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Also, every catch is right in the corner of the mouth
I have given up on small circle hooks. I have used them ( size 8/0) in the saltwater for years with great results. It's also the law here in Maine now. But, the little ones have resulted in many more gut hooks than traditional hooks.Instead, I have been hooking my bait parallel to the backbone. This really helps eliminate gut hooked fish as most of the hookups are in the roof of the mouth.
I have been hooking my bait parallel to the backbone. This really helps eliminate gut hooked fish
This was one of my mistakes early in the experimentation phase, using hooks that were not appropriately sized. I found that the gap size made a huge difference in good hookups or not. Using a number size hook usually larger than a regular gap hook works much better than size for size. For example if I was usually comfortable using a #10 conventional hook I might have much better and more predictable results with a #8 or even #6 circle.Just something I found and you may want to consider.