it was happening then good that more anglers are protecting against it.

 

As to the circle hook idea, while I can't speak to pike fishing or bank fishing, I certainly do like using circles for any fish with a bony lip ridge so would probably like them for piking as I do for targeting any of the local pred species.