[bscappell]

Yes.

Makes sense! I was already doing that.

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[eyeFISH]

I haven't yet used hang back circles on lures, but will try them this season if/when we get to fish. I'll definitely rig mine "rope" style, not with bead swivels for what I consider to be a good reason.

Steve Kaimmer when he was with the PFMC researched the use of circle hooks for halibut. Different fish, different size hooks, different style of fishing, but he found that which side of the hook the line leaves the eye of the hook made a significant difference in the rate at which fish were hooked. If I remember correctly, he did 10,000 sets with circle hooks.

The way Doc rigged his "rope" hooks is the way Steve recommended and is how I'm going to rig mine.
ron m

The mechanics of the circle hookup demand that they be rigged this way. If you rig the opposite way, the hook will simply be deflected from the site of initial contact, and there's exceedingly little chance of a securing a hookup.

https://youtu.be/0-gk9-IXTjw?t=25

 

[DogZilla15]

That in-line hook is more than just interesting....

 

[ron m]

The mechanics of the circle hookup demand that they be rigged this way. If you rig the opposite way, the hook will simply be deflected from the site of initial contact, and there's exceedingly little chance of a securing a hookup.

https://youtu.be/0-gk9-IXTjw?t=25

Agreed.

 

[eyeFISH]

View attachment 742403
This is how I’m rigging my hang back spoons.

Swivel -> 40-50lb mono -> hook

Rig a few of them up and swap out if hook gets dull or line gets frayed.


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Hangback circle spoonin’ success, Tan....

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[TanTastic84]

I’ve been convinced after what I got to see on my boat this year.


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[TanTastic84]

The one thing I noticed was, unless you add a 80-100lb swivel or a micro hootchie, the spoons do tend to roll over at some trolling speeds. You need to create a little bit of drag to prevent the spoon from turning into a mini 360 flasher. I didn’t appreciate how much drag a large siwash hook creates.


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[eyeFISH]

The one thing I noticed was, unless you add a 80-100lb swivel or a micro hootchie, the spoons do tend to roll over at some trolling speeds. You need to create a little bit of drag to prevent the spoon from turning into a mini 360 flasher. I didn’t appreciate how much drag a large siwash hook creates.


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Agreed!

 

[gonfishenagin]

Just got my May issue of Fish Alaska magazine
Nice cover shot Doc

 

[Sneaker]

Very cool!

 

[eyeFISH]

Bouncin' the HANGBACK circle is the real deal, folks.

The combined total of 26 bites, 21 hooked, and 18 landed works out to 69% of the bites and 86% of the hookups brought to hand. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been fishing kings long enough that I’d take that ANY day! Moreover, not a single fish was mortally wounded along the way.

 

[gonfishenagin]

Bouncin' the HANGBACK circle is the real deal, folks.

The combined total of 26 bites, 21 hooked, and 18 landed works out to 69% of the bites and 86% of the hookups brought to hand. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been fishing kings long enough that I’d take that ANY day! Moreover, not a single fish was mortally wounded along the way.

I ordered a few 50 packs of circle hooks in 1/0 to 5/0 last fall. And tied up several while in my booth at the boat show. , hopefully I get out and use them someday soon. I’ve had great success with the regular hooks in hang back as well.

 

[eyeFISH]

A few recently hangback CIRCLED conquests...

 

[CKthumper]

Do you think that would work on a wobbler?

 

[DogZilla15]

That's how mine are rigged but have yet to fish them in the Columbia. They worked in AK for Silvers and stuff.

 

[eyeFISH]

Do you think that would work on a wobbler?

Can't see why not. If they smack the wobbler broadside like any other downstream presentation on the hangdown, it should be game on.


Certainly works forward trolling spoons...

 

[scubaseth]

Nice pics! Great info always.

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[eyeFISH]

Started the B-10 season with the trusty hangback circles, but got into a "good" bite at the #1 wingdam by Ilwaco that had the crew in a bad funk. I say "good" loosely because most were rattly $h!tter bites that just would NOT stick ( prob dinker coho or jack kings). Even resorted to TRIPLE J-hook rigs... THE HORROR... but even after the change, the three-hook rigs honestly weren't faring any better at sticking those fish. Regardless, the foam roll of hangback circle bait leaders got stashed that day to prevent a mutiny, and never came back out til later in my local troll fishery. By then I was just too haphazard about keeping track.... plus I made a seismic shift in technique that still needs a serious hangback re-working.



So limited sample of days that were precisely recorded where circles were fished alongside BRB's:


Circles 7 for 14 and J-hooks 3 for 4.


Overall troll season from Aug to Nov for all hooks styles combined ended 213 for 415... 51.3%. So while they didn't get nearly as much game time, the circles still managed to hold their own in 2020.

 

[derrick454@]

That’s a lot of rod downs Francis!! you using Gami Circles I assume???

A local six packer charter guy I know also swears by the circle hook and he puts
A lot of coho in the boat.


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[eyeFISH]

That’s a lot of rod downs Francis!! you using Gami Circles I assume???

A local six packer charter guy I know also swears by the circle hook and he puts
A lot of coho in the boat.


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A mix of Gami Octopus circles and Nautilus circles.