? correct rigging of circle hooks?

[sherry marie]

Is there a correct way to tie a circle hook? It would seem that a knot or connection that would allow free movement as the line runs through the corner of the mouth would have a better chance of catching as it runs through. Yet most all of the hooks that come already rigged have the line tied snelled fashon with the heavy leader and the shank of the hook have a rigid connection which would make me wonder about it being able to catch the corner of the jaw as it slides out. Any feedback from you experts out there?

[flapbreaker]

Here is one way to do it.

[fishindude]

I ordered the special crimping tool, sleeves and line. I can't wait to start customizing my hali leaders. I lost a 40 ounce weight this weekend. I used a 130lb sturgeon leader and a sablefish chewed it to pieces. Lesson learned. Go with nylon coated stainless leaders from now on.

[CrazyFish]

I'm no expert but here are a few things I've learned.

- Make sure that you're hook has some offset to it. Most manufactures don't do this, so useing a vice and plyers to give it a little twist works great.

- It doesn't matter much if the hooks are sticking out of your bait or not, as long as you have bait on the hook. I like to tie what ever bait on with plenty of strechy thred, sometimes you'll have fish that just grab and let the bait goes (if the bait is tied on there is a better chance of another fish grabbing it.

- Fishing with circle hooks is completely different than J hooks. When a fish starts hitting a circle hook do not set the hook, you have to let the fish set the hook which they will do by chomping on the bait long enough. When you think the fish is on there lift up on the pole slow a couple of times to see if you feel them. J hooks are easyer to hook a drive by fish but once they are hooked on a circle they rarely come off. I've been known to watch or even hold a bouncing pole for up to 5 min. before reeling it up, depending on how big of bait that I dropped.

- As far as leader I believe that just about anything will work. Myself I've lost fish due to crimps on wire leader, so I've found that just tieing it with 200lb tuna cord works great as long as there is some kind of swival between leader and weight. All my all deep water Halibut leaders are made up with 200lb tuna cord and I usually do pretty good.


Hope this helps, as I said I'm not an expert.

[Maverick Maxcat]

I like 200# mono leaders. They are much nicer to handle when the fish is at the boat, and they last forever. Just knot the hook on, and put a perfection loop in the other end!

[Nalu]

I use 300# mono leader crimped, no swivels.

[trollking]

Well, first, you've gotta know that I work for the government,and I'm here to help! (..now that that's out of the way.....).

Hook orientation DOES alter catch rates, at least on commercial gear, rigged on the heavy braided nylon gangions. I've spent a few years looing at how halibut get hooked, and if the stiff gangion is fed through the front of the hook (the side with the pointy end), you will hook up about 30% more fish than if you lead it through the back of the eye. Halibut take the hook by swimming by the bait, and inhaling it as they go by. The hook and bait go deep into the gullet or throat, and as the fish continues swimming, the gangion (line to the hook) pulls tight and starts to pull the hook out of the mouth. As the hook is pulled out past the jaw hinge, the hook catches on the inside of the jaw bone, and as it continues to be pulled, the hook rolls around the jaw and 'hooks' the fish. We did a whole bunch of little experiments and reported on them in 2000. You can read quick summaries here:
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halco.../RARA00_12.pdf

[Spoonplugger]

halibutsteve, thanks for the link. Very informative.

[ron m]

Thanks, good to know, I'll use that info the next time I make up halibut rigs. Every little bit we learn is helpful.

ron m

[sherry marie]

Thanks for the information. THere is a wealth of information in the "sea" of salty dogs.