I'm Done with Octopus Circle Hooks

[bridgedoctor]

Last year I made out alright with circle hooks for trout.  This year is a different story.  I'm fishing where the fish are larger and I lost much more fish than I iced.  I've had good solid hits and felt the fish's weight as I pulled the line in.  Then the hook popped out!  I'm trying different hooks now.  As for the Circle Jerk Hooks...Forget about it.

[deadsmelthead]

Interesting, I have never had a problem. They are all I have used for the past 6 years.

[bridgedoctor]

deadsmelthead
If you're not losing fish as I am, then you must have the technique down.  How do you use them?

[deadsmelthead]

I get to them as soon as possible, I'm not a big fan of letting them have it for awhile. It just doesn't make sense to me. Is this what you are doing ? Leting fish sit there with it ? If they are turning the spool , set the hook. I also think hook placement on the bait is key also. I place the hook towards the tail, I believe it gives you a nice hook set in the corner of the jaw. I started noticing early on when using them that in front of the dorsal fin I would just pull the hook out of the bait during the hookset and it would finangle it way right out of there mouth. I could feel the fish there and then they would be gone. I don't understand why but it seemed to be the case. Don't get me wrong I as everyone loose fish now and then, and for the most part it seems it's the flags that go unnoticed at first or are a good distance away and take a few minutes to get to.

[bridgedoctor]

I tried both ways; pulling the line on the spinning spool when I got to the tip-up and letting the fish have the minnow for awhile then pull on the line when the spool spun again.  My buddies have started replacing their circle hooks too for the same reason.  I also hook the minnow behind the dorsal fin, which hasn't increased the hook sets.

[duramaxdan]

As of this year I dont use tip ups but do know how to use circle hooks. The technique is not to set the hook but to have the fish set it. The idea behind circle hooks is to increase hook ups on the side of the fishes mouth inorder to decrease death rate. When I fish with circle hooks in the summer I let the fish take the bait, close the bail and slowly lift the rod. Remember all you have to do is slowly apply pressure and not to yank. Also trout will hit a bait hold on to it and then flip the bait around taking it tail first. So I feel its good to get the hook in on the second run as bridgedoctor does.

[Mr.Vexilar]

Yup duramx hit it, the point of circles is too let the fish hook its self, dont yank on the line tryin to hook the fish, just grab the line and stand up, like you're trying to pull the fish through the hole, i use cirlces when bass fishing ALL the time, if you set the hook with a circle bass fishing, pretty good chances you're gonna miss that fish, when i feel a fish on and im using circles i will real in line and just pull the rod tip toward me like im realing a fish in.

[bridgedoctor]

I came across this article about circle hooks.  In a nutshell...pull on the line gently as the fish is moving away and the fish hook its jaw when it pulls against the line.  I did this and yet the hook popped out.  Maybe I need to be  more patient pulling the line as it the fish pulls.  IDK?

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/articles/if0502_VVCircleHooks/index.html

[Mr.Vexilar]

Maybe the fish you're fishing just bite differently than in our areas???  I know they work for me well,

[d3]

WE had problems with circle hooks on pike one of the main reasons that we came up with is the fact the fish is not neccassarily swimming away from you all the time.  If they make a run and then spin left or right and continue to go and you go to set the hook they feel it before you set it.  The fish pretty much has to be going away from you.  We switched over to straight octupus hooks and the results were on the ice.  It was amazing the amount of fish we hooked last year and this year compared to thepast.  Alotof this was learned from the guy who taught me how to pike fish so I did not have to lose a ton of fish before we figured this out.  Give the octupus hooks a try and set the hook upon feeling the fish.  I do agree with hitting any fish on the second run.  If you have a trap far away usually by the time you get there it is on the second run.  If yiu watch the flag pop and then get there right away just wait a few and see if he stops upon the second run hit him and usually the hooks will not be buried.  If you support catch and releas please do yourself a favor and have hook removal tools and if for toothy critters jaw grippers or leather glove etc get the hooks out and get that fish in the water.  This just my experience try it and let me know if you like it.  Sorry so long.

D3

[deadsmelthead]

YUP, YUP all of you made a point I neglected to make clear, seting the hook like a mad man is completely unecessary. Just a little pop when they are on the run is all you need, basicaly the fish pulling the line out will do the trick with a little resistance provided by your hand. Can't belive I left that part out Bridgedoctor,sorry bout that and good point Durmaxdan... Another point made is that they are very effective if you are practicing catch and release, not a lot of gut shots.

[Grumpyoldman]

I too have given up on this type of hook.

[tightline3]

As of this year I dont use tip ups but do know how to use circle hooks. The technique is not to set the hook but to have the fish set it. The idea behind circle hooks is to increase hook ups on the side of the fishes mouth inorder to decrease death rate. When I fish with circle hooks in the summer I let the fish take the bait, close the bail and slowly lift the rod. Remember all you have to do is slowly apply pressure and not to yank. Also trout will hit a bait hold on to it and then flip the bait around taking it tail first. So I feel its good to get the hook in on the second run as bridgedoctor does.

I'm not sure your completely correct about the trout feeding tail first. It has always been my understanding that all fish must swallow any fish head first or it's dorsal fins will stick in their throats. Think about it,all fish fins fold back against the body from the head too the tail. The other way down just will not work dude.

[duramaxdan]

Piscivorous brown trout Salmo trutta change their feeding behaviour depending on prey species, prey size and number of prey eaten. In trout which had eaten fish recently, most had one fish in their stomach, but up to 16 prey fish were found. Individuals of the small-sized minnow Phoxinus phoxinus were swallowed chiefly tail first, whereas individuals of the larger Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus were taken both head and tail first. The largest charr were swallowed head first. In stomachs containing more than one fish prey, prey orientation was likely to be mixed. For all three types of prey orientation (i.e. tail first, head first and mixed), significant and positive correlations existed between prey length and predator length. The maximum prey size eaten tail first or in mixed orientation was about 70–85% of the size of prey eaten head first, indicating morphological advantages in eating the prey head first.

Guess it depends of size and species of bait wether it will be taken head or tail first.

[Walltrout]

I gave up on them too after losing several burbot.  They would get to the top of the hole, spit the hook, smile and flip you the fin before swimming back down  I usually catch to eat so I will stick to trebles and just regular snelled bait holder hooks.

[Drifter_016]

If you started missing fish that are larger in size try upping the size of your hooks. The gap may be too small to hook in their jaw properly.

[panfishman13]

jaw structure is important too, if the fish has a hard or bony jaw like a gar or musky or pike then the hook may not set as well. fish with softer mouths may be better for circle hooks like bluegill and catfish or trout.

[buddah]

If you started missing fish that are larger in size try upping the size of your hooks. The gap may be too small to hook in their jaw properly.

I had the same problem and that fixed it immediately.I went 2 sizes larger and problem solved.

[jebra]

IMHO I don't see the "point" (get it?) in fishing with a hook where you can't give a good old snappy "set" for fear of losing the fish. But to each his own.
  I would rather use a baitholder hook and, if you trying to minimize "gut hooking", just don't take a nap while your flags are flying.

[winchester 88]

You might try Laszer (sp) wide gap hooks.
 I use them in the summer for bass and really like them.
Unlike the circle hooks you have to set them when the fish hits but the design seems to always catch them in the bony part of the upper mouth.
The tip of the hook is slightly bent off to the side and I don't know if this is the secret but I have had a high percentage of hookups using them.

Winchester 88

[QuantumPT]

gotta love Circle hooks for when i visit Red River in manitoba for channel cats.  never missed oen yet,  and always on the corner of the mouth.