Circle Hooks

[joejelly]

Can anyone give me some info. on what the advantages and disadvantages are to circle hooks. Is anyone using them? What are the best applications for them? Are they are worth using at all?

[TrophyEyes]

Don't set the hook! All you do is apply pressure and let the fish set themselves. Personally I don't have the self control not to jerk the ever living snot out of them, so needless to say they don't work for me. I know a lot of people that really like them. I know they are huge in saltwater fishing.

Here is a quick synopsis on how they work. The point of the hook will not catch on anything inside the fishes mouth except the corner. It is designed for you to apply pressure as the fish is going away from you. It will pull the hook from down in the fishes mouth, then when it reaches the mouth the line will make the hook turn and make the point become accessible to the flesh of the fishes mouth. Almost every time you will find the hook right in the corner of the mouth. I thought about using them on my tip-ups because I would be able to just grab the line when they are pulling away. I would also “prey” that if it was a pike, I would be able to avoid the teeth. I am sure there are many other applications for freshwater, but as stated above, personally I like to brush their teeth with an aggressive hook set. If you set the hook with a circle hook, the hook will just come out and not have a chance to turn into the corner of the fishes mouth. That’s what I know about them, not sure it helps.

[fishroger]

i use them when bobber fishing. When fish hits just take up slack and then reel line in. 99% of time the fish is hooked in corner of mouth. Ive had a few gut hooked, not many. Excellent if releasing fish

[joejelly]

Thanks for the info. guys. I think I will rig my tip up with them. On cold days my tip dosen't like to unravel line very good and i think they would work well if i can't get to the tip up soon enough. Does anyone have any info. on a decent lubricant for reels and tipups for cold weather.

[The Crumpler]

I use them exclusively on my dead-stick and once you get used to them, they are sweet. As mentioned, a nice clean hook in the corner of the mouth makes for an easy CPR.

[RipJigger]

I use them on my tip-ups for pike fishing,nice clean corner of the mouth hookup

[Huey]

RipJigger-

How are you hooking the minnow?

and do you have a favorite brand/model?

I tried them on my tip up for pike fishing but missed a lot of fish while my buddy was hooking fish with regular hooks. Thanks for any info.

Huey

[B420]

Tried them this year, didn't like them at all. I could hook largemouth with them, textbook, right in the corner of the mouth. Never got the hook to stick in the pike though. A treble serves me just fine, and I can set it right away.

[RipJigger]

I use light northern suckers and hook them in the back by the dorsal fin with the point facing forward,they usually take them head first this way the hook is pointing the right way.Ive been using Vmc sure set in a size 1/0 or 2/0 a Kahle style hook works well too

[TrophyEyes]

I thought you couldn't use a Treble on a live bait rig??? I know that Trebles on a spoon or lure was fine, but not by itself. Am I way off base here?

[The Donk]

I believe you can use trebles with a spinner within 3?? inches of the hook.

[igotem]

Quote:

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Thanks for the info. guys. I think I will rig my tip up with them. On cold days my tip dosen't like to unravel line very good and i think they would work well if i can't get to the tip up soon enough. Does anyone have any info. on a decent lubricant for reels and tipups for cold weather.

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I've used circle hooks for years on cats and sturgeon. I used to have to order them out of the salt water catalog. They work awesome for these fish and I can't think of a time the hook wasn't around the lips, usually the corner of the mouth but not always.

Now I use them under a slip bobber and they work very well for the eyes and throat hooking fish is rare, which is nice.

I've had such good luck with circles so I thought they would be awesome under a tip-up for pike. Well after getting schooled by my buddies on a few outings, I'm back to the quick strike rig. I was probably at a 10% hook-up rate on flags with the circle. I don't tip-up fish for pike all that often so I guess I'm stickin' to what was workin' for me.

As far as lube goes, BLU-LUBE by HT works very well. Its designed for exactly what you need. You should be able to get it anywhere that sells ice fishin gear.

[joejelly]

Thanks for the reply about the lube. Ill check it out.