circle hooks

[4inch_ok]

 I found smaller circle hooks and used them on my tip-ups today. Had two flags where a lot of line was pulled outwith no fish; lost one pickerel in the hole and brought up two more. The ones I brought up immediately came unhooked on the ice. I tied them on with snell knots the same as the ones on the striper rigs, but I guess circle hooks are only good for stripers in salt water. These hooks are being replaced with conventional hooks before I go out again.

[bmxrider11976]

i actually had the same problem. thought the fish would just "hook themselves" but they ended up just runnin and never gettin a hook in em

[chrisk]

Circle hooks do not set in free spool, no hook does.

[NJ PIKER]

circle hooks suck on esox

[WaterSupplyGuy]

I have changed over a few of my rigs to bait hooks this year and have been working great!

[fishercat]

Used them for a year on the ice they did not work for me Bass or esox .
A lot of times I would pull back the bait only to have the hook turned around and stuck into the bait!!!

[Leedz49]

I have been using them with good success for several years. Do not snell them. Tie them on with a loop knot so the hook can swing and rotate. I have observed just as many fish running with the bait and dropping it with J hooks. Largemouth bass seem to run a drop. 

[Scientist]

Circle hooks do not set in free spool, no hook does.

That is right there has to be some resistance on the spool in order to slowly catch in the corner of the fishes jaw.  Tighten the spool nut so it does not turn so freely  (sort of the drag on the spool)  Secondly,  use an offset circle hook rather than an inline circle hook it increases hooking percentage. Found this out by trial and error.

[chrisk]

Use crcle hooks for slammers/tipdowns where the spool or reel doesn't allow the line to run free. Scientist If you buy flat circles you could offset them with pliers. 1/32 of an inch is all I offset them, more seems to rotate them to much rather ther just turn them a bit.

[steve339]

Check this forum for "rubber band method".  Basically you tie a thin rubber band on your line and then loop it over the spool.  When the fish takes the bait and swims away, the rubber band provides enough tension to set the hook.  If the fish keeps pulling, the rubber band breaks and takes more line, but the hook is already set.  Apparently this may be illegal in some areas, so you may want to double check.  I check and see if I can find the post.

[4inch_ok]

Switched back to conventional hooks and went to Areoflex today....Got skunked.

[chrisk]

Was one of those drop the bait days.

[punkinhead]

I've used circle hooks for awhile now and have had pretty good success.  I do more of a steady pull than a jerking hook set.  The only problem I seem to have had is sometimes the bait gets off the hook.  Not sure how or why.  I just know the bait wasn't there when I checked it. This year I've tried a different style and have been doing ok.  When I find out the new style I'll put it on here.  I've caught and landed perch, crappie, bass, pike muskie,pickerel and catfish all with circle hooks.  Most hooked in the corner of the mouth.

[oldman]

I use circle hooks in the salt and bait fishing in open water.  When using a rod, there's enough give to allow the line to come up tight, the tip to bend and the fish to hook itself without jerking the hook right out.  The problem I had through the ice is that with a hand line you don't have the ability to always slowly come tight on the fish.  Often the fish pull erratically and the hook slips right out.  I don't have much trouble with hooking fish too deep very often so I don't feel the need to use circle hooks. 

[GiantSquid]

Circle hooks are great in saltwater but you have to remember NOT to set them.  They seem to hook the corner of the mouth just about every time - fantastic invention. They're great for Blues and Stripers but i'd never use them in freshwater.  Just my $.02

[Gorilla]

I had picked up some circle hooks for my traps on accident...  but did well with them this weekend, I had two flags missed where the fish ran with the bait and did not get hooked but caught four pickerel and a walleye right in the corner of the mouth...  it was nice to not have to deal with those teeth 

[chrisk]

Once again tipups and circles don't match. You tipup guys are giving crcle hooks a bad name. Then again a mid-winter bite is hard to get around. Lifted at least a dozen flags out of fish today.

[Ski Hunter]

The only fish I've managed to land using circle hooks through the ice were gut hooked which defeated the whole point of using them 

Open water I love them but through the ice where many times larger predatory fish won't make long runs after taking a bait I just don't have any success for them. Now maybe if I was hooking into stripers through the ice (and hopefully will be soon  ) where they are still running at just about full speed after attacking a bait I'd have more confidence in them but for pike, bass, musky, ect I just have 0 confidence.

[NJ PIKER]

Got rid of them when they failed to
hook 5 of my first 6 muskies

[ekozlo]

  PIKER I AGREE
I AGREE THEY DID NOT HELP ME TWICE USING THEM AT ALL ON TIP-UPS! I'LL STAY THE OLD WAY WITH A # 4 BAITHOLDER OR # 6 BAITHOLDER WORKS BETTER FOR ME!