Circle Hooks

[Tizer]

Perhaps I should add that I am so confident in these hooks that I even flatten the barb,So I have gone from being a 2 treble snap tackle user(back in the day) to just using a single de.barbed circle.

[Olly]

I will use them for silure in the UK as only barbless single hooks can be used - see how they work!

My 2 hook pike dead bait rig is a barbless bait retaining single (usually in the tail root) plus a semi-barbless treble - - ie only one of the three hooks has a barb. I seldom use a livebait.

[Grumpy]

Perhaps I should add that I am so confident in these hooks that I even flatten the barb,So I have gone from being a 2 treble snap tackle user(back in the day) to just using a single de.barbed circle.

I have flattened the barbs on trebles,and now circles for years.Makes unhooking so much quicker and easier.
I will be keeping a log this year,hooked Pike versus runs missed.Hopefully in favour of hook ups.

[Olly]

These are the hooks I have for silure:- https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/catfish ... k-barbless

[Grumpy]

Hi Bleak,
Take a look at this thread,you should find all the help you need.Circles are proving very good for me this season.Some runs are missed but they are generally from small Pike.

[Trilob]

As there is some interest in this topic I feel I have to reply here.
i know Phil also replied but the pictures might get more attention.

this is NOT a circle hook:

the outward eye makes it a hook you have to strike and you can deep hook a fish easily.

this one is:




i didnt know this until my last vacation when i showed a friend all my octopus circle hooks (cost me a small fortune) i bought for stingray. after his insight i googled and searched youtube and there is a lot of mis-information about these hooks. so thats why i felt the need to reply here for the safety of our beloved fish.

[Trilob]

I've used Mustad 39951NP-BN Fine Demon Perfect Circle Hooks for quite some time now and can recommend them.

Always use in-line circle hooks. Do not make the mistake of using off-set circle hooks as they will deep hook and are impossible to remove. They have been made illegal in many places in America.

The bait should be hung off the bend of the hook or hair-rigged so the gape of the hook is not impeded.

With pike there is always a problem with the fish holding the bait crosswise before turning and swallowing head first. I'm not in favour of using a Pennel system as I have found fish starving to death after breaking the line and having the Pennel stuck across their throat. Also if the fish takes the bait down instantly or without moving off, removing two hooks can be very problematic and bad for the fish. 99% of the time I lip-hooked the bait on a single no. 10 semi-barbless treble and gave the fish a little time to turn it. Over the years I've only had to leave hooks in three fish which took deeply, one of which went from 21lb to 23lb before being captured again and was very healthy. The small treble appears to do little harm unlike a large hook which can pass through the stomach wall and injure a vital organ.

Using circle hooks you should lip-hook the bait and give time for the fish to turn the bait and start to swallow it before tightening to the fish and letting it run away from you. Up to now I've only used used circle hooks for catching bass and have not deep-hooked any fish. I'm confident they would prove excellent for pike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__q-3JKhlsE
some more info on the inline/offset hooks

[Tizer]

As I said before I use ONE barbless circle, I do not let the pike run or wait for it to turn the bait, the alarm sounds/float goes under or indicator falls, = pick the rod up straight away close the bail arm and start winding without lifting the rod, If you wait you are asking for trouble especially in October when water temps are still a bit high, my baits are always on a hair from the bend of the hook, had 3 pike the other day, all hooked in the sissors and I got the circle out with my fingers, they were back in the water in no time,how good is that

[Moley]

Years ago there was a big who haa about using circle hooks for flies and nymphs.

After much 'expert' knowledge was aired and debated the argument ended as they usually do with name calling and personal abuse....you know the usual....but with no profound conclusions either way.

John Goddard had messed around with them for a number of years and stated that tying flies on them was a bit of a pallaver and really not worth the effort although he was of the belief that in larger sizes they may be of some benefit to hooking and to the fish.

Flies are mostly still tied on old-fashioned hooks for a reason...they still work!

Anyways circle hooks do work but to my feeble mind don't seem any better than good old fashioned hooks. So there will be no changes in the Fatty Camp.

Deep hooking of grayling, mentioned earlier, is a concern and should be looked at for the reason why?

1. Late striking is the most obvious reason and should be addressed directly by the angler by making changes to the way they fish. Personally Fatty never ever ledgers for Grayling as this allows the sometimes dim witted fish to swallow the hook down.

2. If on the float strike as soon as it moves....yes you will miss bites but consider that normal because they are capable of lightening bites and even if hooked twist and turn so violently they come off any way.

3. Do circle hooks solve this? In a word no and by following the circle hook mantra of just tightening into the fish delays just enough for a greedy Grayling to swallow the damn hook....not what you want, at all. The best solution reached by Fatty is to use larger wide gaped hooks like the Guru ones they market for pellets.... and yes a couple of maggots hanging off a large wide gapped hook look obvious to us but not so to the fish which let's be honest here are not the sharpest tool in the box. Any way small worms tend to be better baits and don't look so obvious.

4. It goes without saying,but will, that this set up will not fool roach but if just after Grayling is a solution with the added benefit that less bites are missed. Less fish just fall off and deep hooking is reduced significantly. Should it happen a disgorger if used properly will not damage them at all.

5. Circle hooks can be got out of the fish is gently but firmly prevented from doing their usual bankside acrobatics long enough for a small pair of artery forceps to be locked on to the hook so the fish almost unhooks itself should the wriggling continue. Not entirely satisfactory Fatty will concede but nine times out of ten works well enough for both parties to gain a decent outcome.

Fatty has never used Circle Hooks for pike so is not qualified to give an opinion.

Grayling are a different matter with the advice given above gained from years of fishing for them and is offered freely for the benefit of the fish. It is up to you the angler if you take it!

As ever,...

Moley