Circle hooks

[RussT]

Has anyone tried Circle hooks for Sturgon? I have never used them for anything, but the idea of the hook not sticking anywhere but in the mouth is interesting.
thanks
RussT

[Fish Hawg]

I have Been using them for 3-4 years. They are the only thing I will use,

[SHLEPROCK]

The first time I used them I thought I was missing alot of fish so I stopped using them.
I had bought the package by mistake and thought they were a poor design. I have been using them again recently to give a second chance. Lately it seems that all my hook-ups have not been deep ones but I would bet that if you were to have deep hook-up with a circle hook it could be harder to remove.

[jaydee]

Circle hooks have their purposes and work very well for them. That is to be used in conjunction with natuaral dead or live bait.
Why I wouldn't use the for sturgeon is because of the design of those sucker mouths. Unlike say a salt water bottom fish, tuna, or even a catfish, there is no good place for a circle hook to work effectively like and octopus or strait beaked hook in the mouths of medium to large sturgeon.
The hook is designed to swallowed, and when the line is pulled out, the circle is supposed to rotate into the jaw. How is this gonna happen with those big ol' lips?
Anyway, hope this helps.

J.D.

[live to fish]

i have used them on sturgon befor. i have never lost one whitha circle hook,but when thay get hook thay are hook. but it is hard to get the hook out. but i like to use octopus hook better it seem i hook more fish

[Taildragger]

I first learned of circle hooks 12 years ago while on a Halibut trip in Homer Alaska. We were fishing in about 150' of water using some sort of large dead fish. Anyway the deckhand told us over and over, "when you feel the fish bite do not set the hook", just let the fish keep on biting until he really pulls down hard and starts to go with it,then start cranking it in. He said these hooks were designed to work thier way in by themselves and that you will actually lose fish if you try and set the hook. Funny thing was the biggest fish that day was only about a 70 lb flattie so the next day we went out again on the charter I told the deckhand I wanted to catch one of those monsters Id been hearing about so he reaches into the bait bucket and pulls out a cod head about the size of cantalope and proceed to rig it for me well needless to say It didnt work but there was a nice one brought abourt that day that went around 160lbs. It was sure fun though to be able to limit out on both trips even if we didnt get the "barn door" bruiser! Needles to say I have tried them on sturgeon and they work best if you let the fish bite while keeping tension on your line at all times making sure to reel in all slack so they cant spit the hook. It seems the more they try to reject the hook the more it works its way in until the fish just panics and takes off as your rod buries. The thing I dont like about circle hooks is it takes a lot longer in most cases before the fish actually become hooked and "I just hate not being able to rip some lips"!! :smile:

[Tagster]

I started using them last time out and found that I had a much harder time getting the shakers off the hook. With regular octopus hooks, it is a simple twist. With the circle hooks, it is a damn contortion and I am pretty sure that it is harder on the fish.

On the plus side, they haven't swallowed one, but they never swallowed my octopus hooks, either...I typically use 4-0 and 6-0 down here and bigger at Bonneville.

Tag

[Mark Vickers]

Yep, given it a try... went back to regular hooks.

Like Tagster, I've found that its harder to release the little 'uns. As well, its very hard to find barbless circle hooks (here in Oregon that is. In California, you find them all over the place.)

[Sore Back]

Have any of you folks ever tried a circle hook below a bobber for fall chinook?

[jaydee]

Originally posted by Sore Back:
Have any of you folks ever tried a circle hook below a bobber for fall chinook?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Yes.
By the way, I believe the largest male pacific halibut ever recorded was 74 1/2lbs.

[ 01-26-2004, 02:50 PM: Message edited by: jaydee ]

[ICHTHYDEMON]

Taildragger,

You didn't want a big one anyways.They don't eat as well as the smaller ones,and the big ones are almost always females. Those big females really produce alot of eggs,and its a shame to waste that on a fish that won't taste as good.

[Ty]

Oh crap taildragger, now u have done it, don't bring up large halibuit with these guys.....

TY,
Conservation! Don't kill the hens :smile: I think you now know what a sore point this is with me :depressed:

Alaska needs to go to a bracket limit on halibut but we (Ketchikan Sport and Wildlife Club) were fought by the charter industry every time we proposed it.