# rigging a whole bait with a circle hook



## Shane Wright (Nov 13, 2013)

I just started using big circle hooks and I don't like the way a whole 
bait looks rigged. Do you guys have any pictures of rigged wgole mullet 
or whiting? Just seems like too much hook showing.


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## edjman (Aug 13, 2013)

A circle hook has to be exposed or it won't work properly. Go through the eyes with it. It doesn't look right, but it is. What size hooks are you using?


:work::work:
SEAWEED


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## Shane Wright (Nov 13, 2013)

I think they are 14 or 16/0 I don't remember. Ok well I guess I feel 
better just seemed like a lot of metal hang in out


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## Fargus (Feb 13, 2006)

Shane Wright said:


> seemed like a lot of metal hang in out


I feel the same way and always bury my circles _similar_ to an old 'J' hook. Probably why I don't that many hook ups.


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## iamatt (Aug 28, 2012)

I usually thread the hook and leader through the gills and hook it once through the tail a couple of inches up. This is how I rig my small to medium mullet and whitings. I almost always use two zip ties to hold the leader to the body and keep the hook laying along side of the body. You kind of just know if you have it right or not .


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

iamatt said:


> I usually thread the hook and leader through the gills and hook it once through the tail a couple of inches up. This is how I rig my small to medium mullet and whitings. I almost always use two zip ties to hold the leader to the body and keep the hook laying along side of the body. You kind of just know if you have it right or not .


I assume you rig up your J's this way. Circles need to be able to pivot on the leader connection. For Whiting, Big Mullet and Rays, I run a 20/0 circle thru the mouth and out the top of the head between the eyes. For Chunks, just run a circle thru one end. The point and Barb should ALWAYS be exposed.


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## Category6 (Nov 21, 2007)

The best way in my opinion is to run a zip tie through the eyes and cinch the hook down to the top of the head. That way the entire hook is exposed. Tape the hook with black electrical tape from the eye to the barb.


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## Shane Wright (Nov 13, 2013)

Ok I appreciate all the help. I didn't realize so much engineering 
went into the circle hook rig lol. But I have everything I need in the truck 
at all times.


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

The main thing to understand is that circle hooks must be able to pivot on the leader connection to prevent gut hooks. I know that from experience after I gut hooked 2 large sharks with a pivotless circle.


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## GeeTee (Aug 8, 2014)

As a side note - Circle hooks are not designed to pivot, they must be static in order for the hook to work correctly, ie making use of a snell knot. I've caught many sharks in the 350lb range and not one has been gut hooked by a circle. Gut hooks with circles snelled or pivoting occurs when the circle isn't exposed enough giving the hook no purchase, in that event the hook is swallowed. Each to his own but, humour me and snell your hooks, try that and I garuantee a better hook up rate and if baited correctly, no gut hooks. Circle was designed to be snelled, that's the science behind it.


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

I never seem a 16/0 circle hook snelled in my years of fishing.


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## GeeTee (Aug 8, 2014)

Its quite easy - and many have said its impossible to snell cable - i snell 400 - 600lb cable with 18/0 circles on. 99% of YFT anglers especially drift snell their circles, all pro anglers on TV shows snell etc etc - again this is not a personal attack on anyone, just something i noticed and something i do which comes from personal experience. Below is a 18/0 Circle - the coated wire allows you to heat the knot up and allows the plastic to melt giving you a much stronger knot, one that wont slip.


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## marlin50lrs (Apr 12, 2010)

Quick and easy way is to go thru the eyes. Zip tie works great but quick, easy, and old reliable is thru the eyes


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