Circle hooks

[Herbert77060]

I have been trying to start using circle hooks but I am having no luck. Does anyone have suggestions on catching fish using circle hooks?

[bubbas kenner]

Bend em more than the way they come and sharpen them thats all I used when my heart was in surf fishing and use a 113hlw 4/0 penn senator like the one I have for sale in the classified it likes circle hooks lol really.

[Texican89]

I had good luck setting the hook to the side vs up

[BCSurf]

I might be stating the obvious, but make sure you're not slamming the rod back trying to set the hook. You'll just pull the hook from it mouth. Just reel and keep the line tight, no need to set the hook

[surfisher]

x2 all they have to do is bite it and just reel in.

[troutless]

X3 As stated above all you have to do is reel up the slack and the fish hook themselves. Keep the hooks sharp and I take off the barbs with a file or bend them down. I would hate to hook myself out BTB fishing and could not take the hook out myself.

[bigfost]

X4, except, do not modify the hook at all. Circle hooks were designed hundreds of years ago. They work just the way they are out of the box. You will often find offsetting the point, or opening the hook leads to many more throat hooked fish.

If you want to do anything, sharpen the point a bit, although that's not usually necessary either, and mash the barb down.

Don't give up on them. After many years of fishing with j-hooks, it took me a long time to get used to circles, but they are all I use now.

[sea sick]

Check to see if the bait chunk is to big for the hook or hooks are to small. The barb has to be exposed to grab that rubber lip. So the bait shouldn't cover it up or hinder the hooking process.

And as others mentioned,just reel down,tighten the slack,no setting the hook. Or if the fish is running with the bait,just slowly tighten the drag on him. It should do its magic from there.

[Chief5x5]

Originally Posted by sea sick

Check to see if the bait chunk is to big for the hook or hooks are to small. The barb has to be exposed to grab that rubber lip. So the bait shouldn't cover it up or hinder the hooking process.

And as others mentioned,just reel down,tighten the slack,no setting the hook. Or if the fish is running with the bait,just slowly tighten the drag on him. It should do its magic from there.

Agree 100%.

[DANO]

Good information here on circle hooks. Never had a fish "shake" one yet. Even when 2 or more bulls are on, just reel them in one at a time.